Green Buildings
Ford is a leader in green building, committed to the sustainable design of its facilities and landscapes using the basic principles of resource effectiveness, life-cycle assessment, health, safety and environmental performance. We have developed partnerships to help educate and exchange information on the concepts of sustainable design with our professional service providers and employees and have provided training to them on site selection, water efficiency, energy-use reductions, sustainable materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
Ford is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and a supporter of its green building rating system, known as LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The LEED system includes a series of standards used for certifying buildings as "silver," "gold," or "platinum."
Ford Rouge Center
Ford's largest green building initiative is the redevelopment of the 600-acre Ford Rouge Center in Dearborn, Michigan, into a state-of-the-art lean, flexible and sustainable manufacturing center. The focal point of the center, the Dearborn Truck Plant, boasts a 10.4-acre living roof, part of an extensive stormwater management system that includes bio-swales and porous pavement to slow and cleanse the water. The Dearborn Truck Plant also features abundant skylights to maximize daylighting in the facility. The Rouge Center features 100-acres of sustainable landscaping to help restore soils and support wildlife habitat.
Rouge Visitor Center (LEED-Gold)
The redeveloped Ford Rouge Center includes the LEED-Gold certified Rouge Visitor Center, a 30,000-square-foot facility featuring two multi-screen theaters and an observation deck. The facility uses rainwater for plumbing and irrigation, solar panels to produce energy and green screens to reduce energy use.
Fairlane Green (LEED-Gold)
Ford is developing a one-million-square-foot green retail center on its 243-acre industrial waste landfill in Allen Park, Michigan. Fairlane Green Phase I received the nation's first LEED-Gold certification for a core and shell retail development for its use of retention ponds for irrigation, sustainable landscaping, white roofs and preservation of natural areas. In 2007, Phase II was completed, using the same design principles. Project highlights include: high-efficiency HVAC units, increased R-value building insulation and CO2 demand control ventilation capability. For a more detailed overview of this development please see the Fairlane Green case study.
Product Review Center (LEED-Silver)
Ford's Product Review Center in Dearborn showcases Ford's latest products and green building principles. The LEED-Silver-certified building incorporates an innovative system to recycle water for irrigation and cooling, large windows to maximize daylight, and extensive use of local and recycled materials.