Weatherford Manufacturing & Office Complex
Project Information
- Owner Weatherford International
- Design Woodward Design Group (Larry H. Case, AIA) with HMS Architects
- Size 287,800 square feet Square Feet
- Budget $48,000,000
- Completion December 2008
The latest project for Weatherford International involves the development of a 30 acre site with five new pre-engineered Butler steel buildings. The largest building in the project is the 210,653 square foot manufacturing plant that includes a fully air-conditioned open plant area with 5-5 ton and 6-2 ton overhead cranes, office space, and warehouse space. The second building, totaling 26,250 square feet, will be devoted entirely to office and support space. The Houma District Building is similar to the main manufacturing plant with a majority of its space devoted to open shop area and a smaller portion devoted to offices and support functions. The final building is a daycare and pavilion building that sits next to open-air covered parking area. An additional building on the campus is provided for lease to separate testing facilities which operates within the confines of the Weatherford management but has a separate entrance and public access.
The Design Group designed the campus to allow employees access from the plant to the offices without having to go through security gates. Once inside the building, those with the clearance are able to traverse the entire campus without having to go through additional security processes.
Trucking operations had to be designed so that there would be no crossing of operations and all aspects of the campus would be accessible for moving of raw and finished product. To make this possible, a one-way in and one-way out road was implemented to make the management of traffic possible. Employee parking as well as public parking was also a major factor. Employee parking was designed so that all employees are able to park in a secure parking area.
Throughout the campus all buildings including those for lease are identified to be part of the Weatherford campus with the use of red trim on the buildings. To soften the look of the complex some landscaping was added around the signage at the main entrance for the industrial complex, making it more inviting for visitors as well as employees. A decorative fence was installed around the public restricted areas to minimize the industrial look. The most important design premise was to create an industrial complex which functions first and foremost for the intended use but also presents a welcoming appearance for the Weatherford Corporation.
The projected was awarded the South Central Construction Best of 2009 Louisiana Award of Excellence in the Industrial Category.
