ABSTRACT

Miller, the furniture manufacturer (1976). The client wanted a factory with the potential for change, because it did not know what lines it would bring out over the next twenty or thirty years. The solution was an early use of fiberglass paneling to provide a very flexible, adaptable skin (figure 2.1). Along with this adaptive cladding system on the outside was a very flexible servicing strategy inside. The combination allowed the building to behave like an organism that can adapt to suit different demands. Over fifteen years of use, the factory has been rearranged five times. In the most recent change, the occupants moved the canteen to an area that was formerly used for manufacturing and so it had an opaque skin. By moving glazed panels to that area, views onto the river were opened up. By embedding adaptability into the design of the building and its systems, we created an architecture that not only performs over time but that also improves the quality of life for its users.