Ford River Rouge Plant Green Roof

A number of large corporate projects for the gap nike and herman miller led to his commission for a 20 year us 2 billion environmental re engineering of the ford motor company s legendary river rouge plant in dearborn michigan.

Ford river rouge plant green roof.

It s ten years since the start of construction of the green roof on top of the big river rouge plant. It is now recognized as having the one of the most iconic green roof installation in the united states that has helped to transform the green roof industry. In 1915 henry ford bought 2000 acres along the rouge river west of detroit intending to use the site only to make coke smelt iron and build tractors. Ford began buying the property that was to become the rouge in 1915.

Last month unveiled a huge green roof at its new truck plant in dearborn mich. The living roof s primary function is to collect and filter rainfall as part of a natural storm water management system. Working together the living roof porous pavement underground storage basins natural treatment wetlands and vegetated swales significantly reduce the amount of storm water flowing into the rouge river while also improving water quality. Over the next dozen years however the company turned the rouge as it became known into the most fully integrated car.

The ford river rouge complex may be the world s most famous auto plant. Kevin described it in treehugger in 2004. In 1999 architect william mcdonough entered into an agreement with ford motor company to redesign its 85 year old 1 212 acre 490 ha rouge river facility. The ford rouge center has won numerous awards from the design business and construction industries.

In total he acquired a 2 000 acre stretch of bottomland along the rouge river. Ford had even considered turning the land into a large bird sanctuary. The 10 4 acre sedum roof insulates the building. The project included rolling out the world s largest living roof in october 2002.

The rouge fires up. Installed in 2003 the living roof on top of ford s dearborn truck plant is flourishing as an environmental touchstone amid the iconic rouge center. The river rouge plant also known as ford dearborn truck assembly plant won the 2004 green roofs for healthy cities award of excellence in the extensive industrial commercial category. The roof is covered with 10 4 acres of sedum a genus of perennial plants that tops a 3 in thick four layer system incorporating a root resistant membrane a drainage layer a fleece mat and a vegetation blanket see schematic.