This 120,000 square foot technical center for a French automobile components manufacturer in suburban Detroit houses two formerly separate corporate divisions within a single building. Two levels of open office area allow for a flexible arrangement or integrated project teams consisting of project management, sales, design and testing staffs. Transparent glass walls, detailed for acoustic control, permit project team members to be in close proximity to the double volume testing laboratory.
Davis Brody Bond, LLP
This 120,000 square foot technical center for a French automobile components manufacturer in suburban Detroit houses two formerly separate corporate divisions within a single building. Two levels of open office area allow for a flexible arrangement or integrated project teams consisting of project management, sales, design and testing staffs. Transparent glass walls, detailed for acoustic control, permit project team members to be in close proximity to the double volume testing laboratory. Towers containing shared conference rooms punctuate the office and lab areas, which further integrate teams of designers with lab technicians. The glazed double-volume testing lab is visible from the street, satisfying the owner’s objective to publicly display the primary function of the facility.
An exhibit area highlighting new products and a full-size vehicle is located in a glass cube entrance lobby adjacent to other non-secure program elements such as conference rooms and the cafeteria. Horizontal aluminum sunshades on the south and west protect the interior from glare and direct solar gain. The building’s design reflects not only the materials of the products made by Valeo, but also qualities such as transparency, efficiency, and collaboration that are hallmarks of the company. The building received the National AIA Excellence in Design Award and the Business Week / Architectural Record Award in 2000 for being exemplary of the positive effects that a good design can have on productivity and employee satisfaction.