MAD Architects has unveiled images for a new campus design for an electric car brand Faraday Future (FF), which is located in Northern California adjacent to the Napa River, where the city recently positioned it as a "zero-emission base in California."

Located at a former navy site on Mare Island, which recently announced its production of "the world’s fastest-accelerating electric car", FF's new sci-fi inspired campus will support not only FF’s research, development, and manufacture, but also is re-designed to support ongoing public programming and ecological restoration along the Napa’s banks.

Dubbed as "FF Zeus Campus", the entire campus will cover an area of approximately 130,000 square meters, of which 20,000 square meters as building area. Considering FF’s ambitious science fictional and mysterious surrealism, while ensuring the basis of its operation, MAD designed an open concept campus with a compelling structure. 

MAD’s campus scheme consists of two low, metallic structures embedded within the site’s prairie landscape, suggesting extraterrestrial objects capable of de-familiarizing employees and prospective clients with the status quo of the contemporary automotive market.

The studio basically focuses on user experience on the project to create "a new user experience centre" in the long term, embodied with a sculptural, reflective tower. 

"The design allows clients to watch as their car is transported from the warehouse along the elevated light rail into the exhibition hall, to right in front of them. The experience center is open to the public and the visitors can observe the whole campus," said MAD Architects.

"In addition, MAD hopes to provide a flexible, and ductile working environment for the growth of its employees and the advancement of the company’s high-tech innovations."

"The double-height facility is punctured by a series of internal courtyards, allowing for an abundance of natural light and social spaces within, which provides employees an outdoor space for leisure and activities," added the studio.

The project prioritises FF's "zero-emission, low energy" ambition on a wider scale, the overall scheme features large roof overhangs, internal courtyards, and operable glass façade systems to passively reduce solar gains and allow for natural ventilation and climate modification. 

The transparency allows the office spaces to become directly related with day-to-day employee and visitor experiences, and a working demonstration of broader social agenda.

The roofs are entirely surfaced with modulated solar power panels, with enough production capacity to support the entire campus’ daily operational demands. The experience tower is also equipped with wind power generators to further meet the campus’s daily energy needs.

FF Zeus Campus - 1st floor plan

FF Zeus Campus - 2nd floor plan

Founded in 2014, Faraday Future is a user-centric, advanced mobility company with headquarters in Silicon Valley and Southern California. Last year, the company revealed its plans for a $1B North American Electric Car Manufacturing Plant in North Las Vegas, Nevada, designed by AECOM but after a bit, the company's constructor halted work as Faraday Future failed to pay millions of dollars in bills. 

According to FF's latest press release, the 2nd Phase of Stage 1 Manufacturing Project at APEX site entered a competitive bidding process and FF received five proposals from top US and international contractors. After the bidding process completed, the company will start the construction of the Phase 2 plant very soon.

Project facts

Typology: High-tech industrial park, office
Site Area: 130,000 sqm
Building Area: 20,903 sqm
Directors: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Design Team: ZENG Hao, Jacob Hu, ZHANG Tingfu, LI Yuanhao, YAN Ran, HE Xiaokang, Kin Li, LI Guangchong, Brecht Van Acker, Yukan Yanagawa, WANG Yiming

All images © MAD

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