Vertical Construction

Vertical construction is a research upgrade that increases how many storage buildings and Matrix Labs can be stacked vertically. In practice, it raises the usable layer count for both building types, letting you compress production and research setups into a much smaller footprint.

By default, Storage depots and Storage tanks can already stack to 2 layers, and Matrix Labs can already stack to 3 layers. Each level of Vertical construction adds +1 storage layer and +2 Matrix Lab layers, so the first level raises totals to 3 layers for storage and 5 layers for labs. Higher levels continue to expand those limits, reaching 8 storage layers and 15 Matrix Lab layers at the listed maximum level. The research also improves the relevant function of the stacked buildings: storage gains capacity, while labs gain research speed.

This upgrade is especially useful for compact factory design. Stacking reduces the number of buildings needed on the ground, and that in turn can reduce the number of Conveyor belts and Sorters required to connect them. It is a straightforward way to save space when building dense production blocks or high-throughput science arrays.

A few placement rules are worth keeping in mind:

• Storage MK.I can be stacked on top of a Splitter, and the Splitter itself counts as one layer.
• Storage MK.II can be stacked on top of a Battlefield Analysis Base, and that base counts as two layers.
• If Matrix Labs are stacked above 4 layers, Icarus will be blocked by the building when flying near it.
• Deconstruction must be performed from the top down.

The research has a prerequisite of Basic logistics system at the first level. Its costs scale upward with each level, so it is typically pursued as a space-saving infrastructure upgrade rather than an early-game priority.