PROJECT INFO

Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
Completion Date: 2024
Project Type: Corporate Workplace, Laboratories, Automotive Workshop
Size: 30,000 sq ft / ~2,790 sq m
Labs Included: L3 Rig Farm and Virtual Reality Lab
Scope of Work: Following the success of Crux’s multi-phase work in India, JLR appointed Crux Design Studio to support the development of its new engineering hub in Portland, Oregon. Initially brought on as a Global Guidelines Ambassador, Crux’s role quickly expanded to include concept design and client-side coordination, ensuring that JLR’s workplace and laboratory design standards were clearly interpreted, locally adapted, and confidently executed.


JLR Engineering Hub

This project marked Crux’s first major commission for JLR in North America, directly resulting from the trust and working rhythm built through successful collaboration on sites across India. Crux’s founder was on-site in Portland within weeks of appointment, joining forces with a locally appointed architect to review layouts, challenge specifications, and ensure consistency with JLR’s global design vision.

The new JLR building was architecturally striking-its clean, minimalistic design language lent itself well to a refined, modern interior fit-out. The goal was to create a functional and inspiring workspace for high-performance engineering teams, with advanced laboratory facilities and an automotive workshop. Crux ensured that the design intent aligned not just with JLR’s global guidelines, but with the specific culture and needs of the Portland-based team.

Design Concept

Working closely with UK and US stakeholders, Crux developed a concept rooted in clarity, restraint, and function. The plan focused on flexibility, simplicity, and technical precision, supporting the team’s use of the L3 Rig Farm and Virtual Reality Lab while offering clean, collaborative work zones for design, testing, and development.

Crux provided the approved general arrangement, detailed furniture specification, finish palette, rendered visuals, and several virtual reality 360-degree images bundled into a developed design presentation for global sign-off. The resulting aesthetic was distinctly JLR: understated, technical, and highly functional, anchored in a design language that allowed the product and process to take centre stage.

Challenges & Solutions

One of the key lessons on this project was the importance of clear role definition and client alignment. As Crux’s role evolved from guidelines oversight to concept designer, it became essential to revisit responsibilities and ensure all project partners had clarity around deliverables, approvals, and decision-making hierarchies.

The project was fast-paced, and with Crux transitioning off at Stage 4, a well-briefed local team was essential to successful delivery. The construction partner executed the design under tight timelines, drawing directly from Crux’s visualisations, floor plans, and FF&E strategy. The result was a near-perfect realisation of Crux’s intent, making this one of the most visually aligned handovers in Crux’s portfolio to date.

Final Outcome

The Portland Engineering Hub is a stunning and efficient environment that reflects JLR’s global values while being tailored to a local team and culture.This project’s success proved that a well-structured concept package, aligned with strong visual communication and clearly defined roles, can travel globally and still deliver locally. It also reinforced Crux’s strength in acting as a bridge between global vision and regional execution, protecting both brand and user experience.

Key Features

  • Global-Local Bridge – Crux acted as Global Guidelines Ambassador and concept designer.
  • High-Tech Labs – L3 Rig Farm and Virtual Reality Lab integrated into the workplace plan.
  • Strong Visual Alignment – Final built outcome closely matched Crux’s visualisations and intent.
  • Strategic Role Transition – Shifted from oversight to lead concept design, adapting asneeds evolved.
  • Design Package – Delivered GA plans, FF&E specs, finish palettes, visuals, and VR walkthroughs.
  • Fast-Paced Delivery – Locally led Stage 4-6 execution delivered under tight programme constraints
  • Clarity in Collaboration – Emphasised the importance of role definition and client-side clarity.
  • Minimalist, Functional Design – Interiors aligned with the architecture and JLR’s brand ethos.