[ By Edmund Klimek ]
Design at Mercedes-Benz is not merely an expression of function; it is a celebration of function. Efficiency is married with elegance in every Mercedes-Benz machine, always combining the highest standards in engineering with great design. The namesake of the company, Mercedes, is the name of the daughter of one of its founding fathers, Emil Jellinek, a name that literally means "grace."
The design of the new Northeast Parts Distribution Center is a reflection of this corporate philosophy and its level of design is what sets it apart from other "big box" warehouse and distribution centers. It is the result of team commitment and a response to high community standards. Although the project was designed within the tight economic and functional restrictions that face all warehouse projects, the lessons learned can be applied to all projects of this type and are especially important to the design of newer and larger facilities located close to urban and suburban areas.
Design breakthroughs occurred in four areas: positioning the building; using metal as a design material; incorporating natural light; and addressing the building's fit into the community. The unmistakable lesson of this project is this: Design matters - to the client, to the community and to the employees.
These developments would provide new tax revenues and job opportunities for the community. Simultaneously, the use has relatively low impact on town services and local traffic. This development model was successfully applied in Cranbury and South Brunswick Townships, near exit 8A of the Turnpike.
Designated greenfield sites, and unencumbered highway access to one of the nation's most significant ports in Newark, NJ, have attracted large companies that are concerned with their image and the communities in which they do business. Along with Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Grainger and L'Oreal have all built facilities in the region within the past five years.
Still, local communities, and in particular Washington Township, have been concerned with the quality of that development, since these buildings are often the first impression a Turnpike traveler has of the entrance to a town.
Changing economic and distribution models now demand larger and taller facilities. Not long ago, facilities of 350,000 square feet and 28-foot clear span were considered large. Buildings are now planned to be one million square feet and 36-feet clear. Township officials began to envision 40-foot tall walls, a quarter of a mile long, with little or no design relief. For this reason, towns began to adopt design regulations that dictated how buildings should appear and even particular design elements that should be used over minimum intervals.
Faced with changes to its model for distribution, Mercedes-Benz sought to develop a new facility that could grow to one million square feet, meet the increasing technical demands of its logistics systems and also contain 60,000 square feet of office space. Mercedes assembled a team directed by a logistics engineer and its own facilities group to produce specifications and a ?prototype? building design that would clearly address its needs. At this point, and prior to final selection of the site, Mercedes requested Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) bids from design-build teams. Selection would be made both on the basis of the bid and the qualifications of the team.
Skanska USA and KSS Architects joined to form the winning project team. Skanska USA brought not only regional knowledge but the national/international strength needed to creatively address the construction and economy of the project. KSS Architects brought an expertise in designing millions of square feet of distribution centers as well as a diversity of practice relevant to Mercedes-Benz's corporate design needs. The combined team fostered creative solutions beyond the non-descript concrete box.
The design-build model allowed solutions to be economically tested within the constraints of a GMP before implementation. Being selected prior to final site decision enabled Skanska and KSS to provide valuable information concerning the potential sites, their configurations and their potential impact on budget. Harrison-Hamnett, PC Consulting Structural Engineers of Pennington, New Jersey, served as structural engineer.
A site was selected at Matrix Development's newest business park in Washington Township. Matrix had already successfully developed a business park of distribution centers at Exit 7A and had established a positive reputation within the Township. This project would be the first in its new planned development. Matrix's reputation in Washington Township and its flexibility with the configuration of the site and the architecture created the freedom that allowed good design to flourish.
With a strong desire to improve the quality of design within its borders, Washington Township became a partner in the success of this project. The township wisely decided to incorporate a process of design review that was centered on goals, rather than prescriptions, and a design review panel that reported to the planning board. The panel included a planner, an independent architect and members of the planning board. This structure allowed the team to obtain critical input from the Township prior to actual public meetings.
A demonstration of the value of this form of regulatory process came during the review of the building's exterior skin. Original language in the prescriptive ordinance would have prohibited the use of metal-clad buildings, a reaction to the negative image associated with many pre-fabricated facilities. However, the use of metals and metallic finishes was a critical design element in creating an image for Mercedes-Benz. The design review professionals of the Township quickly discerned the positive aspects of the use of metal siding and accepted the design intent.
In the end, this participatory, rather than prescriptive, process allowed the project to be received by the public in formal hearings with applause rather than scorn.
The Mercedes-Benz Northeast Master Parts Distribution Center demonstrates some of the principles that can be employed in the design of these buildings: site arrangement, composition/material/economy, focus and identity.
Matrix recognized the potential and importance of this project as the first in its new park. By working closely together, KSS and Skanska were able to select the site and position the facility so that the building and its entrance became the termination to the central axis of the park. Truck and car traffic separate at this terminus, defined by landscaping, a plaza and the entrance of the building. Landscaping and berms are arranged to hide parking and enhance the sense of arrival at the building's entrance. The building is extended so that the building mass itself can hide loading areas, while the 60,000-square-foot office area is pulled forward.
Functionally, it acts as a screen that dilutes light and reduces heat gain in the south-facing lobby. The focus of the building extends beyond this element and includes a glazed clerestory that provides light to the warehouse interior and signage. The volume that the screen element suggests is also carried into a two-story lobby that unifies the surrounding office and training center space.
In sum, the new Northeast Regional Master Parts Distribution Center for Mercedes-Benz is a model for a new type of distribution center. These larger facilities incorporate significant office space and demand better interior environments. These new criteria, coupled with community concerns, should challenge the way we view a good warehouse building.
Edmund Klimek, AIA, is a partner at KSS Architects in Princeton, New Jersey. He specializes in corporate, industrial, warehouse and municipal architecture.
Mercedes translates as "grace." That was a design imperative for a huge new distribution center for the auto maker.
Focal element of the project is a curvilinear piece that forms an entrance canopy and a screen to the building lobby, made of galvanized steel frame and corrugated stainless steel panels.
The distribution center is positioned so that the building and its entrance are the termination to the central axis of the Matrix industrial park.
"Envisioning 40-foot tall walls, a quarter of a mile long, with little or no design relief, towns began to adopt design regulations that dictated how buildings should appear. But ordinances that prescribe design are inherently dysfunctional."
"Having a design review panel that reported to the planning board allowed the team to obtain critical input from the Township prior to actual public meetings. "