Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

Led by Bob Verga and his design team of architect Ben Grobe and landscape architect Paul Evanoff at Detroit’s SmithGroupJJR have completed a comprehensive masterplan, marking the first large-scale alteration to the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford House; estate in 25 years and the first major construction project at the Ford House since its titular 60-room mansion was completed in 1928.

Located in Grosse Pointe Shores, the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House is a National Historic Landmark.

The master plan includes two new buildings to join the existing collection of existing historic Albert Kahn-designed structures populating the lush, 87-acre estate on Lake St. Clair.

A 17,000-square-foot Administration Building with office and meeting spaces and a “social wing” with event-ready outdoor terraces, alongside a 40,000-square-foot Visitor Center, are set to open this May.

The plan features a permanent exhibition and “audio-visual experience” titled The Ford Family Story, an education wing, an 80-seat restaurant, and a multifaceted event venue with room for 200 guests.

The two-storey Visitor Center also includes dedicated space for traveling/rotating exhibitions.

This space will debut with Driven by Design, a special exhibition showcasing three super-rare Ford Motor Company vehicles from the 1930s.

Sustainability played a major role in the design of the Administration Building and Visitor Center.

Both are topped with sizable solar photovoltaic arrays, with the Administration Building targeting net-zero or net-positive energy status; excess energy generated at the Administration Building will be used to help power the Visitor Center, which is aiming for LEED Gold certification.

“We are thrilled that this project will be able to enrich the visitor experience by interpreting the vision of Jens Jensen and Albert Kahn, linking to the history of the estate,”

Ben Grobe, design principal at SmithGroup.

“The ability to show the community that we can make our water cleaner than it was, that we can create more energy than we spend, all while enriching our cultural heritage and adding beauty to the world is a powerful statement.”

The Ford House is also completing another major revamping project, this one led by Albert Kahn Associates in collaboration with the estate’s in-house team of landscape architects, master gardeners, and horticulturists.

This project focuses on restoring the southeastern corner of the grounds, which have been significantly altered over the years and include the swimming pool, a lagoon, and the surrounding landscape designed by Jensen.

The estate grounds will also be an attraction in itself with formal gardens, woodlands, meadows, and the peninsular Bird Island nature preserve all open to the public for exploring.

Project: SmithGroupJJR Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
Designers: SmithGroupJJR
Design Team: Bob Varga, Ben Grobe, and Paul Evanoff
Client: Edsel and Eleanor Ford House