SmithGroup of Detroit, Mich., has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 54th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for its role in the design of a new research and development center for First Automotive Works (FAW) in Changchun, Jilin, China.
FAW is a leading manufacturer of passenger cars, commercial trucks, and buses. The company tapped SmithGroup’s extensive automotive design expertise for the 4.5-million-sq-ft facility, which will consolidate activities, and improve safety and efficiency for FAW’s approximately 7,000 employees. The complex consists of a seven-story administration building; a comprehensive research and development center, including design workshops, testing, and evaluation laboratories, styling studio, and design dome; a five-story project team office building; and two 2,500-vehicle parking structures.