M1DTW Architects has been awarded a pair of awards for its work on LSC—O, a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility in Detroit’s Little Village fledgling cultural and arts center that showcases the collections and archives of sister galleries Library Street Collective and Louis Buhl & Co. 

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Michigan awarded M1DTW a 2024 Design Honor Award where M1DTW was judged against 90 projects and awarded in the Small Project category for projects in Michigan less than 3500 SF and up to $2M. Projects in this year’s awards were judged by an esteemed jury from Nashville, Tennesee chaired by architect David M. Powell, FAIA of Hastings Architecture. The Architect’s Newspaper also awarded LSC—O an Editor’s Choice award in the Best of Design 2024 Awards in the Adaptive Reuse (Commercial) category.

The project represents a complete transformation of a neglected 2,000 SF commercial building just a few blocks from the client’s Shepherd and Lantern developments. When purchased, the building was blocked in, cold, and dark. The north street façade was opened and replaced with 9' tall polycarbonate panels that wash the interior with diffuse and ever-changing natural light during the day and create a beacon-like luminous surface at night. Inside, spaces are defined by the placement of commercial pallet racks, powder-coated a custom color. Racks adjacent to the entryway and office area are clad on one side in wood panels ripped from Baltic birch plywood to define ‘front of house’ areas of movement.

The AIA Michigan Jury commented: "This project is an incredibly elegant solution for renovating space with minimal means. The jury was unanimously stirred by the simplicity of the intelligently used components and palette to create a harmonious space that is restrained, clever, and on point."

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our work on this project,” said M1DTW Design Director Christian Unverzagt. “This project proves that older buildings can be given a new lease on life, maintaining the historic fabric of our neighborhoods while moving them forward in new and interesting ways. We’re honored to have been a part of the creative work being done to reimagine these buildings and uplift this neighborhood.” 

M1DTW prioritizes working with Michigan-based fabricators and makers to create refined finishes for their projects. This is true of LSC—O, where they enlisted custom metal fabrication from Universal Fabricators, architectural millwork from Chad Fillmore of Surfing Cowboy Studio, and specialty installations by SCHMOE. The storage system was produced by Michigan-based Shelving, Inc.

Originally intended as a storage facility to support the nearby venues, the quality of light within is stunning. M1DTW’s client, Antony Curis remarked that the building is his favorite place to work out of due to the calmness of the space, despite the chaos all around.

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About M1DTW Architects

M1DTW is a nationally recognized, architecture and creative studio working to reshape practice. M1DTW’s projects range from creative workspaces to commercial lifestyle spaces, adaptive reuse projects, and residential work.

For more information, visit m1dtw.com or follow us on Instagram @m1dtw.

Contact: Christian Unverzagt 

Founder, M1DTW

press@m1dtw.com