Ford’s New World Headquarters: What They’re Saying

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Ford has officially revealed its new state-of-the-art World Headquarters, and the 2.1-million-square-foot building is being praised by automotive journalists and other media outlets for its significant upgrades and forward-thinking design. The building’s collaborative layout and colocation of various teams, as well as its amenities and technological advances, were often cited in their comments. 

Here is a sampling of what they are saying about the new WHQ: 

“No longer is this site of Ford’s former 1953-opened Product Development Center a cubicle city. Top executives and support staff aren’t siloed and separated by department three miles away in the 1956-opened Glass House. Instead, they’ll be around open spaces with employees in engineering, design, sales, marketing and finance, likely all working together.” – The Detroit News

“This car company wants employees to come by foot, not by car. The landscaping, also done by Snøhetta, was designed to be walkable with pathways connecting the buildings through green space.” – Detroit Free Press

“Moving through the vast spaces, one might be tempted to mistake the new headquarters for an upscale retreat with its multitude of lounges, coffee bars, artwork and comfortable seating.” – Forbes

“There are no long, straight, dark hallways … and just about everywhere are cozy gathering spaces with comfy lounges or high-backed chairs where employees can discuss projects away from their office, or have a break with coffee or spiced chai latte from the café. In theory, this all translates to a better environment for creating the next great American automobile.” – CarBuzz

“The building is beautiful, essentially the furthest thing possible from a cubicle farm. The Hub boasts expansive white terrazzo floors, white oak paneling, white perforated metal railings, soft blue fabrics, and painted blue metal. In imitation of Silicon Valley, its walls even host displays of local art, plus prints from Ford’s own archives.” – Hagerty

“What employees will not see much of is the company's logo, the well-known blue oval surrounding the ‘Ford’ name. There will be a massive Ford blue oval logo on the outside of the building but not on its interior. Unless you look closely. On some exterior glass walls, such as the company's design operations, there's a glass pattern that features the ovals accompanied by hidden numbers that represent Ford patents.” – CNBC

“While the Glass House had individual workspaces and conference rooms, the new building has studio garages, fabrication shops, conference rooms, individual workspaces, open collaboration spaces, courtyards and green space.” – Crain's Detroit Business

“The new building is littered with clever design choices. According to Ford, the six design studios in the building are separated into three pairs. While the paired studios can see into each other, the location and angle of the windows mean that anyone outside of the studios won’t be able to see products being designed, protecting new material from leaking to visitors. Even the choice in flooring was made with practicality in mind. While most of the building features white or light gray flooring, the flooring in the design studios is a darker gray color intended to mimic asphalt — where the cars will actually live.” – Car and Driver