In 2011, Axis Architects was asked by Boeing to work with them to design a new aerospace assembly line within their 230,000 square foot manufacturing space in Salt Lake City. This assembly line initially occupied 55,000 square feet of the facility.

The design process began with intensive Shingijutsu workshops with a Japanese Sensei, to analyze each operation and eliminate unnecessary travel distance and other process-related waste. Axis supported these workshops by capturing the results of the sessions, and providing rapid-response drawings for further refinement. This allowed us to quickly establish a deep understanding of the operation; which carried through the entire design and construction process. One of the outcomes of these sessions was a reduction of nearly half of the square footage that was initially estimated.

In addition to overall layout development, Axis conducted several 2D and 3D studies to analyze positioning and movement of parts within and between each work cell. In addition, several different utilities were required throughout the project. A high degree of coordination was required to ensure that these utilities could be routed to their specific locations. The design team employed 3D BIM technology to ensure efficiency, and prevent conflicts.

In 2013 Axis was brought back to expand this line by another 31,000 square feet, which effectively doubled production capacity, and involved revising a large portion of the recently completed line. Throughout this expansion phase, Boeing’s ongoing production operations were maintained by carefully phasing the construction operations. The accelerated construction schedule was critical on this project, and it was met by designing in start and finish dates for each area, and tracking these critical milestones.