Architect of ford 1993 p.
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.
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.
Albert kahn industrial architect and planner known for his designs of american automobile factories.
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.
The traditional factory plans proved inadequate in providing the flexibility and safety needed for the new management of labor albert kahn.
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.
Reinforced concrete enabled kahn to design large.
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 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.
In his time he was considered the world s foremost industrial architect and the father of modern factory design kahn s father a rabbi brought his family to the united states in 1881.