The grid of farming plots surrounding the edges of the city of Stuttgart provided the conceptual model for enlarging the premises of a high-tech machinery manufacturer. The flexibility needed to adapt to unforeseen future needs explains the organization of the site into specialized ‘fields,’ which are, like the monoculture planting ones nearby, given one function only: offices, open spaces, production or storage. The resulting structure of parallel bands is covered with repeatedly folded planes, evoking the outline of the hills. Diamond-shaped skylights appear where the summits and valleys of adjacent roof panels overlap, allowing for the even distribution of natural illumination inside. Rainwater flows through this metal landscape to the tank that cools the laser machinery, reinforcing the bonds that link the factory to its environment...
[+]