Hardware & robotics · Onshore field guide
Office, flex, or industrial space for a robotics team?
Use the operation to guide the search. Software and design work may suit an office. Teams combining desks, benches, and deliveries can compare flex and industrial units. Testing and production add layout, utility, access, and approval questions that the building’s marketing category cannot answer.
Break a working week into activities
Describe what happens in the unit, who does it, and what equipment and materials are involved. Separate computer work, assembly, testing, storage, and shipping. Tell the broker which activities happen together and which need their own area.
Include occasional activities that change the requirements: receiving a large machine, demonstrating a mobile robot, or testing a product that makes noise, heat, dust, or fumes. Those details can matter more than the label on the listing.
Compare spaces against the operation
| Work | Space to consider | Questions for the specific unit |
|---|---|---|
| Software, design, and limited bench work | Office or office-heavy flex | Does the lease and approved use accommodate the actual testing and assembly? |
| Benches, assembly, storage, and regular deliveries | Flex or industrial | How much usable work area remains after offices, storage, and circulation? |
| Robot testing or pilot production | Industrial or a suitable R&D unit | Can the layout, utilities, floor, access, and permitted operation support the process? |
Check the whole test area
For a mobile robot, sketch its route, turning area, and interaction with people and other equipment. For fixed equipment, record the work envelope, installation requirements, and service access. Have the responsible technical professionals determine the safe layout.
During a tour, look for columns, changes in floor level, low obstructions, shared routes, and the path from the loading door to the work area. Measure the parts of the unit your operation depends on.
Confirm the address and the operation together
For San Francisco, start with SF Planning’s Property Information Map through its zoning resources. Discuss the actual operation with Planning and the landlord. Peninsula cities have their own planning departments and rules.
Request the approvals and building records relevant to the intended work. Published amperage, a previous tenant’s use, or an industrial designation is a starting point for questions, not a unit-specific confirmation.
Use industrial inventory as the search starting point
Onshore’s hardware and robotics page includes the public industrial inventory. Compare the published facts, then use your requirements to decide which spaces to tour. Office options remain available when the operation is primarily desk-based.
Put the requirements against real spaces.
Compare five industrial spaces, or start your search with Sam.