The 28-acre redevelopment of a former furniture factory in Morganton, NC is transforming the site into a hub for textile innovation, circularity, and community engagement. The project aims to create a dynamic campus that integrates light industrial production, education, and public space, serving both the The Industrial Commons (TIC) and the broader community.
Image by Mithun.
With a multidisciplinary team involved from the start, the design process emphasizes early collaboration to address challenges and deliver inclusive, thoughtful solutions. The first phase of the campus is the construction of the Accelerator Building, a flexible facility for sustainable textile manufacturing.
The Accelerator Building is a 44,000 sq. ft. single-story mass timbe structure. Its design reflects the rural industrial character of northwest North Carolina, with a focus on sustainability and low embodied carbon. Reclaimed wood made by TIC from salvaged materials will be used for interior finishes, acoustic panels, and featured throughout.
The East and West wings are warehouse spaces with glulam purlin, girders, and columns, with CLT roof and SIP walls. The central portion of the building employs a similar post & beam glulams with CLT roof with exposed reclaimed NLT entry canopy.