Green Roof That Springs Eternal

For Ford, a Green Roof That Springs Eternal

Construction on the garden roof at Ford’s Rouge Center began 10 years ago.

December 29, 2010 - Ford’s Detroit-area River Rouge factory, celebrated in paintings by Charles Sheeler and other artists, stands with the Brooklyn Bridge and early skyscrapers among iconic American structures, able to accommodate more than 100,000 workers at its 1930s production peak. Growing in symbolism is the factory’s green roof, now celebrating its 10th anniversary.

The once-vast Rouge complex was broken up into parcels by Ford beginning in the 1980s. Today, Ford operates only a portion, which is dedicated to truck manufacturing. It was on this plant’s roof that construction began a decade ago on a 10-acre garden of sedum plants.

The new Rouge was to be the most visible and publicized symbol of the environmental commitment that Bill Ford, then Ford’s chief, made the centerpiece of his vision for the company. As part of the Rouge’s refurbishment, Ford hired the environmentally progressive architect William McDonough, who devised a water-handling system built around a roof of plants. {continued}