Ford automotive production had previously taken place at the ford piquette avenue plant where the first model ts were built the highland park ford plant was approximately 4 miles 6 4 km northwest of the original dodge brothers factory who were subcontractors for ford producing.
Albert kahn ford factory design open floor plan.
Architect of ford 1993 p.
Kahn s first ford factory the 1909 highland park plant used elevators and dumbwaiters to spread the model t assembly line over several floors but most of his subsequent factories were huge.
Kahn then used this technology in his designs for the palms apartments 1903 and the packard automotive plant 1905 the first use of reinforced concrete in automotive factory design in the country.
Albert kahn industrial architect and planner known for his designs of american automobile factories.
Kahn s discussions with ford inspired him to develop factory floor plans that would accommodate both changes in production technology and the easy flow of products and materials throughout the factory space.
Kahn a prussian immigrant to detroit opened his firm in 1895 and quickly gained a reputation for his factory designs which utilized reinforced concrete instead of wooden structural.
Kahn s first factory for the ford motor company was the highland park plant in 1909.
Reinforced concrete enabled kahn to design large.
The traditional factory plans proved inadequate in providing the flexibility and safety needed for the new management of labor albert kahn.
The highland park ford plant was designed by albert kahn associates in 1908 and was opened in 1910.