Daily Detroit was kind enough to invite me to tour Ford’s new headquarters building in Dearborn to document the monumental structure and then discuss the experience on the podcast. If you don’t already follow Daily Detroit I suggest subscribing or joining their Patreon. Independent journalism is more important than ever and Daily Detroit is a great resource for what is happening in Metro-Detroit on a broad scope of topics and doesn’t skimp on details and nuance. You can listen to my interview HERE or search wherever you get your podcasts.
Ford is really making a statement with this new headquarters. It is emphatically pointing in the direction that the company wants to go with a forward and thoughtful design. The architect’s behind this building are the Norwegian firm Snohetta. As an architecture buff Snohetta has been on my radar for a long time as I am a fan of their style of thoughtful minimalism. Within this structure you will see choices that are very reminiscent of the work they would produce with some of their museum or opera house commissions. I really enjoyed wandering this building with my camera and honestly couple probably spend a week in there documenting the different spaces and details. I hope these images can give you a feel for the design and care that both Snohetta and Ford have put into creating an incredible modern workplace.
Much like the exterior, the interior of this building is a departure from the Ford offices of the past. The design offers many types of seating and spaces, from couches to types of tables and seating that you would liken more to a coffee shop than corporate headquarters. The idea is to promote collaboration and break down some of the silos of the past to benefit the company and enhance the worker experience. As someone who works from home I kept thinking about how much I would love to come here to edit and that is the point. Work from home has become the norm for Corporate American and employees are resistant to give that up. Building spaces like this however are how you combat that and bring workers back in house.
The following images are of different collaborative workspaces for employees.
The next batch of images focus on the cafeteria and the seating areas that support it.
The final set of images are from the showroom that exists within the headquarters. It is a stunning way to display cars and was the last stop on our tour.
