Inside Ford’s new World Headquarters with six design studios

Ford's new Michigan-based World Headquarters will accommodate 4,000 employees when completed in 2027 – twice as many as the former HQ, the Glass House. 

Designed to be future proof, the building adopts an adaptable layout that can evolve with changes in décor and technology.

Design and prototyping spaces

Six new design studios are located across the second and fourth floors. Each design studio is identical in layout, size, technology and equipment, including a dedicated clay modelling studio.

The fabrication milling – or design prototyping – shop sits on the first floor, incorporating metal, wood, trim and paint shops. Freight elevators enable easy movement of models between design studios.

Three product review spaces anchor the building, including the main showroom which is made up of 10 floor turntables and concealed side walls that open to reveal the Colours and Materials showroom and the Digital showroom. The Digital showroom also includes a rotating platform as well as a 64-foot micro-LED wall.

These adjoining spaces are filled with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows and a centre oculus light fixture designed to mimic various types of natural light.

Energy Rooms are dotted throughout the building for teams to review full-size vehicles and models. 

Collaboration is key for Ford, with Jennifer Kolstad, global design and brand director at Ford, previous telling CDN: "Our work is better when we enrich our thinking, sharing and learning from one another. Design is not meant to live in isolation - our priorities and methodologies are radically shifting to answer the increasingly challenging questions being asked of us all."

Outdoor review areas

The Savannah Courtyard provides an additional three turntables for outdoor product reviews, and there’s also a mezzanine wrapped in a neutral glazed terracotta rain screen for product photos.

To support the movement of vehicles throughout the HQ, Ford implemented 22-inch-thick concrete floors.

Brand storytelling through architecture

Ford collaborated with Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta to integrate colour, materials and artworks throughout that bring the Ford brand to life.

Colour swatches from iconic Ford models, such as the Model T and Mustang Mach-E, adorn the wall of the public lobby, which, along with the employee lobby, can function as an event space for up to 700 people.

The employee lobby showcases parts from a disassembled Bronco Raptor sourced from the Michigan Assembly Plant, displayed in front of a specially designed brick wall that matches the building’s exterior.

Another unique design feature is the glass banding across the exterior windows that includes the patent numbers of historic innovations throughout Ford’s history. The bands appear in a swoop of patterns made up of tiny ovals including the embedded patent numbers.

Kolstad, summarised: "We spent several years working with Ford teams to understand and improve the way we design, develop, test and prototype new products and experiences for our customers. Our new 2.1 million square-foot home will allow us to meet those evolving expectations and anticipated demands of the future."