Quick Facts
LOCATION
Farmington Hills, Michigan
MARKET EXPERTISE
Real Estate & Land Development
SERVICES
- Planning
- Engineering
- Stormwater Management
- Permitting
- Environmental
Atwell and a team of specialized architects and contractors are helping to deliver the most sustainable commercial development in Michigan’s history, the Japanese Solderless Terminals (JST) campus.
PROJECT GOALS
Guided by Japanese spiritual beliefs that honor land as sacred, the team embraced sustainability not as a checklist, but as a philosophy woven into every decision. While the campus will surpass LEED Diamond standards, certification was never the aim. Instead, we sought to harmonize culture, environmental sustainability, and innovation to create a campus that feels like a natural sanctuary despite its location beside a busy freeway.
OUTCOMES
The campus integrates meticulously with the natural landscape, ecosystem, and cultural influences. Once completed, the project will feature six unique buildings on a 10-acre site, with only four acres activated to preserve the remaining six. Atwell’s engineers preserved natural water flow by utilizing native grass and stone for stormwater management. The team spent years surveying the local ecosystem and native species to minimize disruptions during site development and construction.
Building foundations were elevated on stilts to preserve natural habitats underneath, while trees on the site were either integrated into plans or replanted. Materials selection favored mass timber and beetle-killed pine over standard drywall or synthetic products. A geothermal system, with 16 miles of underground piping and 72 wells drilled 355 feet deep, was installed without land clearing, adding significant complexity to the design and logistics.
Delivering these outcomes required navigating unconventional permitting, zoning entitlements, and code compliance. We worked closely with local officials to align innovative design with regulatory standards, building awareness for sustainable commercial development in the process. Subcontractor selection was equally deliberate, prioritizing partners who shared JST’s values in culture and environmental sustainability.
Read the full project story.
