The new $15 million Acura Design Studio officially opened its doors today, assuming a key role in the development of new concepts and designs that will lead directly to future Acura products. With state-of-the-art design technologies and a work layout focused on improving collaboration, the new design studio represents the next step in the advance of the Acura brand.
Designed to achieve a high level of energy efficiency, the studio also is expected to be certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). A number of measures were adopted in the design and construction of the studio, with the goal of achieving LEED gold certification.
"This Acura Design Studio will help conceive and design the future of Acura," said Toshihiko Nonaka, president of Honda R&D Americas (HRA). "Our goal here is to create emotional designs that create a strong and distinct image for Acura products."
A number of Acura models, including the Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle and Acura TL luxury performance sedan, have been designed, developed and engineered by HRA. Moving Acura design activities into a state-of-the-art independent studio provides a more clear focus to advance the unique character of the Acura brand.
"The effort to distinguish Acura in the marketplace begins with design," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and the Acura Division. "The Acura Design Studio will be critical in our efforts to deliver products at the right times and ahead of the competition."
Key technologies in the Acura Design Studio include a computer-generated virtual simulator that enables design stylists to display virtual vehicles in a one-to-one ratio. Other features in the facility design include the parallel arrangement of the interior and exterior design areas on the styling floor to better enable collaboration of designers involved in a new vehicle.
As the latest expansion of HRA product design and development capabilities in North America, the Acura Design Studio joins the Honda Design Studio in Torrance, Calif. and the Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena, Calif. to further HRA's existing Los Angeles Center for research and design.