Description

ITW Morlock is a mechanical engineering enterprise producing pad-printing machines, automations as well as accessories and consumable supplies for these machines and their operation. The subsidiary company of the American technology trust ITW Inc., Chicago, has its new base in Dornstetten (Black Forest) and gives work to around 100 employees.

The new two-storey administration and production building is 94.30 m long, 45.40 m wide and 8 m high. The building is subdivided into different parts: a production plant free of columns, and two workshop and office wings, which are added alongside the building; only the slightly wider office wing has a basement. Both wings have a reinforced concrete skeleton basically consisting of reinforced concrete flat slabs and columns. The primary roof structure of the large single-storey hall consists of pre-stressed concrete binders. These binders at 7.20 m spacing are supported by the two-storey wings on either side. Transverse secondary purlins run on top of the primary girders at 3.50 m spacing. The required fire regulations are met by a sprinkler system for the entire building.

The plant, which is accessible from the side wings, mainly serves for the assembly of individual components. Multi-purpose platforms provide the required flexibility so that all activities – office, production and assembly – can be integrated in individual rooms, multi-purpose areas, or in an open plan arrangement.

The building has a ventilated curtain wall façade made of corrugated sheet metal. Large horizontally pivoted windows at the north and south sides and a full height post-and-beam-structure at the east and west sides are mounted flush with the façade. Inside, exposed concrete finishes and full height glazed partitions predominate. The latter are used to separate the individual areas while ensuring effective communication.

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Originally published in: Jürgen Adam, Katharina Hausmann, Frank Jüttner, Industrial Buildings: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2004.