Located near a river and marshland, the site conditions produced numerous design challenges. Pile foundations were necessary to achieve proper bearing capacity. Due to the high floor loads required by the paper storage areas (approximately 500 p.s.f.) and the fact that the original scope of the surcharging used to prepare the site to receive the first floor slabs did not extend to the warehouse site, a conventional slab on grade could not be used.

A structural slab supported by grade beams and pilings proved to be the most suitable approach. In order to develop a suitable working platform, engineered fill and a mud slab were utilized during the winter months when the underground work was executed.

The exterior treatment of the addition repeated the architecture of the existing building, making the addition an integral part of the complex.