Recently in Awareness Category

Even though this event happened in April 2008, I hesitate to publish this for a variety of reasons which I'll get to later.

First, a little background about the event.  The AIA Committee on Design was founded to "promote design excellence among members of the AIA, the broader design community, and the public at large, both nationally and internationally."  In keeping with their goals, the committee held a debate in Detroit from April 3rd thru April 6th to debate parallels between architecture and other forms of design including automotive, landscape, furniture, and crafts.

John Gallagher put together a nice little article which amounts to a daily journal of the days events.

Has anybody seen their invitation to the 19th Annual Design Retreat?  I finally got my invitation! The AIA Michigan website site has a calendar entry for the event, but the link points to last year's event.  The only note is in the upper left corner of the page which indicates that the retreat is on September 12th thru 14th.

Typically, current year honor award winners are asked to present at the retreat.  If you've forgotten who received awards this year take a look at our recap.  Two days of presentations are followed by a guest lecturer talking about Michigan relevant architecture on Saturday evening.  Anybody have information about this years presenter?  A list of presenters was also included with the invitation.  Read on to learn which projects will be presented this year.

Crains Detroit had a very small write-up (it's about halfway down the page) in their August 4th edition announcing that Francis Grunow is resigning as Executive Director to pursue other interests.  A search is currently underway for her successor, but no definite timeframes have been set.

I went on the GM Architectural Heritage Tour (offered by Preservation Wayne) this past weekend and realized that I've forgotten a bit of the history that I worked so hard to learn in school.

The tour, only offered twice a year, explored the New Center and Milwaukee Junction areas just north of Midtown.  The tour started and ended at the Fisher Building, including a stop at the Cadillac Building, and walks around other buildings figuring prominently in Detroit's automotive beginnings.

Unfortunately, Preservation Wayne wasn't granted permission to tour the 14th floor (old GM executive offices) of the Cadillac Building.  For me personally, this was one of the main reasons for joining the tour.  If the next tour (September 13th) is given permission, I'll be back. (Ellen?)

In conjunction with MOCAD's considering Detroit show, considering Architecture: Sustainable Designs from Detroit will also be on view. This show will include the designs, architecture and products of several local area architecture firms and highlight their projects that include "green" or sustainable design practices.

Did anyone make it to this?  I'd love some feedback on the projects included in the exhibit.

The last couple months, the local newspapers have highlighted some green architecture initiatives.  We previously reported a couple of firsts for Michigan in LEED certified projects.  This one is more focused on reuse and recycling of existing shipping containers.

This past week construction crews started erecting a construction fence around Tiger Stadium.  While a demolition date has not been set yet, construction companies are proceeding with obtaining permits required to raze the historic stadium.

The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy group has until August 1 to prove it has a financial plan to save the diamond, 3000 seats, and create a sports memorabilia museum.  Senator Levin is also trying to secure federal funding to help the group reach it's goal of $12 million - $15 million.

The Conservancy has finally launched a website to provide additional project details and request donations to preserve a portion of the old stadium.

Another group, Friends of Tiger Stadium, also has some interesting information available on the web.

Even other parts of the country are interested in what happens to Tiger Stadium:  Tiger Stadium Faces Partial Demolition Amid Opposition [ NY Times ]

For those that don't know, Tiger Stadium is listed on both the National & State Register of Historic Places:

State Register
National Register

John Gallagher (Detroit Free Press) has written an article arguing for greater public input about future development on Belle Isle.

Without losing site of the real issue, Mayor Kilpatrick and a well repected design team have been working on a plan to restore the Detroit Boat Club building and create a generous campus around it to support a Maritime Academy.

The impact on Belle Isle should not be taken lightly. Detroit needs to step up and demand public debate on what is arguably the city's recreational jewel.

The Free Press is reporting that Quicken Loans is actually considering building on both properties currently under review.

Two Michigan projects have made history by attaining LEED certification for their buildings.

LaFontaine Buick Pontiac GMC Cadillac, located at the northern edge of Oakland County, is expected to receive a Gold certification.  It is the first dealership in Michigan and may very well be the first in the nation to receive a LEED designation.

Christman Construction Company, based in Lansing, has received (2) Platinum awards (the highest award given) for the interior and exterior of the building.  It is the first building in the world to reach platinum level in two categories.  There are (9) buildings around the world that have reached LEED Platinum for their interiors and (4) that have reached LEED Platinum for their exteriors.

Fire has destroyed one of Albert Kahn's early residential projects at the University of Michigan. The Delta-Upsilon fraternity house was built in 1903 and was listed on the State Register of Historic Sites in 1991.

State Register [ via State of Michigan ]
Article [ via mlive.com ]