This year, as in the past several years, College of Architecture and Design (CoAD) Master of Architecture Design Studio students together conceive and construct their Design Build Studio course-end project.
Architecture for The Community
There was something different about this year’s project. In partnership with the Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation, CoAD students created and built a platform for community events in this Detroit park as an example of CoAD’s commitment to project-based and community-engaged learning.
More than 60 Master of Architecture (M.Arch) students attended their summer course remotely until the final week of class when they meet in person for the first time to build their final project, which kicked off on Saturday, July 12, and concluded on Saturday, July 19.
Professors Lee-Su Huang, associate professor of architecture; Liz Wardzinski, PhD, assistant professor of practice; and Katherine Goldberg, adjunct faculty, guided this year’s project.
A Single Team with A Single Purpose: Revitalization of Historic Neighborhood
As Interim Dean Lilian Crum has said, “One of the remarkable aspects of this project was how, in just one week, students collaboratively applied their architectural skill sets to build a functional, unified structure.”
The Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation thinks it’s a boon for the community. Said Katrina Watkins, founder and CEO of Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation, “Liz Wardzinski and her students reached out to our organization. We’re in a historic neighborhood. We were interested in the renderings or whatever they could bring to the table at that time to help improve the neighborhood. The students are building a platform that we are going to use for exercise because we’re in the park and it’ll be covered to have some shade from the sun. We envision it will become a permanent structure that, as we grow, we can expand upon their vision.
“I’m always amazed with the students and the concepts they come up with. With the experience that we’ve had with them developing the stage, we’re just blown away with the creativity that they have.”
The students were able to build the whole platform that will be reassembled on the Bailey Park site, as well as a partial study assembly which will remain on campus. The students designed and built the platform as well as designed a separate pavilion for the Bailey Park site. The platform is considered Phase I of the project. The pavilion is an entirely separate building project that will be completed as part of Phase II. On October 25th, Bailey Park held a Halloween fundraiser to cover the cost of Phase II.
October 25th Halloween Fundraiser Event
Neighbors and friends enjoyed the entertainment, food vendors, the arts and crafts table set up and manned by the LTU student chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS), and posters and images of the design and plans for the park.
M.Arch student Haley Beverlin said, “The event was a wonderful day, filled with art, music, fun Halloween spirit, and even horseback rides! It was a great example of how everyone can come together and play a small role in making an impact. The crafts NOMAS did were a success, and it was very fun to see what everyone chose to add to the tiles! I hope this event shows what continued partnership between academia and non-profits can accomplish.”
Wardzinski capsulized the entire experience when she said, “I’m so pleased with the way our LTU students came together with the community to contribute to a really fun event for kids in Detroit. It was delightful to hear the kids and their families get excited about their creative pieces, and a mosaic will be created out of the tiles the students painted. This was the brainchild of Haley Beverlin who worked really hard to gather all of the art pieces that will eventually become part of Phase II of the project.”
By: Renée Ahee
