Spanning more than 1,100 acres, the Rouge Center was the largest industrial complex in the world when it began production in 1927, but Ford's "vertically integrated" manufacturing method of converting raw materials into finished vehicles at a single site caused significant environmental impact over the century. In 1999, Ford Motor Company Chairman of the Board, Bill Ford, Jr., set out to establish an environmentally responsible direction for the new millennia.

"With the Rouge complex, Bill Ford wanted to transform a 20th Century industrial icon into a role model for 21st Century sustainable manufacturing," says Roger Gaudette, manager of engineering and construction at the Rouge Center.

To realize this vision, Ford gathered a team of experienced environmental, development, and manufacturing specialists including renown sustainability architect, William McDonough, who provided conceptual design services and collaborated to spearhead the renovation's green approach. A planning center was created, called the Rouge war room, and a core steering committee was appointed with representatives from all the parties involved, including Ford's corporate vice president, manufacturing engineers, program managers, and outside consultants.

William McDonough + Partners led the architectural design team which also consisted of ARCADIS Giffels LLC, of Southfield, Mich., the architect of record; and program manager Walbridge Aldinger, of Detroit.

The renovation, which is expected to take more than 20 years to complete, features advanced solutions for stormwater management, energy production, and soil restoration integrated with the latest in automotive manufacturing technologies.

Brown into Green

In order to regain ecological balance at the brownfield site, a number of progressive strategies were utilized. More than 1,500 trees, 10,000 shrubs, and over 100,000 perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcover, and vines were planted to attract songbirds and create a certified wildlife habitat. Swales—shallow ditches seeded with indigenous plants—were also installed around the site to improve stormwater management.

"While many of the environmental measures completed at the Rouge are not currently mandated by governmental agencies, Ford chose to be ahead of the curve in leading the industry," says Gaudette.

The 2.3 million-sf Dearborn Truck Plant (DTP), Rouge's centerpiece, has the world's largest living roof, with a surface area of approximately 500,000 sf. In addition to significantly reducing runoff, the green roof provides superior insulation, cutting cooling costs by five percent, and is expected to more than double the life expectancy of the roof system.

Stormwater is also managed in areas of the site using porous paving techniques that filter water through layered retention beds of compacted stones. The DTP shipping yard now has the largest porous parking lot in the country.

Another innovative approach being explored at the Rouge site is phytoremediation, where native plants are used to naturally break down and remove toxins from the soil that have built up over decades of steel processing. Ford is collaborating with Michigan State University and the University of Michigan to conduct experiments around the site to see what results different plants have on soil remediation.

"Ford looked at the Rouge Center as a proving ground to see what works and transplant those practices to other facilities and organizations," Gaudette says.

Sustainable Manufacturing

The goal with Ford's DTP was to create a model for automotive production that is efficient, profitable, and safe. The facility features Ford's advanced flexible manufacturing system, with assembly lines capable of handling three different vehicle platforms and nine different models. Other features include synchronous material flow, in-line vehicle sequencing, waste reduction, and strict quality control.

There are three physical circulation levels: shipping/receiving, assembly, and administrative. A pedestrian mezzanine houses all non-manufacturing functions such as conference rooms, break rooms, and restrooms. Ten large roof-mounted HVAC units handle a load that would traditionally be distributed between 50 smaller units. The facility also has large roof-mounted "light monitors" and 36 skylights providing natural daylight.

Finished vehicle storage space has been reduced by 50 percent as most of the vehicles produced are shipped the same day. At full capacity, the DTP will employ more than 2,000 people and produce approximately 250,000 vehicles a year.

A New Legacy

As part of the renovation project Ford also created the Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center, which showcases Ford's history in automotive manufacturing and its transition from past practices to a future of sustainability. The 30,000-sf visitor center incorporates numerous eco-friendly features and is the first building in the country to be awarded a Gold LEED™ certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The educational facility houses interactive and interpretive exhibits detailing the history of the site, along with an 80-foot observation tower. It also provides a public venue for demonstrating the latest sustainable manufacturing concepts.

The center has a 12,500-gallon cistern that collects rainwater and recycles it for exterior irrigation and flushing. Photovoltaic panels on the roof provide energy. There are also waterless urinals, motion activated light sensors, and vertical landscaping for shade and temperature control. More than 50 percent of the building's materials were made from recycled materials.

Changing Paradigms

Even though the push for environmental sustainability came from the top, it was still necessary to demonstrate tangible shareholder value throughout the development process.

"We still had to sell the idea to the company and convince them it was the right thing to do," Gaudette says.

Ford brought in Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle Memorial Institute to develop a set of performance indicators that support the business case for sustainability. Battelle used a technique called Systems Effect Mapping (SEM) to identify linkages between proposed design features and key indicators of economic value such as increased worker satisfaction, improved operating efficiency, and enhanced brand perception.

According to Gaudette, establishing a separate account for sustainability was also essential to realizing the project's green features.

"We found that it was important to create a separate fund specifically for sustainability, otherwise it is too easy to start pulling dollars from sustainability for other things," he says.

Transforming the brownfield site instead of developing a new operation at another location also required a cultural paradigm shift within the company.

"There are people in every organization who are resistant to change. It's important to give those individuals other assignments and bring in people who really understand the focus of what you want to do," Gaudette says.

Triple Bottom Line

Another concept that played a significant role in the greening of the Rouge site is what Bill McDonough describes as the "triple bottom line," a success model where performance is based on not just economic results, but also worker satisfaction and environmental impact.

"Bill's a big advocate of considering the total impact facility planning has on all the aspects of an organization. Ideally, you want to move beyond just balancing economics, ecology, and social equity, to maximizing the value in these interconnected concerns," says Gaudette.

The planning team analyzed the future compliance risks of proposed features alongside expected cost avoidance and immediate environmental impacts. Elements of the program were pilot tested in order to make the business case for sustainability and the steering committee held periodic reviews where all options were seriously considered.

"More companies are adopting sustainable practices because they are also sound business decisions. It may cost a little more money initially, but there are significant strategic advantages to adopting sustainable approaches. Over the long term, the benefits outweigh the initial costs," says Gaudette.

By Johnathon Allen

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