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| UWest : U.S. Robotics Morton Grove, Illinois |
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| Architect: | Valerio Dewalt Train Associates Inc. |
| Client/Owner: | U.S. Robotics |
| General Contractor: | Turner Construction Co. |
| Consultants: | WMA Consulting Engineers (MEP) |
| Photographer: | Karant + Associates, Barbara Karant |
An abandoned manufacturing building was chosen for a company that seeks to produce the highest quality computer communications equipment at a cost below competitors. The heart of this state-of-the-art production facility is a rectangle of 18 production lines each 300 feet long.
Due to the limited roof height - less than ten feet - the entry could not be defined by the use of vertical height, yet this large facility demanded something monumental. So horizontality was emphasized, which also stressed the speed and direction of the production lines. The entry space crosses a second axis at a right angle. The new axis leads to the main office areas, nicknamed by the workers as the "Chunnel of Industry." This space runs along one edge of the production floor and puts production workers into close contact with planners. The up and down movement of the old shed roof is reflected in the hyperactive movement of the metal mesh over the main corridor. A series of large cylinders interrupt the horizontal extension of the space, part of a system of repetitive elements which are then interrupted. This expresses in architectural terms the company's philosophy: the exceptions are as important as the rules.
"Spatially, the design is great. I really like the romantic pools of light." -Jury Comment
