Daikin’s new £417m US manufacturing facility in Houston is already receiving recognition ahead of its scheduled opening later this year.
The 350,000-m² facility, currently under construction and identified as the world’s largest ever tilt-up concrete building, has been recognised by US magazine Business Facilities as the 2015 Economic Development Deal of the Year.
The single, contiguous building will house distribution, manufacturing and R&D operations as well as offices, replacing current Daikin and Goodman facilities in Tennessee.
In all, the building will incorporate a 167,000-m² distribution centre, 158,000m² of manufacturing space, 21,500 m² of lab space and 18,800 m² of offices. At over 2 km², the massive site will also feature parking for approximately 5,000 vehicles.
It is expected to create 4,600 new jobs and a further 11,000+ indirect jobs.
Largest tilt-wall building due to be completed mid-year, the new building has already been described as the largest tilt-wall industrial building in the world, second only to Boeing’s aircraft assembly plant in Everett, Washington.
Tilt-up is a form of construction in which the wall is precast horizontally on the ground adjacent to its permanent location and then lifted up into its vertical position.
Over 275,000 m³ of concrete are expected to be used in its construction, along with nearly 6,000 tonnes of steel.
The building will include an energy management system, a brilliant white roof to reflect the Texas heat, and LED lighting throughout.
