How IMPs Balance Speed, Efficiency and Design for Industrial Buildings

The interior of the Aspire Food Group facility in London, Ontario, features Kingspan’s cold storage panels, including Kingspan’s KS Shadowline Interior panels, to deliver high R-values to support temperature-controlled environments. (Kingspan)

By Karim Muri, Vice President, Marketing Services and Strategy Development at Kingspan Insulated Panels North America

Industrial building construction involves a convergence of preferences from each party involved in the project. Contractors need easy-to-install materials, project managers require speed, tenants want a space that fits their needs, building codes often require energy-efficient construction, and community members hope for a building that blends in with the surrounding area. Demand for warehouses and distribution centers continues to grow, with U.S. industrial leasing up 14% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026 and big-box demand tripling.

Karim Muri is Vice President of Marketing Services and Strategy Development for Kingspan Insulated Panels North America. Muri has led strategic marketing in the construction products market for nearly 20 years. His global experience includes leadership roles in Australia and the United States, working in both the residential and commercial building sectors.

With dozens of requirements for every project, architects are increasingly turning to insulated metal panels (IMPs) to meet those needs. IMPs install quickly, supporting the speed of weathertight construction a project needs. They also support thermal efficiency with R-values up to 8.0 per inch. For design, these versatile panels come in a variety of colors and styles, with optional textures to break up the visual expanse of industrial buildings and help them blend in with the area as an architectural landmark, as opposed to a boxy warehouse. 

Constant Temperatures

In industrial buildings, specifications vary widely by industry and use. One example is the temperature control required in a cricket farm. Aspire Food Group is an insect agriculture company dedicated to minimizing the use of natural resources and physical space in farming protein sources. The company has opened research and development sites worldwide, including a 165,000 square-foot cricket farm in London, Ontario.

To breed and store crickets, the facility requires constant temperatures. The complex also features a storage area for frozen goods, which requires strong insulation to prevent sudden temperature changes that could disrupt operations or ruin food production. IMPs were selected as the building envelope to maintain a constant temperature in such a large-scale facility while using fewer materials. Architect EllisDon incorporated IMPs for temperature control because the panels feature double tongue-and-groove interlocking joints to minimize thermal bridging. 

Quicker Speed to Weathertight 

In industrial construction, projects often span tens of thousands of square feet, and on a tight deadline, that scale can appear daunting. Materials like IMPs keep projects moving.

At the Browns Shoes Distribution Center in Montreal, Quebec, speed drove the choice of building material. The facility needed to be enclosed quickly, so interior work could proceed and meet project deadlines. Because IMPs combine insulation with a finished exterior, the team achieved a weathertight envelope fast, with no need to pause the timeline to wait for insulation after installing paneling.

Additionally, this material can be cut and configured on-site as opposed to materials like pre-cast concrete. This versatility helps installers use more of the panels without waste, and they can be adjusted on-site to accommodate last-minute changes.

The Browns Shoes Distribution Center in Montreal, Quebec, required speed, so designers at GKC Architecture & Design incorporated over 20,000 square feet of Kingspan IMPs, including KarrierPanels and KS Series Micro-Rib Panels. (Kingspan)

When building in a high-traffic area, both the future tenant and area visitors are considered in the construction and design process. IMPs offer a sleek, modern finish on a building, upgrading it from an industrial box to a visually pleasing landmark without disrupting the visual ecosystem of an established area.

Built along North America’s busiest highway within a high concentration of retail, restaurant and hotel amenities, visual appeal was a concern in the design of Meadowvale Exchange. Glenn Piotrowski Architect Ltd. used over 31,000 square feet of IMPs for a cohesive design that blends the industrial complex into a high-traffic area. IMPs break up the expansive space with a contrasting darker gray tone, adding verticality to a long building. 

The Meadowvale Exchange Distribution Center in Mississauga, Ontario, features Kingspan KarrierPanel and KS Shadowline to enhance the visual appeal of the building in a high-traffic area. (Robert Lowdon Photography)

Meeting Every Need

From visual demands to construction timelines, IMPs help builders rise to the occasion and check each box. With temperature control, sleek design and versatility, IMPs are a simple solution for industrial building construction, which can challenge contractors and project managers alike with expansive size and unique requirements from tenants. IMPs balance the different needs of each team involved in construction, from the design stages to the final ribbon-cutting.

Bio: Karim Muri is Vice President of Marketing Services and Strategy Development for Kingspan Insulated Panels North America. Muri has led strategic marketing in the construction products market for nearly 20 years. His global experience includes leadership roles in Australia and the United States, working in both the residential and commercial building sectors. 

About Kingspan Insulated Panels - North America

Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America is a business unit of Kingspan, a global company operating in more than 80 countries, with over 200 manufacturing facilities. Kingspan Insulated Panels – North America manufactures and markets three groups of products at its U.S., Canadian and Mexican facilities: insulated metal wall and roof panel systems for commercial/industrial construction; insulated architectural panel and façade systems for design-driven projects; and controlled environment panels for cold-storage and climate-controlled warehousing. In addition to its commitment to quality and innovation, the company is on the leading edge of the sustainability movement, offering best-of-class products produced in state-of-the-art facilities which apply a range of sustainability measures. To learn more visit  www.kingspanpanels.us.