The Nissan North America has started the construction of its new corporate facility which is located 20 miles south of downtown Nashville in Franklin, Tenn. According to company officials, the $100 million-worth headquarters being built will be called "Nissan Americas." The completion of the 460,000-square-foot facility is set in mid-2008.
The new corporate headquarters is designed to accommodate over 1,500 employees. In order to finish the Nissan Americas, it will need materials that include 3,400 tons of structural steel, 575 tons of reinforcing steel and 23,000 cubic yards of concrete. Over the course of the project, 113,000 cubic yards of earth will be moved in and around the 50-acre site. The facility is designed with a bend in the middle to form an S shape. The shape symbolizes how Nissan vehicles move people.
“The construction project is on schedule, and the footprint of the building is now visible,” said Rob Traynham, the Nissan North America director of Security, Flight Operations and Facilities. “Nissan Americas will be a striking addition to the business landscape in Franklin, but, more importantly, it will be at the center of value creation for all our operations.”
Nissan Americas will comprise ten office floors and an underground level with two salons. The salons are designed for special reviews of new models or prototype vehicles. The salons could also function as a rendezvous for auto parts brainstorming. There, top officials could tackle and conceptualize the magic formula for the Nissan header pipe or other auto parts and car technologies.
The facility will reach a height of about 150 feet and will cover a total floor space of 460,000 square feet. Additionally, an adjacent parking garage will accommodate 1,135 vehicles and there also is a 10,000-square-foot employee fitness center which is currently being constructed on the western side of the parking garage structure.
Nissan Americas is especially designed to provide a roomy and dynamic work environment for employees. Inside the facility are huge, alternating atriums with open stairways that connect the main floors. Each floor includes informal meeting areas and video conferencing centers to encourage positive collaboration among employees. Until the facility is ready, Nissan employees will be working in the Bell South building in downtown Nashville.
The construction manager of the Nissan Americas project is the Skanska USA Building Inc. The design and engineering of the new facility of the automaker is created and supervised by Gresham, Smith and Partners.
Nissan North America’s operations include styling, design and engineering of vehicles. The company is also engaged in consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, as well as distribution and manufacturing.
By: Ryan Thomas