Well, I didn't state that Germany was the first place to do this. All that I was trying to say, is that they seem to get it over there - the natural light thing that is. I guess that it is an indusrial engineerin thing in general. Have you ever seen the kitchen tools that are available over there, for example. You just have to hold one in your hand to appreciate the difference.
Don't get me wrong, the latest batch of hypo US cars can perform pretty much with the best of them now, even on their own turf (i.e. NS). However, imagine what they could do, if they had a nicer place to work. Have you ever eaten at Porsche's 'cafeteria' in Weissach? It's like a nice restaurant, with a cathederal wooden ceiling and windows all around the side facing the rest of the compound (towards Flacht). It's the building with the green roof, toward the left side of the complex in this link - note the white semi circle on the left side of the building, adjacent the forrest - that's the patio for the cafe, with landscaped pond, etc.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...27423&t=h&z=17
I've been in quite a few American OE & supplier plants over the years, and it is a rare sight (in general) to see much light getting past the front offices. Never mind the plants though, when I used to visit Jeep/Truck (on Plymouth Rd.), it was hard to find a restaurant that had any windows
.