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General Motors recently dedicated its Vehicle Engineering Center (VEC) in Warren, Mich., a state-of-the-art facility which consolidates vehicle engineering functions formerly performed at 14 locations throughout southeast Michigan. For the first time in the company’s 95-year history, 8,000 North American vehicle engineers will be in one complex. To date, 4,000 engineers have moved to the center from other locations across Michigan. The relocation will be completed by early 2004. A joint venture of Clark Construction Group, LLC of Chicago and Bethesda, Md. and Roncelli, Inc. of Sterling Heights, Mich. served as the general contractor on the 2.2 million-square-foot project.
The complex includes a one million-square-foot, eight-story tower and the renovation of the existing 1.2 million-square-foot office podium, on the campus originally designed by Eero Saarinen in the 1950s. A new two-story lobby connection between the buildings was constructed along with interior car exhibit space for both public and GM employee showcasing. Serving as a workplace environment incorporating electronic tools for design, collaboration and conferencing, the VEC accommodates support organization functions including purchasing, product analysis, design and validation support, and facilities operations.
Consolidating vehicle engineers into one location means that General Motors can accelerate its production time and take ideas for future North American products from design to prototype without leaving the 680-acre Warren campus. For GM car buyers, 12 to 15 new or redesigned vehicles will be introduced every year over the next five years.
Recycling of materials was an important element in the construction process. Over 1,100 cubic yards of concrete slab from the demolished prototype build shop was crushed and used in the foundation of the new tower. Over 3.1 million pounds of recycled steel from scrapped automobiles was used for structural steel beams, columns, joists, girders, studs and metal deck.
The project team included: Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz of San Francisco as architect of record; Arup of San Francisco as civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineer; Hargreaves Associates of San Francisco as landscape architect; Building Conservation Associates of New York as historic preservation consultant; Perkins Eastman Architects of New York as interior architecture consultant for finishes; Gensler of Detroit as interior programming consultant for office environment; ARCADIS of Southfield as contract administrator for the VEC and mechanical and electrical design for the Podium and existing building renovation, and PB Buildings, Inc. of Warren, Mich. as program manager and construction manager.
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