Archer

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

Located adjacent to Covington Municipal Airport with direct taxiway access, Project Archer is a cutting-edge, two-building aircraft manufacturing campus designed for a leading electric air taxi company—officially recognized as the air mobility provider for the LA28 Olympic Games. Construction commenced in early 2022, guided by an aggressive timeline to meet the client’s rapid growth and the demand for scalable, FAA-compliant production infrastructure.

Upon full operation, the Covington campus is poised to become the highest-volume aircraft manufacturing facility of its kind. The project’s ambitious vision was to create a state-of-the-art environment that reflects advanced technology, aligns with the sleek aesthetic of the aircraft, and supports both production and corporate functions. Drawing inspiration from the automotive industry, the architectural language evokes movement, innovation, and precision.

Signature features include a curving fin system that moves across both X and Y axes, creating visual energy and depth; a custom reveal system with an inset logo integrated into Tilt-Up concrete panels; and a bold, 32-foot-tall tinted storefront entry that offers a dramatic sense of transparency and arrival. Additional design highlights include a bespoke eyebrow element that ties the façade together while reinforcing brand identity, and a carefully crafted entry sidewalk that enhances the visitor experience.

Exterior colors were meticulously chosen to reflect the client's aircraft branding, strengthening visual consistency across product and place. The result is a high-performance, future-ready facility that seamlessly blends engineering functionality with architectural innovation—an iconic setting worthy of the next generation of air mobility.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

The project faced several notable challenges that required innovative solutions and close coordination among the design, engineering, and construction teams. One key obstacle was the precise alignment of the client's logo lettering with the Tilt-Up panel reveals. This required meticulous coordination between the architectural design, panel engineering, and fabrication teams to ensure exact positioning within the custom reveal system—achieving both structural integrity and visual consistency with the brand identity.

Another technical challenge involved supporting the dramatic, 32-foot-tall storefront glazing system. This feature not only served as a bold architectural statement but also had to meet stringent structural and performance requirements. The design team worked closely with structural engineers and glazing consultants to develop a support system that could accommodate the scale of the glass while maintaining the clean, modern aesthetic envisioned by the client.

Compounding these complexities was an aggressive construction schedule driven by the client’s rapid growth and production goals. The team adopted a fast-track approach, completing design documentation concurrently with early construction activities. Close collaboration, streamlined decision-making, and proactive problem-solving enabled the team to navigate these challenges successfully—delivering a high-performance facility on time, on budget, and in alignment with the project’s ambitious goals.

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project?

The panel design for this project incorporated several engineering complexities and custom features that contributed to its distinctive architectural character. One of the most notable elements was the integration of the company’s logo directly into the Tilt-Up concrete panels. To achieve this, a formed relief was precisely coordinated with the client’s specific font, requiring the creation of custom polyurethane molds to embed the logo as a permanent feature within the façade. Additionally, the panels included horizontal reveals at 1'-0" on center, which varied in depth around the logo to enhance visual interest and create a signature branding wall.

Another unique architectural and structural feature was the “wavy wall” at the building’s main entry. This two-story curtain wall system incorporated custom HSS steel tubes that undulate in a wave-like pattern, serving as both a visual focal point and a large-scale sunshade for the glass lobby. The adjacent entry vestibule was clad in insulated metal panels (IMPs) that wrapped the building’s corners, reinforcing the design continuity.

A subtle yet intentional detail included the downward-sloping reveal in the IMP cladding, aligned to match the angle of the Tilt-Up reveals—an homage to the signature pitch of the client’s “Midnight” aircraft, further reinforcing brand identity through architectural expression.