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The Gro
tesq
ue. P
rojects.
The Norm
al.
The Normal.
Eleven proposals for reimagining the Detroit Dry Dock/Globe Trading Building.
Work by Ivan Adelson, Sean Baxter, Jimmy Bevilacqua, Bruce Findling, Tarlton Long,
Justin Mast, Ben Rambadt, Kurt Schleicher, Aaron Weller, Brenna Williams, and Conor Wood.
contents003 Flexible Living
Brenna Williams
041 Re(Industrial)mediationConor Wood
085 Social ProductionJustin Mast
131 Black Sheep DetroitKurt Schleicher
167 Growing UrbanismAaron Weller
207 Scraptastic!Tarlton Long
247 RiverFront ArtistsJames Bevilacqua
299 Lighting G-TACIvan Adelson
357 GO.Bruce Findling
397 Writing DetroitBen Rambadt
445 Restrained UrbanismSean Baxter
Left : View of the interior
of the Globe Trade Build-
ing.1
2
Flexible LivingResidential Adaptation of the Globe Trade Building
Brenna Williams
3
LOCATION
The Globe Trade Building is located at the
crux of the Dequindre Cut and the Detroit
Riverfront. The expansion and development
of the Dequindre Cut allows multiple
neighborhoods to become connected by a
pedestrian infrastructure. Plans for further
expansion of the Dequindre Cut indicate that
development along this pedestrian corridor
is a promising investment. This project
proposes to transform the Globe Trade
Building into residential units. Residential
units are ideal in this location because
the Dequindre Cut and Detroit Riverfront
allow the inhabitants to commute to work
or travel throughout the city more easily by
bike. Furthermore, the site is located of the
edge of Milliken State Park, which provides
an abundance of recreational space. The
other side of the property has land that can
possibly be developed in the future. Close
to the site, a newly renovated building, the
Elevator Building, has been transformed into
commercial units. This indicates that the
area has the potential to become a diverse
and vibrant neighborhood. These qualities
make this site an ideal location for residential
adaptive re-use because the inhabitants will
always have the promise of nature in their
vicinity, as well as the opportunity to be the
first residential building in a burgeoning
neighborhood.
4
Right : Map of Globe Trade
Building in relation to
the Dequindre Cut and
Detroit Riverfront .2
5
Left : View of the Detroit
River.1
6
Right : View of the Dequin-
dre Cut running adjacent
to the Globe Trade Build-
ing.1
7
Left : Adver tising campaigns3,4 Detroit is a city that is constantly portrayed in
a negative light. Recent news of the decrease
in population, according to the recent
census count, has only added to the notion
that Detroit is a decaying and neglected
city. There are numerous ad campaigns
that are sponsored by the city or private
entities. These campaigns acknowledge
the need to increase the appeal of the city
to the surrounding cities, states and even
the country as a whole. The researchers for
many campaigns have chosen to focus on the
younger demographic as the target audience.
It is unlikely that the baby boomer generation
will choose to move to the city at this point
in their lives. Therefore, revitalization of
the city is already being instigated, and will
continue to be promoted by the younger
generation. Advertising campaigns are also
encouraging the younger generation. For
example, the D-Brand ad campaign targets
21-34 years olds within a 5-hour radius of
8
Detroit by portraying the city as the place
where cool comes from. Furthermore,
Selling Detroit was a marketing competition
sponsored by Time Inc. that challenged a
handful of advertising agencies to create
campaigns that encouraged the creative 18-
34 year old demographic to move to Detroit.5
The ad campaigns believe that there are
many opportunities in Detroit for the younger
generation and believe that they can be an
asset to the rebranding of the city.
9
Left : Diagram of unit
system
10
More than ever before, place matters. It is the distinct vibe that makes communities unique from one another. People want to live in communities that are unique and inspiring to them. - Richard Florida6
DEMOGRAPHIC
The creative class is a significant force in
the development and revitalization of urban
environments. Richard Florida coined
the term creative class and explains the
necessity of cities responding to this group
of people. Florida says the creative class is
comprised of knowledge-based workers in
industries as diverse as science, law, media,
design, computer programming and many
more. He describes the creative class as a
fast-growing, highly educated, and well-paid
segment of the workforce on whose efforts
corporate profits and economic growth
increasingly depend.7 Furthermore, this
demographic tends to migrate to culturally
vibrant and diverse cities that provide a
stimulating and exciting lifestyle experience.
Detroit currently has the resources to appeal
to this demographic, due to the plethora of
rich and varied cultural activity that the city
offers. However, the stigma that the city
exudes has resulted in a mediocre expansion
of the creative class. Florida also explains
how this group of people prefer participatory,
multidimensional experiences.7 This project
anticipates the creative class as being the
user of this residential building and therefore
aims to create a living experience that differs
from the traditional single-family residential
houses throughout the city, and instead
focuses on flexibility.
11
HOUSING SCHEME
Groups of eight housing units are assembled
into a block. This block is made up of two
stories with each story having four 20-0 x
20-0 units. Rather than designing a variety
of unit types, this project develops one unit
type and then allows the user to modify
units as necessary. For example, perhaps
a person moves in and decides that one
unit is not enough space for them. Perhaps
they like to have out of town visitors and
therefore they need two or three units rather
than just one unit. The user may purchase
shares for the square footage of multiple
units depending on the availability within
the building. Therefore, the initial identical
scheme of units is a base point from which
the configuration of units departs. The axon
diagrams show a few possible configurations
of how a user may aggregate individual units.
The user is not restricted to expanding solely
within each block of eight units. A user can
choose to add square footage wherever
it is available within the building. This
indicates that a user can expand substantially
horizontally, creating a long linear space,
or they can buy a unit that is not connected
to their original unit, thus creating a
disconnected living space. The accompanying
plans display the interior conditions of the
standard block of eight individual units, as
well as an example of a unit that has been
adjusted by the user to better fit their needs.
12
!"#"$
Right : Standard unit plans
13
$
"!
Left : Adjusted unit plan
14
Over time, shares of square footage can be
bought and sold to further negotiate the
residential spaces. The 20-0 x 20-0 grid
can be disrupted in order to account for the
buying and selling of square footage. Square
footage can be assembled and bundled in any
manner that the tenants wish. For example,
if a user needs half a unit, but has no use
for the other 200 square feet, then they can
sell that square footage. This involves the
removal and reconstruction of an interior
wall. The exterior windows are organized
so that walls can be located at 5 intervals
throughout the interior space. Circulation
has been established to foresee future
possible configurations and allow access in
all instances, yet any radical changes to the
square footage layout will have to consider
the circulation.
Each wing of units has an exterior walkway.
The entry stairs for each block of housing
are connected to these walkways. The fairly
steep stairs rise one floor level to allow for
access to all four potential units on the top
floor, and well as slope down slightly to allow
for access to the lower four units. For the
South and West wings, the exterior walkways
are accessed by a vertical circulation core
adjacent to the parking lot. For the East wing,
the exterior walkway originates from the
central plaza.
Right : Standard unit plans
15
Section perspective
showing standard unit
configuration
16
17
Left : Detail perspective
showing adjusted unit
configuration
18
19
Detail perspective show-
ing adjusted unit configu-
ration
20
21
Left : Perspective of com-
munal kitchen
22
COMMUNAL SPACES
Utilities are provided and are at an
appropriate number whether there are a
maximum or minimum number of users
within the building. As shown in the unit
plan, there is one shared kitchen on each
floor of a block of units. The back two units
share this kitchen. The front two units do not
have access to the kitchen. Also, there are
the utilities available for a bathroom in each
unit, however not all bathrooms are installed.
Most tenants will own more than one unit and
therefore a bathroom in every individual unit
is redundant. If there is an instance where a
tenants unit or configuration or units does
not include a kitchen, he or she will use the
communal kitchen. The communal kitchen is
located in the central building on the second
floor, above the public bar and caf. It is a
feature that allows this building to become a
community and encourages the neighbors to
cook, eat and socialize together. Additionally,
there are two elevated communal backyards
in the project. Similar to the kitchen, these
spaces are places for the users to congregate
and socialize. Since there is a constant
trading of square footage, it is necessary
that all tenants are friendly with one another.
This allows square footage negotiations to be
more appropriate and amiable. Additionally,
it fosters an environment that appeals to the
creative class and most importantly, creates a
cohesive community.
23
Perspective of communal
backyard
24
25
Left : Detail of existing
structure1
26
Right : Detail of existing
structure1
27
Left : Photo diagram of
suspended masses
Right : Diagram of sus-
pended masses
28
STRUCTURE
The Globe Trade Building was an industrial
ship building factory. The only components
that remain from the existing building are the
columns and trusses because the structure
is extremely strong. In the South portion of
the existing building, the original columns
were hung from oversized trusses so that
two working floors could be suspended.
Additionally, in the East and West wings the
trusses were quite robust because they had
overhead cranes hung from them. By utilizing
the structurally robust trusses the majority of
this building is suspended. There is a volume
suspended in each wing and one set of units
perched above the trusses. The decision to
provide more housing units on the South side
was because it allows for views to the river.
There is a volume located in the center of
the site and not hung from the trusses. This
is because it is part of the program for the
public, rather than for private residential
use. All private spaces are elevated off the
public floor, while the singular public space is
embedded within the ground. Another strong
formal move was to lift the building at the
corner because this project is located at the
crux of the Riverfront and the Dequindre Cut.
This provides the infrastructure for a plethora
of pedestrian activity. By lifting this corner,
it is a gesture to the public to not be blocked
out by this building, but rather to feel free to
slip inside the space.
29
Left : Massing model
30
31
32
""%
Right : Lower floor plan
33
34
"$
Right : Upper floor plan
35
36
Right : Section
37
38
Right : Section
39
40
41
Re(Industrial)mediationDetroit Institute for Remediation Technology (DIRT)
Conor Wood
Left : Hanging Gardens and
Cour tyard, DIRT
42
This is a new notion, nothing like the notion of machines that was current in the Industrial Revolution, absolutely nothing like it. It is, if you like, a much more biological notion, maybe Im wrong to call such a thing a machine
Gordon Pask, Cybernetics Theoretician, 19721
43According to many, the proper name
for the current era in Detroit is post-
industrial.2 Afterwards, proceeding, ad
memoriam; the term invokes forlorn
nostalgia, resounded by national regret. It
is an explicit acknowledgement of loss and
death. The Motor City was once synonymous
with industrial enterprise, but what does it
symbolize in this century? Popular media
has repeatedly categorized this urban center
as a certain kind of crisis; an economic,
ecological, and cultural failure. But has
contemporary media entirely missed the
opportunities presented within inherent
failures? Former Governor Jennifer Granholm
projected one model for the Southeast
Michigan Region: an economy of the green-
collar.3 In this renaissance of Detroits
manufacturing prowess, the region would
effectively become the national leader in the
production of lithium-ion batteries, windmill
turbines, electric vehicles, and alternative
energy research. While this broadcast
has begun to garner global attention, the
city must not neglect to position such re-
industrialization as integral to reducing our
impact on the natural environment. The
region suffers some of the most contaminated
brownfield sites in the entire world. This
not only makes redevelopment in Detroit
expensive, but also dangerously toxic.
Current Governor Rick Snyder is further
threatening such redevelopment incentives
by eliminating brownfield and historic
development tax credits. If such a budget
were passed through, most entrepreneurial
redevelopment in the region would come to
a standstill. Even The Big Three automotive
corporations would suffer from such policy,
with less incentive to re-tool their historic
facilities in favor of building outside of
Michigan. Gov. Snyder cites brownfield
and historic development tax credits as
not central to attracting new businesses,
but maybe the full potential of brownfield
sites and green-collar industries hasnt yet
presented itself. 4
44
The brownfield site stands as the geo-
physical manifestation of the post-industrial.
Brownfields are defined by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be
real property complicated by the presence
of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant.5 Before tax credits were
approved in 1997, Detroit was estimated
to have over 5400 acres of brownfield land
within the city boundaries.6 While this
acreage of contaminated land supersedes
national averages; brownfield sites have
permeated our metropolitan centers. The
EPA has estimated that there are over
450,000 brownfield sites in the United States.
Assuming that the typical industrial site is 2-3
acres, there are more than 1,350,000 acres
of hazardously contaminated land in this
country.7
Opportunistic Wastelands
Such national failure on the ecological
front predicates a search for opportunity
in the current post-industrial situation. If
contemporary society allows brownfields to
proliferate urban regions, there isnt much
time before hazardous substances over-
saturate our natural ecology to the point
where our urban survival is threatened.
Poised as the most endangered, can the city
of Detroit turn this impending crisis into
economic capital?
Right : Map of Detroits
brownfield sites
45
46
47
TechTown and NextEnergy in the New
Amsterdam DIstrict of Detroit have
established economic incubators for
research-based start-ups such as NexTek
Energy, A123 Systems (lithium-ion batteries),
and Asterand PLC (stem cells and human
tissue).8 Besides providing subsidized space
to these companies, Detroit has become
attractive as a research corridor with direct
proximity to Wayne State University, the
University of Michigan, and Michigan State
University. These start-ups are beginning to
operate on a national scale as they continue
to take advantage of working in Detroit. If the
model of the research-based organization
became the new paradigm of Detroit
economics, then the city may be able to
effectively re-industrialize.
Entrepreneurial Remediation
Bringing together energy research and
biotechnology, green-collar industry could
be best defined as turning bio-ecological
improvements into capital gains. Considering
that Detroit has a surplus of brownfield sites
and the means to support heavy research,
environmental remediation can become a new
industrial export. As in Economics 101, supply
vs. demand: the United States demands the
recovery of contaminated urban sites for
development, Detroit supplies research
expertise and manufactured mechanical-
computational apparatus to public and
private markets. In order to achieve such a
model, an incubator could be established
in the form of a catalytical institution to
harbor green-collar organizations: the Detroit
Institute for Remediation Technology (DIRT).
Left : Implant Matrix
Geotextile, by Philip Beesley9
48
Immediate Siteplan
Right : Globe Trading
Building from Dr y Dock
The former Globe Trading Building and Dry
Dock Complex serves as the site for the
DIRT. A brownfield industrial site along the
Detroit River, the facility has a long-standing
industrial history of shipbuilding. The Dry
Dock in front of the complex has now become
an inlet for the river, with part of the site
being developed into a state park. The Detroit
Riverfront Conservancy is building a trail
that will stretch along the site all the way to
Belle Isle. The Dequindre Cut trail also travels
the east side of the building. Without any
adjacent structures, the Globe stands as a
monumental ruin in the current landscape.
Its renegotiation for the DIRT will institute
manipulations of scale, material conservation
as a historic property, public interaction, and
ecological phytoremediation strategies.
Globe Trading Building and Dry Dock Complex
49
50
Conceptual Site Model,
DIRT
51
^ N
52
BELOW GRADE / STORAGE COMPUTATIONAL CONTROL ARCHIVE + DATA CENTER RECEPTION AUDITORIUM
RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
SECTION B
53
GRADE LEVEL / HANGING GARDENS INFORMATION TERMINAL ENTRY FIELD LABORATORY SEALED LABORATORY
OPEN LABORATORY AUDITORIUM RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
54
SECOND LEVEL / HANGING GARDENS COMMISSARY EXHIBITION HALL MULTI-USE OFFICE MULTI-USE LABORATORY
SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY AUDITORIUM RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
55
THIRD LEVEL / HANGING GARDENS GROUP STUDY DECK MULTI-USE OFFICE SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY
MEZZANINE + LOFT RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
56
grade
A-A /
STORAGE COMPUTATIONAL CONTROL ARCHIVE + DATA CENTER RECEPTION AUDITORIUM
RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
HANGING GARDENS INFORMATION TERMINAL ENTRY
FIELD LABORATORY SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY AUDITORIUM RESTROOMS
MECHANICAL ACCESS COMMISSARY EXHIBITION HALL MULTI-USE OFFICE MULTI-USE LABORATORY
SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY AUDITORIUM RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
GROUP STUDY DECK MULTI-USE OFFICE SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY MEZZANINE + LOFT
RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
55
SECTION A
57
B-B /
grade
STORAGE COMPUTATIONAL CONTROL ARCHIVE + DATA CENTER RECEPTION AUDITORIUM
RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
HANGING GARDENS INFORMATION TERMINAL ENTRY
FIELD LABORATORY SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY AUDITORIUM RESTROOMS
MECHANICAL ACCESS COMMISSARY EXHIBITION HALL MULTI-USE OFFICE MULTI-USE LABORATORY
SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY AUDITORIUM RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
GROUP STUDY DECK MULTI-USE OFFICE SEALED LABORATORY OPEN LABORATORY MEZZANINE + LOFT
RESTROOMS MECHANICAL ACCESS
SECTION B
58
Left : Southwest View down
Atwater Street , South
Faade
Right : Flipped Truss Box
Frames, from Atwater
Street
59
60
Foundr y Column
An excavation of the interior core (shipping and receiving, chipping
room) and south end of the building at grade creates a sheltered
plaza and courtyard beneath the through the Globe. Due to the
extensive dilapidation of the current structural systems, only the
primary steel structures can be salvaged to support heavy loads. To
supplement new load-paths resultant of the excavations, structural
prosthetics in the form of concrete piers and re-oriented trusses
are applied to the building. The old steel contacts the new concrete
to form box-frame sections that support each of the three wings.
The re-oriented trusses are taken from the existing roof structures,
which no longer need to support the loads of ship construction.
Cavities in the piers hold mechanical systems.
Structural Prosthesis
61
Oblique Plan Projection,
Concrete Piers & Scaffolding
62
Corner Isometric with
Hidden Lines, South &
East Faade
63
x-ray / structural isometric
uncovered / structural isometric
64
Left : South Faade
Right : Structure Exposed,
South Faade
65
66
67
Left : Sectional Details,
Concrete Piers
Right : Group Study Deck
68
Mimetic Machines Exhibit ,
Exhibition Hall
69
Geotextile Details, Philip Beesley10
To aid in the recovery of the Globes brownfield site, robotic
geotextile meshworks operate on the landscape and Dry Dock.
The apparatus filter chemical toxins and heavy metals through
salt absorption, which is then stored for research and safe
disposal within the DIRTs lab spaces. The geotextile also holds
the site stable for the growth of vegetation. The structures of the
meshworks are composed of biodegradable corn-based plastics.
Each element has sensors which record on-site chemical and
climate conditions, which are telecommunicated back to the
DIRTs Archive and Data Center for data analysis. Sensors are
likewise implanted into the cable-mesh of the Hanging Gardens,
in the DIRTs excavated courtyard. Suspended from existing
and new steel columns, the mesh serves to cultivate vegetative
material for study and implementation in remediation. In both
systems, the network is a physical and metaphorical synthesis
between the technological and the organic, a primary objective
of the DIRT as it seeks to export designs for mimetic remediation
machines.
Remediation Apparatus & Hanging Gardens
70
71
Left : Oblique Plan
Projection, Hanging Gardens
Right : Hanging Gardens
72
_clean levels _carbon monoxide _sulfur dioxide _ozone _nitrogen dioxide
RAINSTORM ELEVATION /
BARGE POLLUTION ELEVATION /
MORNING TRAFFIC ELEVATION /
73
This cable-scaffolding structure is remnant of excavation
support during construction. The scaffolding is then applied with
hundreds of LED lights and sensors that respond to real-time
gas fluctuations. In a clean-air composition, the light defaults
to a green hue. If the embedded sensors pick up another gas,
the light changes to a color corresponding with the chemical
composition. The response of the lights reads as fluid waves
of color across the south faade of the Globe. Beyond dynamic
aesthetics, the wall serves as an interface for visualizing
conditional circumstance in the air. The cause and effect enables
the viewer to understand the fluctuations in the air as a form of
post-industrial data that is communicated by the environment.
This data reads as a painting of light by nature; a commentary
similar to Diego Riveras paintings of Detroits industrial
condition. Because of the Globes international context on
Detroit River, the south-faade response wall speaks to a much
larger audience through Canadian vantage points and tourist
photographs of Detroit.
Bio-chemical Response Wall
Detroit Industr y, Diego Rivera11
74
Top Left : Industrial Loft
Section
Bottom Left : Response
Wall Plan
75
Right : Detail Axonometric,
Response Wall
76
South Faade with Response
Wall at Night
77
78
Volume Model, Residential Cour tyard
As the Dequindre Cut activates a formerly defunct urban condition,
the vacant lots around the Globe have the opportunity to become
live-work environments along Detroits Riverfront. A residential
building completes a ring around the DIRTs courtyard, protecting
visitors from northern winds and protecting a park space with
access to the Dequindre Cut. With screen-cable scaffolding
structures along the faades of the building, residents can plant
wall gardens to grow small-produce and flowers. This scaffolding
also enables a freedom of aesthetic and construction for the true
building walls behind the cables. This infill could be any masonry
unit, from cheap CMU blocks to custom stone. Though designed
for this building, such a method could be implemented in further
residential development throughout the area.
DIRT Residential Courtyard
Right : Volume Model,
DIRT & Residential
Cour tyard
79
80
dry dock (submerged) atwater street + detroit institute of remediation technologies (dirt)detroit river
DETROIT RIVER-JEFFERSON AVENUE/
81
+ dirt residential courtyard jefferson avenue< dequindre cut >
+ detroit institute of remediation technologies (dirt)
+ dirt residential courtyard
Below: Isometric Site
Projection, DIRT &
Residential Cour tyard
82
Site Concept Model,
Facing Nor thwest
83
84
85
Social ProductionReformatting Studio Space
Justin Mast
86
Clockwise from Left : Jerr y
Paffendorf and Mar y Lorene
Car ter of LOVELAND1, Oneita Por ter, Designer and
Owner of GrrlDog Jewerly2,
Andy and Emily Linn of City
Bird3, SOUP4, Sarah Lipinski of Wound Menswear in her 2000 Brooklyn workspace5, Mike Han of Street Culture Mash, and Claire Nelson of the Bureau of Urban Living6.
87
The Spirit of Detroit
Agent Entrepreneur
The days of mourning Detroit are over,
especially if you ask Detroiters. After years
of highlighted fallout, glorified ruin, and
declarations that the city is deadthe tune
has changed. And its changing from the inside
out. A new breed of wide-eyed wild men and
women are moving back into the city and
declaring it a land of opportunity. Deserted
properties, stretched infrastructure, and
unpredictable services were reasons for
concern; but now the city is being seen
as cheap land, homes, and buildings, an
opportunity for off-the-grid development,
and free-reign. Detroit entrepreneurs are
bringing restaurants, bakeries, bike shops,
and produce into the citynot to mention
money, jobs, and occupancy. This decade
may the be start of a new era in Detroitone
marked by optimism and opportunity. It
seems that today in Detroit, theres nothing
entrepreneurship cannot accomplish.
(see Agent Entrepreneur in The Normal, Vol. I)
88
With over 150 commercial tenants, including
architects, painters, clothing designers, glass
blowers, wood craftsman, metal sculptors,
and graphic designers, the Russell Industrial
Center is the classic example of abundant and
cheap space available in Detroit. Designed
in 1915, by Albert Khan, the structure was
Russell Industrial Center
built to accommodate the growing auto body
manufacturing business of the Murry Body
Company. After years of being abandoned,
Dennis Kefallinos purchased the building
in 2003 and converted into more than one
million square feet of studio space and lofts.
In many ways, the buildings design for its
former use as a manufacturing facility, has
served its tenants well. The space is raw
and secluded, perfect for the manufacturing
component of new small scale makers. That
being said, todays maker-businesses need to
thrive at far more than just manufacturing.
Successful new business models emerging
From left to right: GMaps Aerial of The Russell Industrial Center, an interior space at the Russell (March 2011), same interior space in 2008 by Christian Unverzagt.
89
are collaborative and open. Production
now involves ever changing partnerships
and teams. Entrepreneurs are required to
be producers, salespeople and marketers.
Customers want to not only see behind the
curtain, but also play a role in the making of
their goods. In terms of meeting these needs,
the Russell is less effective. Some makers and
entrepreneurs are finding themselves buried
in the center of a massive complex, isolated
from each other and from their customers.
To be sure, the Russell is providing Detroit
with something importantlow cost flexible
space for making and designing. That said, its
not the complete picture. If Detroit continues
to attract and produce independent maker-
businesses, we need to be ready for the next
stepan architecture that enhances and
catapults new social production processes,
the same way Khans designs did for the mass
production era.
90
The Eastern Market is another example of
thriving entrepreneurship in Detroit. As
many as 40,000 people flock to Eastern
Market for its Saturday Market to enjoy one
of the most authentic urban adventures
in the United States. The market and the
adjacent district are rare finds in a global
Eastern Market
economy - a local food district with more
than 250 independent vendors and merchants
processing, wholesaling, and retailing food.
At the heart of Eastern Market is
a six-block public market that has been
feeding Detroit since 1891. Every Saturday
it is transformed into a vibrant marketplace
with hundreds of open-air stalls where
everyone from toddlers to tycoons enjoy the
strong conviviality served up along with great
selections of fruits, veggies, fresh-cut flowers,
homemade jams, maple syrups, locally
produced specialty food products, pasture
and/or grass-fed meat.7
91
By serving as a larger entity under which
many independent entrepreneurs gather, the
Easter Market creates something tangible
that customers can approach. One doesnt
need to know about a specific cucumber
farmer, for example, to know where to find
fresh, locally produced cucumbers. While
From left to right: Eastern Markets plan for its public core8, a vendor unloading produce9, a birds eye view of a portion of the Eastern Market as proposed10 , and a scene inside of one of the markets interior spaces.
buying locally from dozens of independent
vendors, Detroit restaurants can still go to
one place at one time for their supply.
Building on this success, the Easter
Market has big plans. They are expanding
the market to include more places for food
production, they are planning out live/work
spaces, and they are planning on connecting
to the DeQuindre to enhance the pedestrian
access to the market. In their plan, however,
they have decided to limit their focus to
produce. The Easter Market is a place for
selling meats, vegetables, and flowersnot
clothing, furniture, and paintings.
92
DE
QU
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T
EASTERN
MARKET
D ET R
O IT R
I VE R
FR O
N T C
O NS E
RV
AN
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CANADA
JEFFER
SON
93
The Globe Trading Company Building, also
knows as the Detroit Dry Dock Company
Complex, is located at the Rivertown
Warehouse District, just Northeast of
Downtown Detroit. It sits adjacent to the
Tricentennial State Park and Harbor and
is located at the intersection of Riverfront
Conservancy and the Dequindre Cut.
The Dequindre Cut, a below-grade
1.35-mile pathway, offers a pedestrian link
between the Riverfront paths, Eastern Market,
and many of the residential neighborhoods in
between. These pedestrian paths, community
focused bike shops, and the Eastern Market
have created a car-less and local market
lifestyle potential in this city. The Globe
Building is situated perfectly to tap into this
network.
1801 Atwater Street
The intersection of Detroits
pedestrian corridor
The Globe Trading Co. Building
94
Detroit River
Started in the mid 1852, the Globe Trading
Building consists of six interconnected
buildings. The complex is significant as a
remnant of Detroits once considerable
maritime manufacturing industry. For
decades, this facility made and repaired ships
and also manufactured ship engines. For a
time, the building also housed the Dry Dock
Hotel.11
Building History
95
Dry Dock No. 2 (1982)
96
AtwateRiver Walk
Section A 1/32 = 1
97
er St. Globe Trading Co. Building DeQuindre Cut Greenway Trail
Proposed Design:
Adaptive Reuse of the Globe Building
98
99
Franklin St. Woodbridge St.
100
E. Jefferson Ave.
101
Undeveloped DeQuindre Cut
102
103
104
Dry Dock Hotel
Studio Spaces
Market Halls
Collaborative
Spaces
105
The Globe Trade Building has evolved
over time; a collection of buildings built over
the yearsa dry dock facility, ship building,
engine manufacturing, and a hotel. My
program in based on having a few key players:
hotel/restaurant, studio/office developer,
fabrication shop, and Shed 7an extension of
the Eastern Market.
Each stakeholder brings a certain
strategic advantage to the table in both
construction and on going activity. The
Eastern Market acquires the land, the
fabrication shop contributes to the
construction, the studio/office developer
funds new construction, while the hotel pays
for building restoration.
Injecting new life into the
buildings history
Program
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4+-0,
Construction sequence: starts with the
fabrication shop.
106
Ground Floor Plan 1/32 = 1
107
Second Floor Plan 1/32 = 1
108
109STUDIOOFFICE Spaces
110Main Hall
111
112
113
Dry Dock HotelRestaurant
114
115
Eastern Market Extension
116
117
The main halls are left in place, serving as
flex space used by all groups in the building.
During the day, the FLEX spaces serve as
workspace for the fabrication shop and the
studio occupants. Were seeing that local/
micro-manufacturing models run differently
than traditional large scale manufacturing.
Tenants might spread out for a collaborative
manufacturing process with another tenant
in the building or with another business
from outside of the building, or even outside
FLEX Spaces/Shed 7
Detroit. The spaces are available for special
events where tenants might invite their
customers to co-design and co-make items.
During evenings in the summer, the
restaurant is able to spread out into the East
Hall space. Typically, theyll use the space for
summer seating, but they may also rent the
space out for catering special events or for
concerts from the Bar/Lounge.
During weekends, the Eastern
Market spills into the FLEX spaces to host
non-produce related trade. Vendors, either
tenants or regional makers, activate the two
halls with market-style commerce.
118
119
120
Section Detail
(next page)
121
Section B 1/32 = 1
122
Section Detail 1/4 = 1
123
Structure Restored
Structure Removed
Structure Added
Material Use
Construction Diagram
124
125
Circulation Diagram
126
127
North Entrance Sequence and Skylight
128
Detroit is a place full of contradiction
and irony. The enthusiasm and belief in
entrepreneurship is real. There are things
working in Detroit that would not work
anywhere else. The wild-eyed bunch that
inhabit the place are as authentic as they
come. And they believe in their citythey
will insist Detroit does not need rebirth
or rejuvenation, its already alive. There is
The NORMAL Detroit
another side though. Car rims still get stolen.
A visitor gets sidetracked and ends up in the
wrong part of town. An unexpected turn can
enchant or demystify the place. You can never
be sure what Detroit you will get. One day its
the place of opportunity, the next, your car
gets broken in to. The problems are real. This
is the normal in Detroita place of extremes.
129
130
131
Black Sheep Detroit Embracing Individuality in the Post-industrial Landscape
Kurt Schleicher
Left : View looking nor th up the Dequindre Cut , Detroit .
132
133
A Point of TransitionThe Globe building is situated between
Detroits urban center and its shrinking
neighborhoods, most of which are growing
more rural each day.
With all of this open land and little city
finance to maintain properties, grasses
grow tall and neighborhoods continue to
vanish. Utilizing sheep and goats as a means
to maintain this land and manage that
public space belonging to the Riverfront
Conservancy, offers an alternative solution a
longstanding problem.
Goat and sheep migration in and around
the city behave as attractors for the new
Globe building: an urban farm for veterinary
research and the production of milk and
cheeses to compliment the area just south of
the Eastern Market.
134
135
Aerial View Nor theast of Lafayette Park, Detroit .6
136EASTERN MARKET
GLOBE BUILDING
PEPSI BOTTLING CITY RECYCLING
SAAD WHOLESALE MEATS
ST. JOSEPHS CATHOLIC CHURCH
CHURCH OF CHRIST ELMWOOD PARK
LAFAYETTE PLAISSANCE
PARK EAST
CHRYSLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
FRIENDS SCHOOL10 SOUTHBOUND BUS10 NORTHBOUND BUS
BOB MAXLEY FORD
HERTZ
U,S, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DETROIT GARDEN CENTER
(FUTURE PARK)
WHEELHOUSE DETROIT
CHENE MUSIC PARK
TRICENTENIAL STATE PARK AND HARBOR
ST. AUBIN TRANSIENT MARINA
DETROIT EDISON PUBLIC SCHOOL
137
St. Aubins, Detroit Today Projections into the future as
trends continue
138
139
140
Restore Roof
Use Existing Structure
Locate Core of Building
and Maintain Facade and
Remove all Windows
Combine Circulation
Paths Around Core
Cut and Fill for Public Infrastructure
Maintain Shade and protect against rain and snow.
Structure provides good framework structure
Increased ventilation through buiding and a
central focus.
Publick paths offer views to ground floor
while circulating through building above.
As far back as the dry dock, the Globe has had a
long history with ground manipulation. Cut and
fill methods offer a unique opportunity.
141
Stretch of Detroit Riverfront: The Globe as hub between the Conrail
Exposition Spur, the Eastern Market, and Belle Isle. All three locations
are situated within less than a three mile radius from the site, offering
ideal daily migration distances to sheep and goats.
142
Milking ParlorBoth the milking parlor and the Dequindre
Cut serve as precedents for ground removal
and the manipulation of the ground plane.
Both cases reposition the view of the user,
altering their sense of vision, providing a
different position from which to view our
surroundings.
143
144
Sheep DipThe sheep dip serves as an ending to a
traditional sheep chute, where the sheep
are fenced in single file and led into a pool
of water for cleaning. The dimensions of this
dip,the sloped walls, the narrowness, and
ground alteration offer ways of thinking about
how people may move through this building,
as well as sheep.
145
146
147
148Scale: 1/32=10
BELOW GRADEScale: 1/32=10
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
Section A
Section B
149Scale: 1/32=10
SECOND FLOOR PLANScale: 1/32=10
THIRD FLOOR PLAN
150
BELOW GRADEA tunnel beneath the existing Globe building
serves to create a direct connection between
the Dequindre Cut and the riverfront. For
those not wishing to visit the farm, the new
cut serves to create a more direct route in
either direction.
While the passage passes beneath the
building, it is not fully enclosed. Air is free
to pass through the building and up through
its central core. Drainage is directed through
this passage which is sloped towards the
riverfront.
The blue represents an enclosed/human
environment.
151
Bicycle Shop
152
Ground Level (Sheep held on Site)The ground level is opened up, creating
an environment that showcases both the
production of milk and cheese, and the
raising of sheep and goats.
Production takes the form of exhibition,
as the public is able to engage with the
processes involved in with maintaining
livestock.
The blue represents an enclosed/human
environment, including milking and cheese
making infrastructure, as well as recreation
and veterinary locations.
The red represents the areas in which the
sheep kept on site cycle through daily.
153
Pasture
Gathering Pen
Crowding Pen
Sheep Chute
Milking Parlor
TransitionPen
Shearing
Sheep Dip
CheeseMaking
CheeseDrying
CheeseRipening
Kennel
Bicycle Shop
Lambing Pen
Storage
Goats
Sheep
Packaging
Veterinary Shipping and Receiving
154
Ground Level (Sheep Held in Transition)
Unlike the sheep held on site, these sheep
do not need to be milked. They are the
caretakers of public spaces, migrating along
the river front and up the Dequindre Cut.
These Sheep come in through the gathering
pen, enter the chute, and are directed a
holding pen. They also utilized the sheep
dip during warm months, less as a means to
delice, and more as a means to stay cool and
act as demonstration to the visiting public.
155
Ground Level (Goats)
Goats are utilized to maintain the northern
end of the Dequindre Cut where the
vegetation is more diverse and rugged, while
the sheep are left to maintain the grasses
along the riverfront and out to Belle Isle.
156
Second Floor (Housing, Workspace, and Retail)The Second floor serves as the primary
entrance for employee/resident housing
while providing ample space for a number of
research and educational components tied
into the program of the farm. Employees
are affiliated with the University and local
communities, both of whom work for
temporary periods of time.
The enclosed areas are bordered by a public
ramp which frames an open floor below,
offering constant views to the animals and
production of Cheess and milk below.
157
Employee/ResidentHousing
Employee/ResidentGathering
Security
Mud RoomMarket
Workspace
Research
158
Third Floor and Rooftop (Housing and Extended Park)This level primarily serves as an extesion of
the park to the east. The two public ramps
entering the building from both the riverfront
and the Dequindre Cut meet in the middle of
the building and direct both parties to the
partially enclosed rooftop.
The various temporary Residents of the Farm
have direct access to this space from the loft
of their respective apartments.
159
160
Section A
161
162
SectionB
163
164
Section A
165
Section B
166
167
Growing Urbanismin 4 acts of construction
Aaron Weller
168
Once, a city became so geographically
sparse and so socially stratified it began
to consolidate. Within the confines of
the Globe Trading Building, a point along
the river, 4 acts of construction set into
dialogue typological dwelling conditions
of the city. The dwelling types by nature
of being constructed at different periods
were discrete. They maintained individual
differentiation and autonomy, however, the
dwellings were constructed under a new
roof, confined within walls, and among semi-
exterior interstitial common spaces, such as
an open court, streets or docks, and elevated
porches or roof terraces.
The scheme GROWING URBANISM projects
one form of such consolidation; wondering
what type of social ethos would ensue.
169
170
Inside the Globe Trading Bldg.
171
172
ACT 1 (preparing the stage):
characters: day laborers or migrant workers
or immigrant class
A crew of laborers is offered on-site living and
wages in exchange for work days. A type of
vertical worker housing is produced, modest
dwellings, possibly added to gradually as
time affords. The existing structure supports
new floor plates, and re-claimed wood from
existing floors and roof are planed and
utilized as a siding material for a balloon
frame building enclosure.
The globe bldg. is cleared of broken and
undesirable material, re-useable material
is saved and sorted, and infrastructure
necessary for the Globe Trading Bldg re-
occupancy is constructed. Infrastructure
includes: a new roof with water retention for
irrigation, stabilization of the bldg. envelope,
street with white oaks and building service
lines, raised bed agricultural plats with
trenches, and curated follies of pre-existing
building elements, i.e, loading dock, elevator
shaft, select stairwells, ladders, light fixtures,
interior steel thresholds, piano, shopping
cart, and column grid.
ACT 2 (bldg opening):
characters: artists or fabricators or creative
class
A certificate of occupancy is issued. The first
rental units are modest in scale, open and
flexible, tailoring to a creative class whos
living and work needs are adaptable and
flourish in an environment such as a post-
industrial riverfront. The rental units are
built in relation both to the newly polished
globe building and what has already been
built. Brick from the building is re-used to
construct easily partitioned open floor plans.
ACT 3 (active marketing):
characters: middle class
Space for small retail or a market is allocated
in order to test the bldg. as a viable economy,
given a growing community. The market
is constructed with metal frames from the
existing building clerestories and new plate
glass. The building owner enlists real estate
agencies to parcel off agricultural plots for
single-family dwellings. Building setbacks and
maximum bldg. heights help control urban
form, while reclaimed materials are utilized in
the construction process.
ACT 4 (plans prepared for higher density)
characters: anonymous class
The owner initiates schemes to turn the
building into a maximum occupancy. Social
and environmental contingencies are
intensified.
4 Act s of Construction
173
(photos from Detroit Bur ton Historical Librar y)
174
Globe Trading bldg. as it stands
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175
Existing trusses raised to a continuous roof line; columns remain; all interior par tions removed. The 235 x 200 footprint is opened.
176
Brick wall capped with I-beam ring; new tubular sections extend from existing columns
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177
New roof form with new truss locations, ter tiar y structure, and plastic light diffusing panels
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178
Act 1: worker housing and programming the bldg. surface (docks, raised bed planters, reclaimed material staging areas, open cour t)
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Act 4: high-density housing atop apple orchard; questions regarding a new social ethos
182
183
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Second Floor Ground Floor
222
Storage System Design
Big Joe Forklift s
specification sheet s
The storage system is designed and located to maximize visual
connections to the collected materials as means to provide inspiration to
the tenants of the building. The storage systems design is not only driven
by these conceptual parameters, but also by the pragmatics of their ability
to function as a storage infrastructure for a range of material sizes and
types. As a result, the specications and dimensions of the Big Joe PDS
20 forklift were integral to the design of the system and set additional
parameters for the design of the storage wall and ramp that serviced it.
4 5
223
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229
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231
232
233
234
Section AA
235
236
Section BB
237
238
Living unit s are oriented
towards the Detroit River
with exceptional views
239
240
Upper-level public space;
the roof of the central
ser vice ramp doubles as
park space that extends
up and onto the building
241
242
1/8=1-0 Model
243
1/8=1-0 Model
244
245
1/8=1-0 Model and site context
246
247
RiverFront ArtistsArtists vs. Blight DetroitA New Model
James Bevilacqua
248
Private Exhibition
Public Exhibition
249
RiverFront Artist Cooperative and Dequindre Cut GalleryCan Detroit Support an Artist Movement and Avoid Gentrification?
Over the last few years, the national press has
begun to take notice of the Detroit art world
as demonstrated through articles written
for The New York Times and Wall Street
Journal. Most of the concentration has been
focused on the cheap property values and
the possible effects that artist communities
can have on building identities and creating
an environment for urban renewal without
government involvement. Right now in
Detroit, artists can purchase a house for
as little as $100 per lot and are starting to
create small artists colonies that include
live/work spaces and residency programs.
This is not a new trend; artists have been
creating bohemian villages in blighted areas
as early as the 1960s. SoHo and Tribeca in
Manhattan, Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Fort
Point Channel in Boston, River North and
Wicker Park in Chicago, and the Arts District
in downtown Los Angeles are examples of the
transformational power that artists possess.
In most cases, the artists are ultimately
displaced once their inside-out form of urban
renewal spurs gentrification. But now, with
the real estate market collapse, economists
and urban planners believe that artists have
an opportunity for ownership in communities.
The widespread economic hardships may
help create a new model for the urban
artist colony. There has been some debate
as to whether gentrification would even be
possible in Detroit. Due to the vast surplus
of vacant lots is it possible to cause massive
displacement of the current residents?
Considering that families are leaving Detroit
without the forces of gentrification at
play the 2010 U.S. Census shows Detroits
population shrank by close to 25% over the
last ten yearshow will Detroit move forward?
250
Work. . . It might seem utterly bizarre to decry the future effects of
gentrification in Detroit, a city that is now desperate for investments
of any sort and hopes of any kind. And yet, what might be even more
bizarre is how just this same desperation and hope once characterized
SoHo itself. In 1962, the City Club of New York published a report
entitled The Wastelands of New York, which focused on the area that
is now known as SoHo. The report described that area as an enormous
commercial slum with disastrously low property values. A few
decades later, of course, the problems facing SoHo became entirely
differentthe problems of a massively overdeveloped enclave of and
for the wealthy.
From SoHo to Detro?Detroit Free Press Article written by Andrew Herscher, April 1, 2009
251
Live
. . . will Detroit be different?
252
Private Exhibition
253
Public Exhibition
During the emergence of the artist community in SoHo in the
1960s, raw space was the phrase used to describe a loft in need of
repairsoften having cracked walls and ceilings and broken windows.
Renovation described the process of making the space usable. In
effect, Detroits raw space does not exist only within the walls of the
abandoned warehouses and factories; it exists amongst the streets,
the empty shops, the burnt-down homes, the vacant lots, the sense of
identity . . .
Raw SpaceThe Globe Trade Building
. . . and Detroits renovation will be the work of art.
254
Entrance
Public Exhibition/Open Market
Live Work
255
Private ExhibitonRemoval
256
Removal of Central Volume, Interior Walls, and Floor Plates
Interlocking Volumes of Live/Work and Private Exhibition
The Globe Trade Building is sited at the intersection of the Detroit
riverfront, the Dequindre Cut Greenway, and the proposed Milliken
State Park. The building has evolved from its original state, the
Machine Shop, built in 1892, as it had to adapt to changing socio-
economic conditions. Originally the building defined the perimeter
of the block, leaving a courtyard condition at its center. My proposal
recreates the courtyard by removing the central addition. All existing
interior walls and floorplates are removed to bring in light and create
a large public exhibition and market space. The existing structure is
adapted to support two elevated interlocking volumes that house a
live-work artist community to the South and East and an artist gallery
to the North and West.
The Globe Trade BuildingBuilding a Locus for Detroit Artists
257
Retain Structure
Use Existing Structure to Elevate New Programmatic Massing
New massing creates open courtyard condition and interacts visually with East and West Halls
258
Replace
Restore-Adapt-Reuse
Maintain
Remove
Remove.Age.Weather.Deteriorate.Maintain.
259
Restore.Adapt.Preserve.Reuse.Replace.
260
The RiverFront Artist Cooperative is a live-work community consisting
of eight units. The five units on the South side of the building are
meant to be occupied by permanent residents while the three East
units are for visiting artists. Both types of units contain a sleeping
loft to separate the work area. The permanent resident units have an
additional separation of live and work on the lower level by a hallway.
The sleeping loft in these units acts as a bridge between the two
programmatic elements. The living areas are positioned on the South
side of the volume to allow for river views and passive solar heat gain
in the winter. The work areas to the North allow for access to even
ambient light and a visual connection to the public space below. At the
Southeast corner of the building is a shared terrace space and access
to an additional roof terrace.
RiverFront Artist CooperativeSoutheast Corner
261
262
Live_Work Relationship
SectionPermanent Resident Artist Unit
Scale: 10=1/8
South Faade
Domestic Scale
Industrial Scale
North Faade
263
SectionVisiting Artist Unit
Scale: 10=1/8
West Faade
264
Entrance to the Dequindre Cut Gallery is accessed through the original
Globe building at the Northeast corner, directly off of the Dequindre
Cut Greenway. The Gallery space consists of 15,000 square feet of
open exhibition areas. The North wing hovers above the entrance to
the courtyard, connecting the original Machine Shop and Foundry of
the Globe Trade Building. Natural light is brought into the gallery from
above. The West Gallery sits on the existing structural system and
overlooks the triple height space of the Machine Shop which is used
for large scale installations. Just below the West Gallery, situated
between the Machine Shop and the courtyard is a glass enclosed
exhibition space and coffee bar. This is meant for the display of local
artists work that does not require the controlled conditions of the
elevated gallery space. It also allows for art to be viewed when the
private gallery space is closed.
Dequindre Cut GalleryNortheast Corner
265
266
267
268
269
270
SectionNorth Gallery and Courtyard
Scale: 10=1/8
271
North Gallery
272
West Gallery
SectionWest Gallery, Public Exhibition, and Courtyard
Scale: 10=1/8
273
274
275
Detroit is home to many different types of contemporary artists and
the Dequindre Cut Gallery is meant to bring all the artists together
in the hope that the collective spirit of Detroits artists will help to
bring positive change to the city. The Globe Trade Building, as well as
the underpass walls of the Dequindre Cut, have served as a canvas to
many Detroit graffiti artists. The Dequindre Cut Gallery would add to
the landscape for Street Art. The faade of the gallery is meant to be
marked, tagged, and illustrated. Additionally, the grounds outside the
gallery are open for public art installations.
Extending the Gallery WallStreet Art and Outdoor Exhibition
276
277
A major factor in the rebuilding process for Detroit will be a realistic
model for sustained growth. Downtown Detroit is mostly associated
with the cluster of skyscrapers that huddle to the West of the Globe
Trade Building. Unfortunately, the economy that built those buildings
no longer exists in Detroit. The city must be reimagined at the scale
of a smaller industrial city. This is not to say that Detroit must rely on
its dissappearing manufacturing base to support growth, but rather
to think in terms of flexible, mixed-use, adaptable buildings that can
support new businesses, artists, craftsmen, and build a closer knit
community that promotes residential and work environments.
Urban Scale DetroitA Return to an Industrial Scale City
278
Located in the heart of downtown Detroit, William G. Milliken State
Park and Harbor is the first urban state park. It is a showcase of the
natural resources collected throughout all of Michigans state parks.
This green oasis in the heart of the city provides opportunities for
picnics, walks and shore fishing. The addition of a local art gallery and
public exhibition of local artists work would add a cultural element
and attract additional park-goers. The Dequindre Cut Gallery and
RiverFront Artist Cooperative would be a destination point connecting
the RiverWalk with the Dequindre Cut Greenway as they merge into the
parkgrounds. The completely open ground level and courtyard acts as
an extension of the park, elevating the public interaction with both the
gallery and the original Globe building.
Extending the Public SpaceMilliken State Park
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
Art is one of the last things outsiders
associate with Detroit. But drive
the streets and you quickly realize
the city possesses an energetic,
grassroots creative class that not
only spreads color, whimsy and
provocation across the landscape,
but also serves as an engine of
redevelopment.
Bill McGrawFree Press Columnist
December 18, 2007
286
live space
work space
private exhibition space
public space
open exhibition space
open market space
vertical circulation core
vertical circulation core
Site Section
Scale:1-0=1/128
287
Dequindre Cut
Milliken State Park
B
A
Site Plan Plans
288
Ground Floor
Scale: 1-0=3/128
289
Gallery
Scale: 1-0=3/128
290
Live_Work Units
Scale: 1-0=3/128
291
Sleeping Lofts
Scale: 1-0=3/128
292
Section A
Scale: 1-0=1/32
293
294
Section B
Scale 1-0=1/32
295
296
Process WorkArtist Live_Work Studio and ExhibitonMid Review Proposal
artist exhibition space/ public galleries
glazing on interior band of circulation allowslight to penetrate
INSERTION: new centralizedartist work space
pockets of exterior spacefor additional art displayor social events
MANIPULATION: deep penetration of southern light to central circulation core
greater visual connection between exhibition and work spaces
visiting artist living spaces
removal of central additional volume
REMOVAL: interior walls
access to northern lightfor painting studios
Dequindre Cut
Milliken State Park
Detroit River Walk
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Lighting G-TACThe Globe Trade Art Center _ Detroit
Ivan Adelson
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Site|Situation.an area or piece of land where something was, is, or will be located | a particular set of circumstances existing in a particular place or at a particular time
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The studio will consider Detroit, which has
undergone such remarkable transformation
during the last century that we dont quite
know what to call it. Artists and journalists
are flocking to the city in an attempt to make
sense of it. We are on the cusp of a period
where energy and ecology are the defining
characteristics of our time and this studio
expects that they will factor in strongly to the
design process.
The studio will focus its investigation on the
significant transformations that occurred
between 1955 and 2005 a fifty year span
where the United States saw a period of
significant prosperity, paralleled by the
growth of the suburbs and tremendous gains
in per capita consumption. 2011 marks the
year that the first baby boomers retire and
the studio will look at these conditions as an
attempt to recalibrate conditions of land-use,
home-size, commute time, etc.
The research will be a stepping off-point
from which to embark on a project that
engages contemporary conditions of life and
work in the post-boom economy. The larger
site for the project will be the area east of
downtown Detroit, running perpendicular
to the Detroit River and parallel to the
Dequindre Cut Greenway. Students are
expected to do produce comprehensive
projects that are provocative, engaging,
intelligent, and inventive.1
The Normal, a brief brief.
1 Christian Unverzagt, The Normal, graduate option architecture studio brief. thenormal-detroit.tumblr.com/about
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The first of the buildings, a steel-frame and
brick machine shop, was erected in 1892 at
the corner of Orleans and Atwater Streets.
The last one, a structure for shipping and
receiving, was constructed during the late-
1910s. In between these dates, a foundry, a
three-story industrial loft building, a chipping
room, and an addition to the machine shop
were also erected. After Detroit Shipbuilding
Company dissolve in the late 1920s, the
former engine-building plant was used by
a small stove manufacturer, by the Detroit
Edision Company, for appliance repair, and
lastly by a machinery wholesale firm, the
Globe Trading Company.
The significance of the Dry Docks Engine
Works complex is three fold. FIrst, it played
a significant role in the maritime history of
the Great Lakes as a manufacture of marine
steam engines for freight and passenger
vessels. Second, the complex of buildings
is an example of the evolution of American
construction methods of the late nineteenth
and early twentieth century...Third, this
complex is one of the last physical remnants
of the pre-automobile era industries in
Detroit.2
The Globe Trade Building, a history.
2 Detroit Dry Dock Engine Works Recording Project. HAER (Historic American Engineering Record) and UofD Mercy
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Precedents.an action or decision that can be used subsequently as an example for a similar decision or to justify a similar action
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Alvole 14 | Saint Nazaire, France | LIN architects
Le Lieu Unique | Nantes, France | Patrick Bouchain
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Le Lieu Unique | Nantes, France | Patrick Bouchain
Le Pass | Frameries, Belgium | Laurent Niget_post Jean Nouvel
Palais de Tokyo | Paris, France | Lacaton & Vassal
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Parc De La Villette | Paris, France | Bernard Tschumi
Le Grand Palais | Paris, France
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Ecole dArchitecture in Nantes | Nantes, France | Lacaton & Vassal
Le Channel | Calais, France | Patrick Bouchain_Franois Delarozire_ Francis Peduzzi
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La Friche Belle De Mai | Marseille, France | Patrick Bouchain
Les Frigos | Paris, France | formerly la gare frigorifique de paris-ivry
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Concepts.a broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle, e.g. one that determines how a person or culture behaves, or how nature, reality, or events are perceived
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The project started with the idea of creating a connection between the
site, The Globe Trade building, and its surrounding context, Milliken
State Park and the Dequindre Cut. These pathways would not only allow
for a connection between external program of the park but begin to
help formulate and establish an organization and flow for the internal
relationships of the project within the Globe itself. The pathways were
developed in response to the current structural and organizational
systems established within the Globe Building, allowing the intervention
of puncturing, or rather opening the facade to be less invasive and
more logical, pragmatic. In order to render explicit this new move, the
idea was to paint the area of the floor with a shiny, glossy bright color so
as to reflect and create new visual spaces. A study of various pathway
organizations was taken in order to best establish connection points
across the site as well as creating the most interesting means of cutting
through the complex. Each study includes the rotation of the original
grid set putting the participants in constant communication with the
systems currently in play.
The Cut-Through,a destination connection.
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In the last 50 years, Detroit has been home
to racial tension, riot, protest, strike,
automotive and architectural decay; ruin
porn is at the forefront representing
Detroits historical aftermath; meanwhile,
most recently there have been sparks of
creativity beginning to fill the voids and ignite
a storm of positivity for a city deemed by
media as negative and bleak. The city itself is
now becoming the source of inspiration for
artists, local and abroad. Art is one of the
last things outsiders associate with Detroit.
But drive the streets and you quickly realize
the city possesses an energetic, grassroots
creative class that not only spreads color,
whimsy, and provocation across the
landscape, but also serves as an engine of
redevelopment.3
Branching off this original research, the
objective was to transform the Globe Trade
Building into an artists incubator, a provider
of space, utility, resource, and machinery.
With rentable studios and collaboration
space, the process of making and production
would become transparent, and the public
would begin to engage with and be apart
of this process. The hope is to create a
central hub of energy for the city and through
teamwork and collaboration, begin to
redevelop the visual landscape of Detroit as a
means to fight blight with art and vision.
The Relationship, a project from research.
3 Ivan Adelson, Art in the Streets, Detroit. The Normal, vol. 1_research.*62
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The strategy seemed quite simple. The site
was provided, The Globe Trading Company
building sits at the lot bound by Orleans
Street (to the west), Atwater Street (to the
South), Franklin Street (to the North), and
the Dequindre Cut Greenway (to the East). To
the South and East of the site is both built
and proposed land for the Milliken State
Park (which includes the East Riverfront
Conservancy project). In order to fullfil
the parameter of this project, my proposal
engages the idea of further developing the
state park. The Globe buildings lot, and the
lot adjacent to the west were proposed to
be additions to the state park as well. This
would in turn create a central island of public
activity, that which is the Globe Building. By
turning the Globe into the central artery of
the park place, all aims for the project would
be able to coalesce in one single setting.
The project elements would carry from within
the Globe Building across and throughout the
new park landscape in order to establish a
visual and experiential connection between
the building and its new context. There is
a game of new and old in play while trying
to negotiate and maintain the architectural
integrity of the Globe Trade Building.
The Strategy, a siting in Detroit.
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The plan for the complex was derived from the initial cut through
passages. These pathways helped to delineate an organizational pattern
and flow of movment throughout the project. The ground floor is seen
as the primary exhibition space, leaving the scale of the spaces for the
most part as is, allowing for large scale installation and performance
to take place. In addition, there is a small black box theater, a bar
for daytime and night-time festivities, as well as the fabrication shop
space. On the first floor, we begin to move up into the more private
spaces. The studios are available for rent and can be outfitted for the
live/work scenario as part of the project brief, accompanied by a fine
boutique restaurant and a gallery space overlooking the vast ground
level. The second floor holds the least of the program. There are
additional studio spaces along the southern face of the building with
a retail area running up through the roof truss of the machine shop
addition. Again, ideas are in constant play with the current logics set
up within the building...where were programs places previously? how
can this new program mesh with the history of the space?
The Plan, an experience.
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In reaction to the idea of painting the ground surface to highlight
the pathways through the building, the concept of lighting the Globe
Trade building became the focus of attention for the remainder of
the project. The lights would be carried over the same pathways,
another endeavor of rendering the space explicit throughout the
project. However, the lights were beginning to play with the notion
of scale, by both decreasing and expanding the scale to and from
the manufacturing and the human levels. The lighting tracks create
volumes of light (as seen in the drawing on the left). It would be the
lighting system that begins to create the atmospheric energy and
productivity of the space. The light becomes the beacon for which
the new Globe stands in place for. It is atmospheric, it is spatial, it
is welcoming. In addition, as a means to begin connecting the public
park exterior program to that which takes place inside the Globe, the
lights again serve as the connection point during the day carrying
ideas and people to and from, and overnight the constant glow
radiates and transforms the landscape.
The Light, a delineation and organization.
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Part of my task for this project is to use a light hand of intervention. Essentially clean up the space to the point of inhabitablity, and as the
progress is made within the city at large, or even site specific, then further development can take place. The project is based entirely on the
current building; current systems of organization, strucutral layout, facade patterning, etc... The elevations were highly considered in designing
the cut through pathways, as additional garage type doors and openings needed to be created so as to have a smooth transition from the exterior
to the interior. Here in the drawings above, I have highlighted the areas of interest in red, making sure no windows were interrupted; ideally
nothing irregular or out character would be taking place.
The Building, an exterior elevation.
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The Pavilions, a new structure.Derived off of the geometric organizaton and configuration of the facade, these pavilions would become the end game for the project. A place to
house public park activities and amenities to fully encapsulate the Globe Trade building, and stand true the objective of this project to establish an
island of activity within the Milliken State Park. The pavilions utilize stock material so as to not require customized pieces and or assembly, but as
they build out from the facade in single sets, they start to rotate and reorganize themselves into a framework for the inhabitants and participants
of the G-TAC to reformulate and establish place within site. The bike tours and rental stand could move into one of these pavilions, an outdoor
music venue could inhabit one, bring programs like Arts in the Parks to this new site in Detroit, The Detroit Electronic Music Fesitval, etc... There
are many ideas and uses of these pavilions and perhaps they do not get used, they could still attract an audience to partake in activities around
them, the space within the Globe and around the new park boundaries will be acitivated by the simple energy these creative individuals possess.
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Realizations.to achieve something. transitive verb to fulfill a specific vision, plan, or potential.
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1. a system for achieving objective:
a method of doing something that is worked out in advance.
2. a layout:
a drawing or diagram on a horizontal plane of the layout or
arrangement of something.
3. to work out how to do something:
transitive and intransitive verb to work out in advance how
something is to be done or organized.
The Plan.
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Industrial Loft Building
Open to BelowOpen to Below
Open to Below
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Industrial Loft BuildingL
Open to BelowwO
Open to Belown eOpen to Belowl Machine Shop Addition
Shipping & Receiving
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Industrial Loft Building|1902
Foundry|1902
Chipping Room|c.1910s
Machine Shop Addition|c.1910sMachine Shop|1892
Shipping & Receiving|c.1910s
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$
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1. an energy producing brightness:
the energy producing a sensation of brightness that makes
seeing possible.
2. a general notice:
general or public notice, attention, or knowledge.
3. a way something is viewed:
the manner in which somebody or something is regarded,
especially by the public.
The Light.
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1. an outdoor structure:
a summerhouse or other often ornamental building in a park,
fair, or garden, used for shelter and entertainment.
2. an exhibition tent:
a large tent or other temporary structure used for displaying
or exhibiting things.
3. an annex:
a detached building that forms part of a complex of a hospital
or other large public building.
The Pavilion.
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GO.Detroit
Bruce Findling
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5 m
iles
10 m
iles
25 m
iles
Slow Fast
Kayak: 5 mph
Jet-Ski: 65 mph
Inboard Cruiser: 30 mph
Sail Boat: 10 mph
Fishing Boat: 15 mph
Motorcycle: 75 mph
Scooter: 25 mph
Eelctric Bike: 15 mph
Cigarette Boat: 100+ mph
Skate: 10 mph
Walk: 2.5 mph
Automobile: 75 mph
Snowmobile: 75 mph
Run: 8 mph
Bike: 12 mph
Blade: 10 mph
Ski: 15 mph
Human Propulsion
echanical PropulsioneMM
Marine Propulsion
50 m
iles
Detroiters have had a long-time love affair with
transportation. Known for the birthplace of
the mass produced automobile, the city sits
on a network of roads, rails, rivers, and paths.
This holds true at any scale within Detroit, as
proven by the site of the Globe Building which
straddles the Detroit River, Atwater and Orleans
St., the Dequindre Cut and Detroit Riverwalk.
Immediately surrounding the Globe are parks,
marinas, and concert venues. Pan out further
and the site becomes a part of a larger network
of riverfront bars, biking and walking trails,
inner city clubs, and open fields. In its current
state, the Globe has become an abandoned
legacy to the industrial might D