Composed of glass and steel, the loft-like Kia Design Center elevates the typology of the suburban office park. Located on the corporate campus for Kia Motors America, the building’s footprint supports a triangular workflow among design, modeling, and presentation disciplines.

A monumental steel roof structure admits controlled amounts of natural light and accommodates the vertical clearances necessary for shop equipment. Exposed structural elements and building services support the often sprawling and expansive nature of the work that takes place within. These creative work functions are able to move from interior to exterior through a series of operable doors that connect with enclosed courts on two of the building’s three sides.

At the westernmost portion of the building, suites of shops are located next to the modeling and design studios. To the east, two specialized presentation rooms and an outdoor court allow designers to study and present “in progress” full-scale designs in both natural and artificial light.