Out of the many buildings that were discussed in the PBS video, I believe that Ford Plat in Highland Park, Michigan has made the greatest impact on our environment and American history. In 1910, architect Albert Kahn and businessman Henry Ford designed the perfect factory that would help to launch ford automobiles above all other competitors. Kahn’s design for the building brought in new ideas of better working environments for employees. Implementing more natural lighting in the design of the plant provided workers more comfort and energy to continue production throughout longer shifts. This building revolutionized the working environment for many factory workers. Ford plant in highland park was built for the purpose of improving employee comfort and maximizing productivity.
With the introduction of Henry Ford’s grand assembly line, I believe that this building has made the biggest impact on our environment. The enormity of the plant allowed Ford to make most of the models at one location rather than having products transported to different buildings, and potentially adding more cost to production. This building type definitely added to our social understanding of a working environment of mass production. Kahn’s ideas for the ford plant created the building blocks for industrial architecture in America. An example of this building style that I can identify in my hometown would be the Matthew 25 Ministries factory in Blue Ash Ohio. This building is very spacious, similar to the ford plant and the overall design of the factory also caters to workers of all ages that come to volunteer for the organization.