Zeiss Michigan Quality Excellence Center

This project was selected as an Honor winner in ARCHITECT's 2022 Architecture & Interiors Awards, Architecture: Office Building category.

“This project succeeds in elegantly and holistically translating the culture of precision to a collaborative human experience throughout the campus.” — Juror Imani Day, AIA

The two-story-tall, 80,000-square-foot Zeiss Michigan Quality Excellence Center in Wixom, Mich., was designed to quite literally represent the noted optics, measuring, and scanning producer in architectural form.

Locally-based SmithGroup created a two-winged solution that embraces the landscape through an open courtyard overlooked by the building’s interior workspaces. The floor plan features two lab spaces, a high bay measurement lab, and a machine showroom lab, all attached by a glazed double-height “social link” that provides welcoming communal spaces for employees and visitors. This glazed link visually connects parking and entry to the large exterior terrace and wetlands on the far side of the building.

Sustainable efforts are both visible and invisible to the employee and visitor. Corrugated metal rain screen façades hide lab areas. Less sensitive areas feature a custom ceramic frit and low-E glass that maximizes views in a highly efficient building envelope. Extensive photovoltaic arrays across the expansive unseen flat roof of the building produce enough energy to reduce the building’s fossil fuel consumption by 70%.

Juxtaposing its simple forms sheathed in bright white metal or glazing, the building’s tautly wrapped volumes exhibit the same taut mechanical precision as Zeiss’ products.

PROJECT CREDITS:
Project: ZEISS Michigan Quality Excellence Center, Wixom, Mich.
Client/Owner: ZIESS
Architects: SmithGroup. Bob Varga, AIA (Design Principal), Jordon Gearhart, AIA (Project Designer), Marta Gazda-Auskalnis, AIA (Project Manager), Tom Grace (Project Architect)
Architect of Record: SmithGroup
Landscape Architect: Neal Kessler (Design Principal); Clare Jagenow (Project Lead); Yongzhi Xiao (Project Designer)
Interior Designer: Lori James (Fitwel Ambassador – Design Principal), Megan Wilcox (Interior Designer)
Structural Engineer: Kevin Gurgel, Principal; Michael Duffield, Project Designer
Mechanical Engineer: George Karidis, Design Principal; Brice Gasser, Project Designer
Electrical Engineer: Michael Nowicki, Design Principal; Francesca Montana, Green Associate – Project Designer
Plumbing Engineer: Rob Teifer, ASPE Member – Project Designer
Civil Engineer: Emily McKinnon, Principal; Kelli O’Brien, Project Designer
General Contractor: The Christman Company
Lighting Designer: Rodrigo Manriquez, Design Principal; Reinhardt Swart, Project Designer
Hardware: Jenosky Consulting
Audio Visual: Acuity
Size: 80,000 square feet

Materials and Sources:
Building Management Systems/Services: SOMFY www.somfysystems.com
Carpet: SHAW CONTRACT EXTRAORDINARY / RESURFACE TILE
www.shawcontract.com
FLOR MINED AND YOURS CARPET TILE
www.flor.com
Ceilings:
Armstrong OPTIMA - SQUARE TEGULAR, 9/16" SUPRAFINE GRID SYSTEM
www.armstrongceilings.com
Armstrong TECTUM BAFFLE, fabric wrapped
https://www.armstrongceilings.com
Heartfelt Linear Modular Ceiling System
https://www.hunterdouglasarchitectural.eu/en-IE/ceilings/textile/heartfelt/index.jsp
Concrete:
ADVANCED FLOOR PRODUCTS, RETROPLATE - CHROMIX ADMIXTURE
https://retroplatesystem.com/products/application/
Exterior Wall Systems:
KINGSPAN MORIN CONCEALED FASTENER METAL PANEL SYSTEM
https://www.kingspan.com/us/en-us/about-kingspan/morin
Fabrics/Finishes:
CAMIRA
MAHARAM
DESIGNTEX
Flooring:
GENESEE CERAMIC TILE INTERCERAMIC
www.gctile.com
ATHLETIC FLOORING CAPRI COLLECTIONS CAPRI FITNESS & REC / STRENGTH
www.capricollections.com
EPOXY (RESINOUS FLOOR) STONHARD STONKOTE ESD
www.stonhard.com
RUBBER SHEET FLOORING ARMSTRONG FLOORING COLORART MEDINTONE SHEET
www.armstrongflooring.com
WOOD FLOOR reSAWN TIMBER CO. MEDITATION: WHITE OAK, ENGINEERED
www.resawntimberco.com
Furniture:
HERMAN MILLER. DEALER: MARXMODA
HAY
OFS
SENATOR/ ALLERMUIR
GRAND RAPIDS CHAIR
SIT ON IT
DAUPHIN
KEILHAUER
NAUGHTONE
STYLEX SEATING
SAFCO
ICON MODERN
COALESSE
BLUDOT
CALLIGARIS FURNITURE
NUCRAFT
HUMANSCALE
NATIONAL OFFICE
MAGNUSON GROUP
HIGHTOWER
Glass:
WRITABLE CLARUS GLASSBOARDS FLOAT
https://www.clarus.com/float-depth/
Gypsum:
HVAC:
Insulation:
Lighting:
LITHONIA
https://lithonia.acuitybrands.com/
THE LIGHTING QUOTIENT
https://www.thelightingquotient.com/
LUCIFER LIGHTING
www.luciferlighting.com
BEGA
https://www.bega-us.com/
ECOSENSE
https://www.ecosenselighting.com/
FLUXWERX
https://fluxwerx.com/
AXIS LIGHTING
https://www.axislighting.com/
LED LINEAR
https://www.ledlinearusa.com/
EATON
https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us.html
PHILIPS COLORKINETICS
https://www.colorkinetics.com/global
SELUX
https://www.selux.us/usa/en/start
DELRAY
https://delraylighting.com/
FINELINE
https://www.finelite.com/
ZUMTOBEL
https://zumtobel.us/
WAGNER
https://wagnerarchitectural.com/
B-K LIGHTING
https://bklighting.com/
Lighting Control Systems:
LUTRON
www.lutron.com
Masonry/Stone:
SOLID SURFACE MATERIAL SILESTONE USA NEBULA SERIES
www.silestoneusa.com
SOLID SURFACE MATERIAL WILSONART QUARTZ
https://www.wilsonart.com/quartz
PORCELAIN TILE WALL GENESEE CERAMIC TILE INTERCERAMIC / SKYLINE
Metal:
Millwork:
Paints/Finishes:
PAINT SHERWIN WILLIAMS INTERIOR FLAT/EGG-SHELL
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/interior-paint-coatings/interior-paint
Photovoltaics/Other Renewables:
SUNPOWER HELIX
https://us.sunpower.com/products/complete-systems/helix
Plumbing/Water System:
Roofing:
SIKAPLAN ADHERED ENERGYSMART ROOF MEMBRANE
https://usa.sika.com/sarnafil/en/products-systems/pvc-roofing-systems/adhered-roofing-systems/sikaplan-adhered-system.html
Seating:
Site/ Landscape Products:
LANDSCAPE FORMS: GO OUTDOOR TABLE, CHIPMAN STOOL, PARALLEL 42 BENCH, LAKESIDE LITTER
https://www.landscapeforms.com/en-US/Pages/default.aspx
COALESSE: EMU SERIES TABLE AND CHAIRS
https://www.coalesse.com/products/outdoor/
LOLL DESIGNS: LOLLYGAGGER LOUNGE CHAIR
https://lolldesigns.com/
MAGLIN SITE FURNISTURE: ASH RECEPTACLE
https://www.maglin.com/
Software:
RHINO AND GRASSHOPPER
https://www.rhino3d.com/
REVIT AND DYNAMO
www.autodesk.com
Structural System:
Wallcoverings:
ACOUSTICAL WRAPPED WALL PANEL TECTUM INC. FABRIC WALLS
https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en/articles/tectum-part-of-armstrong-portfolio.html
TACK BOARD FORBO BULLETIN BOARD
www.forbo.com
WOOD PANEL reSAWN TIMBER CO. MEDITATION: WHITE OAK, ENGINEERED
https://resawntimberco.com/
Walls:
Wayfinding:
Windows/Curtainwalls/Doors:
CURTAINWALL SYSTEM / KAWNEER CLEARWALL SSIT 4-SIDED TOGGLE GLAZED
https://www.kawneer.com
CURTAINWALL GLAZING / GUARDIAN UTLRACLEAR FLOAT / SUNGUARD SNX 60 HT
https://www.guardianglass.com
SCHWEISS HYDRAULIC OVERHEAD DOORS
https://www.schweisshydraulicdoors.com/