Building drawing

Here is a drawing of the John Deere Headquarters with a human scale located at the bottom right of the building. Examining the drawing, we can see that there are a multitude of repeated lines both horizontally and vertically, making orthogonal angles. The building is mostly bilaterally symmetrical disregarding the ventilation systems located at the roof of the building.

Written recordings of the headquarter's users

The building is like an "elegant glass box" reminiscent of Katsura, a zen-like style of architecture using simplistic design. This building is flexible, functional, and particularly important for "a company manufacturing farm implements". The West Office addition creates separate pavilions using glass screen motifs providing natural sunlight to brighten up the mood. There are also some questionable designs used in the building though. The inclusion of a "large unshaded glass roof in an air-conditioned sealed building" is somewhat contradicting to the company's principles of natural conservation, but all in all the building provides a homey environment that's essential to the workers' needs. The employees' remoteness when working in separate offices allows for a variety during lunch and coffee breaks, so there is a balance between work-life and social-life. (Booth, Laurence. "Deere Addition." Architectural Review 1 Oct. 1979: 212-18. Print.)

Website on Saarinen

As many architects have grown up from a foundation of family architecture, so too has Saarinen been accustomed to the world of architecture and design from an early age due to his father's prestige in the architecture realm. Rejecting the norm of the time, Saarinen saw his clients as co-creators and wanted to push the boundaries of modernism, essentially challenging the status quo of his era. His willingness to experiment allowed him to be widely successful as an architect and designer of small sculpture pieces, particularly furniture. Like many of his contemporaries, he would have side projects in which he designed simplistic furniture in attempt to stretch the ideals of modernism. Architects don't just design buildings, but also clothes, furniture, kitchenware, etc. Famously quoted, Saarinen explains what architecture means to him: "The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man's life on earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence." In regards to Saarinen's architecture with client John Deere & Co., his view was to create office spaces that were flexible and efficient, much like his other work in his early career. Again implementing modern and innovative techniques, Saarinen used a non-typical aluminum siding for his project on the John Deere Financial Headquarters in Moline, IL. To create a simplistic style of symmetry, Saarinen used glass panels and mirrors to make it "seem as though both sides were really glass". Establishing the character of John Deere within its architecture, Saarinen used outdoors columns to convey a "connection to plantation houses" which in turn reflects the origin of agricultural practices in early America. ("Eero Saarinen." - Designer Bio. Design Within Reach. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://www.dwr.com/category/designers/r-t/eero-saarinen.do>.)(Miller, Nory. "John Deere Financial Headquarters." GA Document 1 Feb. 1984: 78-81. Print.)

Journal Article

Throughout the Domus online journal, the authors repeatedly emphasized the brilliant idea for the building to be made of high tensile steel (Cor-ten) which was left unpainted in order for a rust coating to form a protective skin and give it a rustic feel. The use of this material largely shaped the character of the building. In addition, the roads were also planned in a way that kept in mind how the driver would see the building as the road curves around the man-made lake up to the parking lot behind the building entrance. Furthermore, the architect, Saarinen, worked out a system of sun-shading with metal louvers and specified reflective glass to prevent glare. Lighting is a very important part of architecture and is especially essential to the character and representative vibe of this building. ("Eero Saarinen: A Steel Building." Domusweb.it. Domus, 29 Sept. 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://www.domusweb.it/en/from-the-archive/2012/09/29/eero-saarinen-a-steel-building.html>.)

Blog on John Deere World Headquarters

After reading the Sasaki blog, I came to understand the inclusion of the building's surrounding and how it interacts with the building. I did not realize Saarinen's intention to use the natural environment and intertwine it with the building's architecture until the Sasaki blog mentioned that the pond was not only a garden setting but is also used as a reservoir for flash floods and acted as a medium for heat exchange for air conditioning systems. I really agree with the author's perception of the progressive techniques of modern architecture and how far we have come since the ancient ages. Modern day technology allows us to use the natural environment to our advantage and still maintain an environmental-friendly basis. ("Deere Company Corporate Headquarters." Sasaki Associates, Inc. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. .)

Flickr Photo

In this flickr photo, we can examine the exterior's zen-like structure with hints of minimalism through the repetition of lines and orthogonal structures of the same color and material. Furthermore, the wooden benches contribute to the zen-like feeling of simplicity. The building's large stature contributes to the feeling of a massive monument with power hidden in it simplicity. There is a lot of open space and interaction with nature including a man-made pond implying that the structure is one with its natural surroundings much like that of Katsura. (Besser, Chelsea. "John Deere World Headquarters V." Flickr. Yahoo!, 20 Nov. 2003. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/chelseabesser/3139042080/sizes/m/>.)

John Deere Museum Video

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK3bVMBGqMQ) In the video above, we are taken through the John Deere World Headquarters museum through a series of pictures taken firsthand. We can see that there is a lot of natural lighting and tall glass windows from floor to ceiling. The interior is also woodbased with soft, warm lighting creating a predominantly brown and green theme. The museum also feels like a warehouse or factory where Deere's agricultural machinery is produced.These big open spaces, high ceilings, and large windows again create an outdoorsy feel appropriate for the personality of the John Deere company.

Google Earth View

Above is a screenshot of the site on Google Earth showing the site's quiet location away from the big city. There are many forests and grassland surrounding the headquarters and even small residential neighborhoods nearby. The building's location reflects the ideals of John Deere's of family-driven agriculture and the company's nature-oriented character.

Interior Design

West Office Building This office space is characterized by its plant-filled atrium and glass roof designed to resemble a barn. The allowance of natural sunlight and use of stone steps creates a feeling that one is outdoors, perhaps even walking a long a trail next to a river. (DeWitt, Jennifer. "Deere World Headquarters Building in Moline Turns 50 Years Old : Business." The Quad-City Times. Quad City Times, 16 June 2014. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://qctimes.com/business/deere-world-headquarters-building-in-moline-turns-years-old/article_06381862-a057-5c8e-ade8-b01744cf22ec.html>.)

Exterior Architectural Design

The exterior of the John Deere Headquarters is characterized by its somewhat minimalist style using repeated horizontal lines. The materials seen in (A) shows the building's use of Cor-ten steel, a steel with iron oxide coating, which forms a sort of rust-like texture and feel, thus creating a rustic look reflecting the company's outdoors-driven ideology. This site also relies on the heavy use of glass as seen in (B). The use of repeated glass panels allows a large quantity of light to shine through to the building's interior and minimizes the boundary between outdoors and indoors. ("Rigorous Recklessness in Eero Saarinen's John Deere Headquarters | WideAngleCurve." WideAngleCurve. Wide Angle Curve, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://wideanglecurve.com/rigorous-recklessness-in-eero-saarinens-john-deere-headquarters/>.)

Architectural Drawings

Here are the floor plan and a section of the John Deere World Headquarters in the drawings above. As we can see, the floor plan exposes the interior's compartmentalization of office spaces and reveals the organized orthogonal structure of the building. There are a multitude of small offices, meeting rooms, and personal studies sprawled throughout the upper complex. In the lower floor of the building lies the museum layout which has an open space for the display of John Deere tractors and early equipment. This open space allows visitors to interact with the displays head-on and clearly see the progression of technological advances as John Deere became a leader in agricultural technology. As for the section, we can clearly see the variety of building materials involved in the construction of the site. This sectional drawing depicts the interplay of metal (particularly Cor-ten) and glass as well as a few concrete mixes. This building relies on the heavy use of glass to give a sense of the outdoors to truly capture the character of the building. ("Rigorous Recklessness in Eero Saarinen's John Deere Headquarters | WideAngleCurve." WideAngleCurve. Wide Angle Curve, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://wideanglecurve.com/rigorous-recklessness-in-eero-saarinens-john-deere-headquarters/>.)