Ford Assembly Building             City of Richmond             Richmond, California

The Ford Assembly Building, designed by Albert Kahn in 1930 for Ford Automotive, is a prime example of industrial architecture of that period. The building is a registered historic landmark and the only remaining example of Kahn’s work on the west coast. The dominant features of this structure are the “sawtooth” roof which includes large skylights providing northern exposure, and the horizontal banding of brick and industrial sash. The Ford Assembly Building consists of the 465,900 sq.ft. Assembly building, a 50-foot high Craneway at the south end, an attached two-story 4,400 sq.ft. Boiler Building and a detached 6,600 sq.ft. Oil House—in total, a 545,000 sq.ft. industrial complex with assorted support facilities.

In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake severely damaged the building. murakami/Neson reviewed the damage assessments done by others, supplementing them where necessary, and developed schematic designs for repairs, seismic strengthening, code compliance, and building upgrades. The project, in coordination with the State Office of Historic Preservation and other state and federal agencies, was partially funded by FEMA and OES. In the design, the site and the building were proposed to be integrated into the vital south shore area of Richmond in order to maintain view corridors to the bay and link the inland community to the public shoreline. In addition to design and planning, murakami/Nelson led a team of urban economists, developers, and real estate consultants in a study to determine options for the reuse of the building. The study dealt with identification of market considerations, appropriate businesses for the site, physical and cost considerations, and financial feasibility focused on implementation. Recently murakami/Nelson provided consulting services to the City of Richmond concerning the development of the building and site.