This project seeks to question the current density of the City of Detroit and challenges the allowance of public space in a residential project. Situated in the Old Redford Neighborhood the design respects the current fabric of the neighborhood, including the Redford Theatre and establishments such as Sweet Potato Sensations, but reconsiders the spaces in which the people of the neighborhood live. Each unit is granted a private balcony with a view towards downtown Detroit and the residents have access to various nodes of serenity and activity within the building- such as a half court 300’in the sky, lofted reading rooms, expansive rooftop green space and various human-scaled places for a relaxing walk. To further perpetuate activity in the project vertical egress cores are articulated and activated by being light and bright and always connected to at least one large public space. No longer are cores pushed to the middle of the building but rather exist on the perimeter, becoming a key design element.

This visual statement of the building allows the space in between to be developed in the future and to be anchored by the connection of our building to the existing downtown area of density. We chose resilient local materials to sheath the entire building, providing the city and its inhabitants with a structure as resilient as themselves and their city. The extraction and use of local bluestone and sandstone provide jobs to neighboring people and provides a gravitas to the building that wouldn't be acquired with cheaper material. To build upon the commercial activity of Lahser retail areas are dedicated on the first two floors of the building. Rooftop terraces that connect to the retail areas look onto Grand River, activating and inviting human interaction. Large park spaces exist on the main site as well as on the small site southwest of Grand River and Lahser to also allot places of interaction and activity.