I am in the exploratory / feasibility study phase of planning a shop build on our property and am looking for some feedback, mostly on construction methods based on what I'm hoping to do. I have attached a photo of a simple floor plan/overall dimensions sketch as well as some photos of the site in its current state below.
Bit of background - I have a small one man shop / custom woodworking business (started in 2018) that I have been operating out of the small walkout basement of our house. Became much less bearable when the venture changed from occasional / side jobs to more full time business and projects and I make it work but am (literally) banging my head against the wall (and ceiling) at times and am desperately in need of a change of scenery and a lot more space for multiple reasons. Trying to avoid moving to a rented shop space for several reasons - like being at home/no commute/having 24/7 access to my shop, dont want to pay rent down the drain to be in someone else's probably less than ideal space, the cost and effort of physically moving and re-doing electrical infrastructure in someone else's space (mostly heavy 3 phase machines that aren't exactly quick and easy to move and setup.) A couple of links to my current shop from a shop tour I did a few months back for context.
https://youtu.be/AVSBsKK1jOI
https://youtu.be/JEcuXNJu_1E
Current proposed shop is essentially a 30x40 box with a 16x16 box on the south west corner and a 16x24 box on the north east corner - around 1800 sq ft of interior space with about 2100 sq ft of slab including a few of the exterior areas Id like a slab for. The reason for the added boxes is due to the limitations of the site and to try and maximize the existing flat/mostly graded site to its fullest. Hoping to use the 16x16 area with a 14' rollup door for incoming material, small flatbed truck, forklift (one day) unloading/storage, the 30x40 for mostly machine/assembly/bench work and the 16x24 area for a dedicated finishing space + partitioned off small office / drafting space. In my mind this entire space is completely wide open, clear span except a few interior partition walls to define the small office space in the NE corner.
Looking at the drawing you may see that I want (1) ~12-14’ rollup door (wide as reasonably possible for trailer/materials/truck, (1) ~10' roll up door, lots of windows on all sides of the building (north side can be all up high, small and fixed) but otherwise mostly operable on the south and east sides, (2) 36" man doors. Edit: may make sense to make both doors 12’ wide for consistency and ease of backing a trailer.
For some context, comparing the site photos with the drawings - the long rear North wall of the shop is essentially just off of and parallel with the existing concrete block wall. This wall will likely need to be partially or fully removed and rebuilt with active drainage integrated in to help divert water from the mountain behind and away from the slab and building that will sit right at the base of the hill. The last photo is the one that's closest to the perspetive of the sketch.
Hoping for 12' of ceiling height at the side walls (S and N side.) Metal roof and siding is fine, but not totally sold or convinced on a metal framed building as I dont know if the floor plan and dimensions I want/need is readily available or adaptable. Maybe I'm wrong? Insulation and vapor control is also important as this space will need to be climate controlled in winter and summer. Thinking mini split (s?) for that. Very much open to discussion on insulation and air sealing detailing.
In my head this is a slab on grade, but I may be overlooking something there and am admittedly not really a concrete / foundation guy. There is a literal small mountain (we live in the mountains) directly behind this building location and it may / likely need a rear retaining wall with active drainage to divert water around the building/slab. When we moved here in 2013 there was an old single wide mobile home in the location and the area had some grading done prior to that for the MH, but will need a bit more additional grading as my proposed shop is longer and wider than the MH was. The area is currently not used for much and has fallen into a bit of neglect. Mostly used for compost/wood chip dumping and a brush/burn pile. Very rural area at the end of the road so I'm not really concerned with neighborhood aesthetics, etc.
Budget is obviously a large factor. I am still working out the details on what I can actually afford, but would prefer to start from a place of ideal given the site and work in compromises from there. The majority of this work will be hired out except for interior finishes and some of the electrical. Young family and small business take up all of my time despite working as a carpenter/timber framer/project mgr for others in the past.
Wondering what makes the most sense in terms of building type given these wants/parameters. Really wanting wide open floor, clear spans with 30' being the largest span in the 30x40 section. Stick framed with wooden trusses, metal trusses, post-frame with trusses? Somehow a metal building in this exact size and dimensions?? All the windows and specifics of the floor plan make me think that metal building isn't really a good option (plus needing to essentially frame out/build out the interior additionally if you want wood walls for simple attaching/hanging/etc)
Thoughts? I have some but am holding back a bit because this is overly long as it is and looking for fresh perspectives from others who have done this and lived with their shops.
Thanks for looking and any advice.