MAD Architects has unveiled designs for a new campus for Faraday Future (FF), makers of “the world’s fastest-accelerating electric car.” Located on the site of a former Naval base on Mare Island, adjacent to the Napa River in Northern California, the campus has been envisioned as a “zero-emission base” that will support not only the company’s research, development, and manufacturing headquarters, but also public outreach programming and ecological restoration of the river.
Inspired by the company’s futuristic technology and the aerodynamic forms of its vehicles, the open-concept campus will consist of two low-lying, metallic structures reminiscent of “extraterrestrial objects” that have landed within the site’s prairie landscape.
Intended to “de-familiarizing employees and prospective clients with the status quo of the contemporary automotive market,” the project’s signature element is the user experience center located within a shimmering, sculptural tower in the center of the complex. Open to the public, the structure will provide visitors with an education experience and expansive views of the entire campus. Not shying away from dramatics, the tower serves also as an elevator that transports newly-purchased vehicles to the start of a sensational procession.
“The design allows clients to watch as their car is transported from the warehouse along the elevated light rail into the exhibition hall, to right in front of them,” explain the architects.
The double-height R&D facility has been designed to provide flexible work arrangements for its employees. A series of internal courtyards puncture the expansive roof, offering outdoor space for workers and allowing an abundance of natural light to reach internal social spaces. Following the company’s zero-emission philosophy, large roof overhangs and an operable glass façade have been included to reduce solar gain and create passive ventilation, while rooftop solar panels and wind power generators will provide enough energy to support the daily operational demands of the entire campus.
A timeline for construction has yet to be announced.
News via MAD Architects.
Architects
Location
Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, United StatesDirectors
Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke HayanoDesign Team
ZENG Hao, Jacob Hu, ZHANG Tingfu, LI Yuanhao, YAN Ran, HE Xiaokang, Kin Li, LI Guangchong, Brecht Van Acker, Yukan Yanagawa, WANG YimingSite Area
130,000 m2Photographs
Courtesy of MAD ArchitectsArchitects
