Design Is The First Signal Of Human Intention

Ford Truck Plant,
Dearborn, Michigan

The centerpiece of the 20-year revitalization of Ford’s historic River Rouge complex provides workers with abundant natural light and fresh air and restores native habitat to the site. Inside the plant, wood flooring reduces stress on workers’ feet and legs while light monitors and skylights ensure that work areas receive daylight. An innovative air delivery system reduces the need for duct work, and mezzanine-level walkways house team rooms, a cafeteria, and a dining room above the main work areas. The plant’s 10-acre vegetative roof—the largest installation of its kind in the United States—provides aesthetic and operational benefits that include restoration of native habitat, effective thermal and acoustic insulation, and improved air and water quality.