Morphosis Architects has teamed up with Albert Kahn Associates to expand Detroit's Lawrence Technological University with a new "Taubman Complex." Marked by a "carbon-fiber circulation orb," the complex will form a new grand entrance to the University and provide flexible laboratory space for multidisciplinary research, including robotics and biomedical engineering.
From the architects: As the post-war capital of auto manufacturing in the U.S., the city of Detroit has historically been synonymous with innovation in American engineering. Lawrence Technological University is intrinsically intertwined with the city’s legacy and future in tech and innovation; launched in 1932 with the help of Henry and Edsel Ford, the school was founded as a pioneering experiment in a practice-based approach to education in architecture, engineering, applied science, and management.
Henry Ford’s influence over architecture in Detroit goes beyond educational experiments; by the time Lawrence Technological University was founded, Ford had already engaged the architectural firm Albert Kahn Associates to build a series of state-of-the-art automotive factories, which employed new engineering techniques to create open span, clerestory-lit facilities that offered the flexibility to keep up with rapidly changing industries. A century later, Kahn’s innovations are revived in a new expansion for Lawrence Technological University designed to offer flexible laboratory facilities for multiple disciplines.
With its bridge-like form defining the periphery of the campus, the Taubman Complex reinforces a new axis that organizes discrete buildings and anticipates future regions of the school. The Complex is linked to neighboring buildings by lifted bridges, forming a new grand entrance and gateway to the University. Breaching the linear envelope of the building, a carbon-fibre circulation orb marks entry and creates a focal point for the University quad.
The new Taubman Complex will provide advanced facilities for robotics engineering, biomedical engineering, life sciences and related programs. Designed to function as an extending bar that accommodates phased construction, the building utilizes laboratory modules and flex areas to efficiently support future expansion.
Construction is expected to complete in 2016.
Architects
Location
Lawrence Technological University, 21000 West 10 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075, United StatesDesign Director
Thom MayneProject Principal
Brandon WellingProject Architect
Aleksander Tamm-SeitzProject Team
Chris Eskew, Michael Nesbit, Atsushi SugiuchiAdvanced Technology
Cory BruggerProject Assistants
Natalie Abbott, Carmelia Chiang, Sam Clovis, Thomas Day, Ryan Docken, Bart Gillespie, Mauricio Gomez, Parham Hakimi, Jonathan Kaminsky, Hunter Knight, Sarah Kott, Katie MacDonald, Nicole Meyer, Derrick Whitmire, Pablo ZunzuneguiVisualization
Jasmine Park, Nathan Skrepcinski, Sam TannenbaumArchitect of Record
Albert Kahn AssociatesStructural
Albert Kahn AssociatesMEP/Fire Protection
Albert Kahn AssociatesCivil
Professional Engineering Association, PEALandscape Architect
Albert Kahn AssociatesCost Estimator
Kirk Value PlannersGeotechnical
The Mannick & Smith Group, Inc.Client
Lawrence Technological UniversityArea
11613.0 sqmProject Year
2016Photographs
Morphosis ArchitectsLocation
Lawrence Technological University, 21000 West 10 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075, USAProject Year
2016Photographs
Courtesy of Morphosis ArchitectsArea
11613.0 m2MEP
Albert Kahn AssociatesFire Protection
Albert Kahn Associates
