If These Walls Could Talk: Creating Places that Drive Loyalty
At KZF Design, we understand that your building says a lot about your company’s culture. It reflects not just where you are, but where you want to be. When Volvo Trucks set out to construct a new 36,000 square foot Customer Center in Dublin, Virginia, the company wanted a space as innovative and forward-thinking as the product lines it would unveil there.
While working with the Volvo Trucks team, KZF Design learned about the company’s culture, processes and goals to make this project an inspiration within their entire industry. The building needed to meet Volvo Trucks’ functionality requirements and manage the tight constraints of the physical site, but also wow Volvo Trucks’ customers and reinforce their position at the epicenter of the company.
— Structural Engineer, Ted Verst, PE, SE, PMP
That’s one reason why Volvo’s new Customer Center rolls out the red carpet for its visitors. Attached to Volvo’s largest truck manufacturing facility, the center’s showroom features an expansive observation deck and outdoor patio overlooking a 1.1-mile test track. The circular building also includes training and exhibit rooms and a theatre-in-the-round, complete with an 82-foot turntable large enough to rotate an entire tractor-trailer combination. Every aspect of the center was designed to make Volvo’s customers feel special.
This facility really lets customers kick the tires of a Volvo truck. The unique shape and finishes were designed to engage customers from the moment they enter the building. As designers, we wanted to ensure that Volvo’s commitment to quality and innovation in its product lines would be evident in the building that showcases these lines. We want every customer to leave with a memorable experience of the Volvo Trucks brand.
— Architect, Bob Schmitz, RA
The building’s shape matches the Volvo Trucks iron mark and was inspired by unique Volvo detailing and timeless Scandinavian design principles. Since the center is attached to the plant where Volvo assembles all of its truck models in North America, investments also were made to improve the safety, quality and efficiency there.
“The Volvo Trucks Customer Center showcases our innovation leadership, our brand and our products in a dynamic and engaging way,” said Goran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “We believe it will serve as a destination for all of our North American customers and other visitors.
“Now our trucks, engines and transmissions are all spotlighted in one location, in a one-of-a-kind facility,” Nyberg continued. “KZF Design’s partnership helped us create a unique brand experience for our guests that only Volvo can offer.”
With inspired architecture and engineering, KZF Design helped Volvo give its customers a taste of luxury that also drives loyalty. That’s the definition of a better future.
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