Trendy Brooklyn Company Takes Over Kingston’s Vacant IBM Campus
A vacant IBM campus in Kingston now has a new tenant that's transformed the space into a $200 million state-of-the-art production facility.
A new factory officially opened this week, marking a major milestone for the Hudson Valley. The Architect's Newspaper reports that Rich Brilliant Willing, known as RBW, has moved its independent lighting design and manufacturing facilities from Brooklyn to Kingston.
Design architect Neil Logan and Dutton Architecture, a Kingston firm, tackled the task of transforming a 100,000-square-foot building dating back to the 1950s into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The space was originally an enormous IBM call center that has sat dormant for decades.
Now, the cavernous space is filled with cutting-edge technology and wholly reimagined as a modern factory. RBW says that there was much thought put into the aesthetics of their new plant.
The building’s new design will emphasize its natural surroundings, spotlighting a connection to light and air throughout while maintaining a minimal ecological footprint by repurposing an existing structure.
The new facility is designed to surround employees with nature. Workers won't feel trapped inside a factory. Instead, there is an interior glass-walled courtyard, planted latticework outside and an open work environment that encourages collaboration. The company says the new headquarters combines all working spaces under one roof. Open-bench desks and breakout spaces allow everyone from design and manufacturing to work side by side.
The new RBW production facility is located across Boices Lane from the future home of iPark87. Like iPark84 in Fishkill, the project will transform the old IBM campus into a hub of economic growth featuring businesses like manufacturing, food and agriculture, film and television, arts and culture, and logistics and distribution.