Ford Foundation Headquarters

Designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates in 1968, the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice quickly became an architectural icon of the modernist era. In 2015, the Ford Foundation partnered with Gensler for a 4-year renovation and redesign of its Manhattan headquarters to better align the building with the Foundation’s current needs and values while updating and restoring Kevin Roche’s vision.

Working with Dan Kiley’s original Atrium design, FMS assisted Raymond Jungles in the restoration by performing daylight calculations to better assist in the selection and location of the plantings as well as bringing the building in compliance with current building and energy codes. LEDs allowed the interiors to be better illuminated while reducing the overall scale of the light fixtures to enhance the openness and transparency of the work and circulation spaces. Historic fixtures were completely refinished and redesigned to better support the reconfigured architecture and new finishes. The renovation covered all areas of the building and achieved USGBC LEED Platinum status.