Architecture_Factory

The Economic Crisis has refocused attention on the central nature of the real economy. Industry is once more seen as an opportunity for the future, naturally according to new patterns of production, distribution and consumption. This entails a new factory template, one that can meet the demands of globalisation while also establishing a sustainable relationship with its surroundings, in a social and environmental sense. There is clearly also a need to address the physical design of workplaces in an innovative way, providing environments that are suited to radical changes in the realms of technology, safety and amenity. Neither the historical examples of large-scale industrial architecture from the heroic age of Modernism, nor those of the post-war industrial boom, can match the different needs of society and the market today. This book aims to bridge a gap then, by providing useful references for those who have to contend with the design of industrial complexes. It is based on the experience of a design practice that, for decades, has dealt with the increasingly detailed and sophisticated issues related to industrial design.