Reinforced concrete enabled kahn to design large.
Albert kahn ford factory design open floor plan.
The highland park ford plant was designed by albert kahn associates in 1908 and was opened in 1910.
Architect of ford 1993 p.
With the rise of factory architecture and the rapid rate of growth in the industrial sector research for new solutions for production space was required.
Albert kahn industrial architect and planner known for his designs of american automobile factories.
Kahn a prussian immigrant to detroit opened his firm in 1895 and quickly gained a reputation for his factory designs which utilized reinforced concrete instead of wooden structural.
Kahn s first ford factory the 1909 highland park plant used elevators and dumbwaiters to spread the model t assembly line over several floors but most of his subsequent factories were huge.
Kahn s first factory for the ford motor company was the highland park plant in 1909.
To design the new center building the fisher brothers turned to albert kahn who was already a superstar in the field of commercial and industrial architecture.
Ford automotive production had previously taken place at the ford piquette avenue plant where the first model ts were built the highland park ford plant was approximately 4 miles 6 4 km northwest of the original dodge brothers factory who were subcontractors for ford producing.
Kahn s discussions with ford inspired him to develop factory floor plans that would accommodate both changes in production technology and the easy flow of products and materials throughout the factory space.