Ford Motor Company Driving Dynamics Lab

Located trackside at Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Development Center, the Driving Dynamics Lab (DDL) is a multifunctional building that embodies Ford's research-driven culture and anchors the campus's redevelopment. DDL solves a workflow and efficiency challenge Ford had experienced when related departments, including those testing vehicle performance, durability, and acoustics, were scattered across a vast campus. DDL now houses trackside operations and engineering functions within one building, creating unity and cohesion between product engineers and test technicians.

Facility Design

Natural daylight fills the large garage space where technicians and engineers test and swap parts on prototype vehicles before they head out to the test track. Nearby, acoustic testing laboratories, mechanical testing laboratories, engineering offices, and fabrication spaces support this work. On the floors above, employees have access to collaborative workspaces, a large café, and terraces overlooking the track. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the facility reduces its impact on the surrounding area while supporting employee wellbeing.

Advanced Testing Capabilities

DDL incorporates advanced testing spaces built for the future of automobile design and technology, including a Driver Autonomous Technology laboratory and the most advanced vehicle Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) testing facility Ford has built to date. This includes a Hybrid Acoustic Test Chamber that accommodates a wide range of test vehicles, supports environmental temperature testing from -40°F to 140°F, and includes an all-wheel drive chassis roll dynamometer. A sound transmission loss suite, featuring a spring-isolated anechoic chamber and a reverberation chamber carefully isolated from structure-borne noise, allows for accurate prediction of acoustic performance.

Site History

The design of DDL recalls the rich history of its site. Albert Kahn has served as Ford Motor Company's architect since 1909, and that legacy is especially apparent here. In 1924, Henry Ford opened the Ford Airport on this site. Albert Kahn designed several of the airport's buildings, including the airplane factory where the Ford Tri-Motor airplane was produced, and an airplane hangar. After the airport closed, the site became a hub for vehicle performance testing.

Salvaged historic items feature prominently throughout DDL's design as a reminder of the site's history as Ford's airport. A nose cone and blades from the original wind tunnel, along with windows, doors, and wooden roof planks from the site's former passenger terminal, hold places of honor within the new facility. As a center for vehicle testing and innovation, DDL's design is driven by its function as a world-class engineering center, the future of mobility, and the legacy of Ford Motor Company.