Principle 5: Managing a Creative Environment
How To Build a Supercar.
BBC Documentary about the McLaren Car Factory
Whilst doing this project about an old dying car factory in Longbridge, i watched the documentary "How to build a super car" which is about the new developments of the McLaren car factory hidden away in the Surrey countryside. I thought this was relevant thing to include in this blog as it gave me an insight into the next generation of Britains motor industry.
Described as the "Nasa of Motorosport", hidden away in the idyllic countryside of Surrey lies this extraordinary factory. Costing almost £800 milllion pounds and 5 years of covert development this glass and steel structured building looks nothing like a stereo-typical car factory as is a complete revelation in production of British cars.
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MacLaren Factory
From Air
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The factory was the brain child of a man named Ron Dennis, executive chairman of McLaren. Ron is a unique man with an attention to detail. He cross references the factory to something we would see in a James Bond film, i can see his reasoning in this comment. He wanted to create a working environment in which McLaren to "prepare to take on the world". Ron is managing this creative environment and is obsessed by perfection, fussy over small things like the colour of some tiles!!
Upon entering the building, the structure could be referenced to such fictional places as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and Batman's Bat Cave.The whole place is a whitewash with literally no dirt or grease which most people would expect in a car manufacturing area.
Ron Dennis believes that visiting this environment is a very cleansing experience and it leaves people mentally de-cluttered as they are stimulated by the whiteness.
It could be questioned as anal minded as the place is completely odourless with no clutter whatsoever. Ron believes working this way makes it a better environment for the workers and hopes that this will reflect on the production of the vehicle in a positive way.
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Lewis Hamilton (Left)
Ron Dennis (Right)
Ron never embraced coming second.
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One of the most intriguing elemtents about this programme was that it showed the inner workings of the design teams.
Frank Stephenson is the chief designer on the project and he states very passionately how important drawing by hand is to his idea generation process, relating to my Drawing By Hand CC.
He was always told to sketch, instead of watching telly or other time consuming past-times. "Sketch, Sketch, Sketch. Frank has his own creative environment, this being his office.
Within his office he has all sorts of objects which he takes inspiration from every day. Some of his favourite animal toys such as sharks and horses.
Also weird and wonderful sculptures with intriguing shapes. Frank states he is obsessed with shape and says even when walking down the street he sees inspiring structures and shapes.
His inspiration doesn't stop with just toys, he sees such animals as the Cheetah which is an optimised design to move quickly with the power coming from the rear legs like the new McLaren, whereas it would be wheels and not legs, that would just be stupid!
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The new McLaren MP4-12C
I can see the influences Frank has integrated into the final product
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The most secretive part of the factory is the design process area in which sculptures use clay as the building material. Clay is used as it can be easily applied and deconstructed if necessary. This is the process of making a physical sketch, and are essentially "babies in the womb of the mother".
After watching this programme i was shown a completely new way of managing a creative environment and i think this fresh approach to managing production processes will be the way of the future. The new assembly line has been built so that with 2 weeks notice it can be modified to adapt to a new way of producing, the whole place is very flexible and adaptive to what needs to be done.
More than anything this programme showed me that Britain is still very much dedicated to motor vehicle production and after the disappointment of watching Rover crumble to the ground it is great for me personally to see such a fresh way of managing these creative environments which i believe will carry the way of the future.
LONG LIVE BRITISH MANUFACTURING!!!
After watching this show it has made me come to think a bit about my creative environment that i use to do my uni work. The environment im sitting in right now typing up this Blog, my bedroom. Two completely different environments, yet it works for me!
iTap Lecture 4th October 2011
Principle 5: Managing a Creative Environment
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