Aligned along the I-90 interstate within the former AT&T campus near Chicago O’Hare, the TRUMPF Smart Factory is a prototypical showroom for machine tools. The company shows examples of the interplay in manufacturing between people, machinery, warehousing, automation, and software as Industry 4.0 solutions (where machines are interconnected). Eleven laser-cut Vierendeel trusses span the 140 feet wide showroom. A central catwalk and meeting points are located within the depth of the trusses, weaving through the webbing to provide clients with an overlook of the machines and processes.
A gently raked roof slope from south to north unifies the double volume form of the building, integrating it into the smaller scaled wetland landscape.
The curtain-wall glazing of the Smart Factory is located on the north and south sides, corrugated weathered Corten steel on the east and west sides, presenting opaque and transparent apertures.
Team
Heiko Krech (Project Architect), Johannes Beck, Jordan Berta, Carles Figueras, Cecilia Fossati, Andreas Moling, Antje Steckhan, Daniel Toole, Alexa Tsien-Shiang, Annette Wagner, Jens Wessel
Client
TRUMPF Inc., Farmington, Connecticut, USA
Architect of Record
Heitman Architects Inc., Itasca, Illinos, USA
General Contractor
McShane Construction Company, Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Project Management
Lendlease, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Structural Engineer
Design: Knippers Helbig GmbH, Berlin, Germany and New York, USA
Of record: KJWW Engineering Consultants, Naperville, Illinois, USA
Climate/Energy Design, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, HVAC
KJWW Engineering Consultants, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Façade Consultant
Knippers Helbig GmbH, Berlin, Germany and New York, USA
Lighting Design
Studio Dinnebier, Berlin, Germany
Landscape Architect
Design: Capatti Staubach, Berlin, Germany
Of record: Gary R. Weber Associates Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, USA
Photos
Steve Hall © Hall + Merrick Photographers, Chicago