What kind of layout is normally needed when building a warehouse?

A warehouse is a facility primarily used for storing goods. Its layout needs to optimize storage capacity, material handling, and the movement of goods for receiving, picking, and shipping.

• A. Process layout: This layout groups similar processes or functions together (e.g., all drilling machines in one area). It's common in manufacturing where products move between different departments based on their specific processing needs. This is not typical for a warehouse.
• B. Product layout: This layout arranges workstations in a sequence to produce a specific product (e.g., an assembly line). It's efficient for high-volume, standardized production. This is also not typical for a warehouse.
• C. Fixed-layout (or Fixed-position layout): In this layout, the product or project remains in a fixed location, and resources (workers, materials, equipment) are brought to it. This is used for large, immobile projects like building a ship or a bridge. While a warehouse building is fixed, the internal arrangement for storing and moving goods is not typically referred to as a "fixed-position layout" in this context.
• D. Facility layout: This is a general term that refers to the arrangement of physical resources within a facility to support its operations. When building a warehouse, the design involves arranging storage racks, aisles, loading docks, offices, and other areas to optimize the flow of goods and efficiency of operations. This is precisely what a facility layout addresses.

The overall design and arrangement of space and resources within a warehouse to optimize its function is best described as a facility layout.

The final answer is $\boxed{\text{D. Facility}}$