The plan evolves from a desire to enhance and maximize communication between all levels of staff within the facility. Vehicle build, research and development laboratories, vehicle testing, and support services are located on the ground level. Design, engineering, team areas, product display, and administrative functions are situated directly above, providing a contiguous relationship between product and process.

Harley strategically located this facility next to its engine assembly plant, reinforcing the concept of “concurrent engineering” and bridging any gaps between design, engineering, and manufacturing. The focal point of the building is a space called the “mock-up area,” placed within the curved roof structure canopy. Various styles and past model years of the product are positioned in this area, which is devoted to the study, evaluation, and evolution of product function and design. The focal structural element of the mock-up area is the column trunk and limbs that support the curved roof structure. Particular attention to basic construction elements was important for this open and dynamic space. Exposing bolted connections and splices in this area emphasized the industrial history of the organization.

The building plan can be manipulated to work for a variety of different team environments. Whether the team is a “platform,” focused on a model of a particular bike, or a “center of excellence,” focused on a particular part of the bike, all teams are arranged around a product. Space is designed so teams can be organized in different ways, each concentrated around the product, which can easily be wheeled into the mockup area or office environment.

The building was designed with sustainability in mind and was awarded a LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2003.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Harley-Davidson Motor Co.
Building Location:		Wauwatosa, WI UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Product research and development
Project Delivery Method:		Bid
Project Timeline		Nov 1993 Planning Start Jan 1994 Design Start Oct 1994 Construction Start Sep 1995 Completion Last known status: Completed
Construction Cost:		$24,900,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$119
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Atrium Auditorium Conference Room Headquarters Office Product Development
Total GSF:		210,000
Project Team
Architect		Flad Architects
Engineer - MEP		Affiliated Engineers Inc. (AEI)
Profile Created 02/02/2007
Last Updated 02/23/2007
About the Reported Cost Figures The cost figures reported are supplied by the firms that submitted these projects for publication, which in most cases are the designers or builders. Whereas these sources are intimately familiar with their projects, they may not be fully aware of the owners' finally-realized and recorded costs. In some cases, costs are truly and completely accounted for, and in others they represent a near approximation of the final costs. Costs have not been adjusted for year of construction, nor has any attempt been made to make regional cost adjustments. Further, costs are not comparable on any kind of detailed standard costing model. Hence, it is possible for the cost of one building to include a steam boiler, while the cost of a comparable building might not include the boiler, if steam is being supplied from an already existing campus grid. Or, in another case, a building might include excess boiler capacity to supply steam to another building. Some submittals include fees or unusual site improvements as part of the construction costs, which others do not.