George Washington's Mount Vernon Ford Orientation Center

Upon entering George Washington’s historic estate, the first impression is of an agricultural pasture. Only after turning left do visitors encounter the intimate entry courtyard of the Ford Orientation Center, the remainder of which is concealed behind a modest garden wall. This journey metaphorically interprets the one that Washington himself designed for visitors to his home. Inside, an elliptical floor-to-ceiling wall of glass embraces nature, visually connecting visitors to Washington’s landscape.

Of its own time yet respectful of the historic setting, the new center is designed “in the spirit of George Washington”—representing the design team’s interpretation of what George Washington himself might have created if he had all of the options available to designers today.