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In a letter sent to Ford employees this morning Bill Ford, executive chair, and Jim Farley, president and CEO, said Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) will demolish its World Headquarters, aka Glass House, and replace it on the newly named Henry Ford II World Center, formerly the Product Development Center or Campus. It is scheduled to open this November. It will be dedicated as Ford World Headquarters. Ford did not name the architect or firm.
“This is more than just a new building; it’s a catalyst for innovation and a physical symbol of our Ford+ transformation. To win in this new era, we must work more closely together than ever before,” Bill Ford and Jim Farley said. “This is more than just a new building; it’s a catalyst for innovation and a physical symbol of our Ford+ transformation. To win in this new era, we must work more closely together than ever before.
“Our new headquarters is designed to make that happen, bringing thousands of our engineering, design, and technology team members together in one collaborative space – twice the size of our current HQ, and built to accommodate double the employees – to innovate and solve problems faster than ever before.”
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“When Henry Ford II World Center is completed, “up to 4000 people can work from our HQ with a total of 14,000 employees within a 15-minute walk of the new World Headquarters building, enabling greater collaboration in practice and proximity.”
“This is part of a larger investment in our people and our facilities across the globe. We are committed to providing employees with world-class workspaces, modern technology, and the best tools to do their life’s best work—from our global offices to our manufacturing floors.
“Our dealers around the world are likewise investing in their stores and service centers to elevate the customer experience,” Bill Ford and Jim Farley said.
New Ford World Headquarters at a Glance
Building
- Scheduled completion: 2027; work on a final section remains ongoing
- Groundbreaking: December 2020
- Size: 2.1-million square feet
- Floors: 4
- Contractor: Barton Malow
- Primary materials: Glass, Steel, Concrete, Natural Stone, Natural Wood
- Grand Opening: November 2025
- When the building is complete, 14,000 employees will be within a 15-minute walk
- The building enables free movement of products, as it can accommodate a vehicle almost anywhere
- Vertically-stacked layout reduces material movement time by more than 80% compared to the previous Product Development Center, a result of a two-year study leading to the final design of the building.
- Workspaces are available throughout the building for employees, regardless of their assigned office, enabling collaboration across the Dearborn campus
- The new Ford World Headquarters is more than twice the size of current headquarters (The Glass House) and supports twice the number of employees
Building Aspects
- Six Design Studios allow for confidential reviews in indoor and outdoor space
- Design Showroom enables Ford to conduct a full product review in one unified space for the first time, featuring 10 turntables and state-of-the-art lighting, a zero-degree pitched floor extending out to the courtyard review space, and a 64-foot micro-LED screen for comparing digital, full-size vehicles
- Large event spaces for hundreds of employees with state-of-the-art technology to accommodate needs in-house
- 160,000 square foot food hall will be accessible to all Ford employees
- Wellness rooms, kitchenettes, mothers’ rooms
- 303 tech-enabled meeting rooms to collaborate with global teams
- More than 100,000 square feet of interior courtyard space accessible by all employees throughout the workday
- 26 vehicle turntables throughout for product display and review
- 12 acres of greenspace creates a walkable environment between facilities on the Dearborn Campus, more than doubling the tree canopy
Naming
- When the building officially opens in November 2025, it will be dedicated as Ford World Headquarters
- The Ford Dearborn campus will be designated the Henry Ford II World Center, a name currently associated with the Glass House (Ford’s current headquarters)
Sustainability
- Ford developed sustainability goals tailored to the building’s unique programming, climate, and site. The design of the new World Headquarters is largely informed by WELL building standards
- The new World Headquarters is designed as a Net-Zero Energy Building. Once completed, this will incorporate key strategies targeting energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction. A Central Energy Plant (CEP) will supply hot water and steam across the Ford campus, while participation in DTE Energy’s MI Green Power program will help achieve a net-zero carbon footprint.
- The building’s design is targeted to use around 50% less energy than the previous product development center
Site History
- The new World Headquarters Building is situated on the site of the former Ford Product Development Center, which opened in 1953
- When the campus was first dedicated in 1953, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower joined the celebration live through the first-ever use of closed-circuit television
- Famous Ford vehicles were designed and developed on this site and throughout the Dearborn Campus, including the Mustang, Thunderbird, Continental, F-Series trucks, Ranger, and the Ford GT
The Glass House
- When the Glass House first opened in 1956, it was one of the nation’s largest office buildings occupied by a single company
- The Glass House itself will also be transformed. Ford will complete the move out of the building in the first half of 2026. Afterward, it will be sustainably decommissioned and ultimately demolished over the course of roughly 18 months so that the site can be repurposed as an asset to our local community
- Ford will continue to own the property, and it will continue to play an important role in the story of our commitment to Dearborn and Southeast Michigan for many, many years to come
- Ford is working with the City of Dearborn and community leaders on how the site can best serve our employees and neighbors, and we will have more to share about those plans later
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Ford Motor to Demolish Glass House, Build New WHQ
Click for more.
In a letter sent to Ford employees this morning Bill Ford, executive chair, and Jim Farley, president and CEO, said Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) will demolish its World Headquarters, aka Glass House, and replace it on the newly named Henry Ford II World Center, formerly the Product Development Center or Campus. It is scheduled to open this November. It will be dedicated as Ford World Headquarters. Ford did not name the architect or firm.
“This is more than just a new building; it’s a catalyst for innovation and a physical symbol of our Ford+ transformation. To win in this new era, we must work more closely together than ever before,” Bill Ford and Jim Farley said. “This is more than just a new building; it’s a catalyst for innovation and a physical symbol of our Ford+ transformation. To win in this new era, we must work more closely together than ever before.
“Our new headquarters is designed to make that happen, bringing thousands of our engineering, design, and technology team members together in one collaborative space – twice the size of our current HQ, and built to accommodate double the employees – to innovate and solve problems faster than ever before.”
Click to enlarge.
“When Henry Ford II World Center is completed, “up to 4000 people can work from our HQ with a total of 14,000 employees within a 15-minute walk of the new World Headquarters building, enabling greater collaboration in practice and proximity.”
“This is part of a larger investment in our people and our facilities across the globe. We are committed to providing employees with world-class workspaces, modern technology, and the best tools to do their life’s best work—from our global offices to our manufacturing floors.
“Our dealers around the world are likewise investing in their stores and service centers to elevate the customer experience,” Bill Ford and Jim Farley said.
New Ford World Headquarters at a Glance
Building
Building Aspects
Naming
Sustainability
Site History
The Glass House
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.