Client

Ultium Cells

Location

Spring Hill, TN

Services

Architecture, Commissioning, Engineering, Experiential Design and Wayfinding, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Site Development

When Ultium Cells, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, decided to double its battery production in the United States, they called on a familiar face. After designing Ultium Cells’ first battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio, Gresham Smith was once again selected to design the 2.8 million square-foot facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Scheduled to open in 2024, the $2.3 billion investment is expected to create 1,300 new jobs. We are delivering a full suite of design services as well as engineering and commissioning via the Integrated Project Delivery method.

$2.3B
facility
2.8M
square feet
1,300
jobs expected
a rendering of Ultium Spring Hill battery plant

The Spring Hill facility will be similar in size to the first Ultium Cells plant, allowing Ultium Cells to double its battery production using an advanced and efficient battery cell manufacturing process. It will supply battery cells to GM’s Spring Hill manufacturing assembly plant, which will build Ultium-powered vehicles like the Cadillac LYRIQ. The mass-production of battery cells will contribute to GM’s vision for an all-electric, zero-emissions future.

The project’s entry plaza was designed to bring the expansive building down to human scale, creating a welcoming space as part of the site’s arrival sequence. Utilizing native plant species and trees to frame perspective, the design directs the focus toward the entryway while adding life to the space, supporting biodiversity and reducing long term maintenance costs. Boulders sourced from the property tie to the site’s history and direct movement along expansive sidewalks designed to accommodate today’s traffic while establishing a framework for future phases.