Detroit’s designation as a UNESCO “City of Design” is both a look at the past and a commitment to the future, and the city’s architecture is an important piece to this puzzle. ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME caught up with founder of Architecture Talent Agency and ABOVE THE FOLD, John Patrick, to explore four projects in line with the City of Design.
TRUE NORTH: Designed by the world-class architect Edwin Chan and architecture firm Studio Detroit, this 10-unit live/ work development by Prince Concepts utilizes custom-sized Quonset Hut structures to provide inspired housing for Detroit’s creative community. The project has won two national design awards and is a finalist for the 2016/17 Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize.
URBAN AGRIHOOD: The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is spearheading America’s first sustainable urban Agrihood in Detroit’s lower North End. The project features a two-acre urban garden, a 200-tree fruit orchard, and an agricultural campus as the centerpiece of a mixed-use urban development. Since 2011, the farm has provided over 50,000 pounds of produce to residents, restaurants, markets and food pantries in and around the neighborhood.
CASS & YORK: Named for the intersection in which it sits, 53-unit Cass & York is a luxury, mixed-use property in the heart of the New Amsterdam historic district. Developed by The Platform and designed by award-winning architecture firm, McIntosh Poris Associates, residences will include sleek interiors with clean lines and a contemporary aesthetic. The building will also offer a rooftop pool and sundeck, ground floor retail and a state-of-the-art fitness center with yoga room.
CITY MODERN: With a declared effort to embody the UNESCO “City of Design” designation and a focus on inclusive design, City Modern is a large-scale mixed-use, mixed-income development in Detroit’s Brush Park. The project will include several different types of residences such as restored historic homes, townhomes, flats and a modern interpretation of carriage homes. In 2016, City Modern received the Congress for the New Urbanism’s (CNU) Grand Prize “Charter Award,” celebrating its collaborative process and unique vision.
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