Ford Motor Company, Ford Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center

Owner:
Ford Motor Company
Location:
Dearborn, Michigan
Size:
40,000 square feet
Architect:
Harley Ellis Devereaux
Services:
Construction Management

Walbridge was construction manager for the new Visitor Center at the Ford Rouge complex in Dearborn, Mich. Inside; visitors enjoy presentations, including a multi-sensory look at how cars and trucks are built today in the Art of Manufacturing Theatre. Sitting in seats that swivel 360 degrees and surrounded by huge screens, visitors become part of the assembly process during this virtual tour, experiencing the heat from blast furnaces and the rumble of stamping presses.

In the Legacy Gallery, visitors can see examples of automobiles once created at the Rouge – a 1929 Model A, a 1949 Coupe, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, a 1965 Ford Mustang, and the current Ford F-150. The highlight of the Rouge Factory Tour is a walking tour of the assembly plant, where visitors stroll along a 1/3-mile elevated walkway and view an operating assembly line.

An observation deck overlooks the building’s green roof, one of many sustainable design initiatives incorporated at the Rouge Complex during a massive redevelopment effort headed by Walbridge. The Visitor Center is LEED® Gold certified.