After the City of Noblesville created infrastructure changes affecting IDI Composites International, IDI selected a new location in town that better served their needs and provided an opportunity to build both a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and a welcoming, functional, and light-filled office environment for their global headquarters. Curran Architecture provided the architectural expertise to blend their vision and needs in a marriage of contemporary and historic elements. 

Family-owned and situated in Noblesville from its inception, IDI Composites International takes raw materials and creates various composites used to make final plastics products customers use, from electrical boxes to vehicle parts and many things in between. They describe themselves as part of the cake mix, not the cake itself. That cake mix requires precision and control across the entire process of raw materials coming together, including enormous storage silos and temperature controls. 

The inherent complexity of the project presented an opportunity to showcase not only our creativity and expertise with design, but also our ability to collaborate as a team with a design-build partner – Shiel Sexton – and the many contractors on the project. In addition to the infrastructure changes in Noblesville, IDI’s first location was difficult for semi trucks to access and the company was outgrowing the both the manufacturing and office spaces. A top priority was building a flexible office space with an abundance of natural light and room to grow. IDI also wanted the new building to tell their story to visitors. Brick matching the original location is featured in the administrative and research and development portion of the building. It incorporates a physical element of the company’s story highlighting their history and serving as a reminder of their origins. 

The manufacturing space

Key considerations in the manufacturing space design included temperature and humidity controls along with efficient process flows. Everything from electrical, raw goods delivery to equipment, traffic flow, and how finished goods are managed needed to be accounted for in the design. This meant that our design ideas had to fit with what engineers needed to see in the space.

Creating a reliable manufacturing space and avoiding costly mistakes meant layering expertise from a variety of contractors to ensure the functionality of the space.  This started with the entire project being modeled in Revit and continued through construction when clash detection was used to ensure no issues arose. The final build included hundreds of miles of process piping, all installed with precision and at the right elevation by DEEM, along with complex electrical systems expertly managed by Gaylor Electric. 

The office space

IDI was sensitive to creating spaces where employees could be comfortable and productive. With a two-story office space in front and manufacturing facility behind it, the design of the building was a top priority. Partnering with Parallel Design Group for interior design, we created interior spaces that combine offices, open work areas and touchdown spots along with training and conference rooms encouraging collaboration. 

Sophisticated and modern elements combine with a comfortable and light-filled environment support productivity. Natural light and visibility were two essential elements of IDI’s vision for the new office space. We took on the challenge of creating natural light access for all employees by designing the space to take advantage of interstitial spaces for storage, copy rooms, and break rooms while ensuring workspaces all received ample natural light.

With glass and metal panels featured heavily in the building, it was essential to consider the temperature impacts, including ongoing temperature control costs, and balance these impacts with the desire for visibility. We worked with the glazing manufacturer and installer, ordering multiple samples of high performance glass to guide the decision. We also worked with the mechanical contractor to understand the heat impact and ensure design of an HVAC system to support the temperature control needs. 

Built to last

Building a new manufacturing and office space represents an investment in the company’s employees and customers as well as the City of Noblesville. With the opportunity to start from the ground up, we focused on IDI’s longevity and flexibility goals, creating a space that’s built to last through the decades with an industry-leading manufacturing plant and office space designed to grow with the company.