Benz Research Facility . Bradenton, Florida.

The project is a 30,000 square foot research and development facility that manufactures the raw monomer used in soft contact lenses and blanks for hard contact lenses.  The commission was to design a facility that would satisfy the functional requirements for the development, production and shipping of the materials utilizing a pre-engineered metal building system.  Certain areas were required to contain very large vertical spaces to allow for the equipment the company uses to produce the materials. 

The design solution embraced the client’s enthusiasm for using architecture as a bold image for the company in both marketing brochures and backdrops for trade shows internationally.   The organizational parti was developed with a large spline element that runs through the depth of the building serving as an entry for clients at the front and machine space through the production areas. Offices and laboratory spaces constructed from reinforced concrete and CMU block flank the spline in the front with utilitarian warehouse, loading and production spaces of standard pre-engineered building components located to the rear.

Photographers: Gene Pollux

Wayne Eastep