The relationship between a community and their built environment are essential to foster a prosperous growth. The physical development of neighborhoods has a vital impact on the people within its boundaries. Residents in the vicinity of the University of Detroit Mercy have been longing for a landmark representative of their neighborhood. On the corner of McNichols and Livernois, lies 16921, a space currently barren and bleak. However, this adaptive reuse project aims to serve as a unifying purpose for community members and students alike, creating a greater connection between campus and community. The resurgence of the building across the campus will provide a space for conversing among peers and promote learning in a comfortable environment for people of all ages to thrive in.
Preserve Window Placement
Maintain Entrance Height
Keep Column Alignment
Commercial vs. Residential Screen
Bring Back Windows
Playful Aesthetic
Views from Study Room to Social Space
Solar PV Panel Generating Electricity
CAFE
Farm to Market Cafe
“Rooms where night classes can be held and taught to people with day jobs.”
Adaptive Reuse
Honoring while respectfully integrating the existing form and construction practices
Pedestrian Oriented
Promoting transportation on Livernois with a university bus system and increasing pedestrian foot traffic
Arched Arcade
Inviting walk-throughs encouraging dynamic engagement and interactions
“Be able to study on or around campus late and be undistracted while also being safe.”
Extruded Study
Maximizing the learning environment of students with a cultural landmark
“More greenery and a spot for the community to feel connected to the UDM students.”
Green Plaza
Expanding the community space beyond the boundaries with a focus in sustainability
1st Floor
Entrances into building with large social space and connection to other programs
2nd Floor
Floor dedicated to learning with atrium overlooking the first floor
“two hundredth”
Course: Study Abroad Studio
Term: Summer 2023
Professor: Kris Nelson
Team: Sidny Hessem
Typology: Installation
Location: Volterra, PI, Italy
The primary staircase out of the three located just beyond the entrance “porta e fonte di docciola,” consists of 199 steps. This proposal provides a deliberate 200th “step” at the bottom, or central node between the three staircases or axis points. The space currently lacks the accommodation of its “stay-ers”. The stair layout of its final descent denies users views to the existing and beautiful pool of water below. To counteract, an amphitheaterstyle staircase allows users the freedom to stay in a covered area as long as they’d like, with new and improved eyeline views to the pool. To bring attention and a sense of delightful fascination to the rework of a smallerscale piazza, a scaled-down replica of the arch is added in front of the pool. An additional arch consists of a rain wall that creates an “indoor” or more personal interaction with the existing pool. These new features transform the space into an intentional, yet natural congregation area that meets the needs of all its users: the “stay-ers” and “go-ers”, while enhancing its natural sensorial experiences.
Amphitheater-style seating for leisure, inspired by the historic Teatro Romano in Volterra.
The slope of the staircase is adjusted on axis with the fountain to allow views of the mini piazza while meandering.
Original stairs serving solely circulation purposes.
The expanded landing creates a larger node, with the first step repositioned to align views towards the fountain.
The redesigned staircase allows stay-ers and go-ers to freely engage with the space.
Walking up the northwest staircase
Standing at the enlarged node with views towards the fountain
People-watching at the mini piazza
“libero nello spazio”
Course: Aesthetic of Geology
Term: Summer 2023
Professors: Jacopo Fabbri & Cristiano Sabelli
Team: Individual
Typology: Alabaster Sculpting
Location: Volterra, PI, Italy
Alabaster, a fine-grained, translucent stone, is prized for its soft, luminous quality and has been used in artistic and architectural creations for centuries. This calcium-rich material, often found in white or subtly tinted shades, is highly regarded for its malleability, making it an ideal medium for intricate carving. The process of shaping alabaster involves careful chiseling, sanding, and polishing, as its softness allows for delicate detail but demands precision to avoid fractures. The piece derives inspiration for its name from the master sculptor Velio, a celebrated artist from Volterra known for his extraordinary alabaster works. Recognized for his ability to capture movement and emotion in abstract forms, Velio saw the fluid, freeform design of the sculpture as a reflection of boundlessness. His perception of its essence inspired the evocative title, libero nello spazio—”free in space.” The sculpture is captured in the photograph with a moon as the backdrop, accentuating its ethereal quality and further underscoring the idea of freedom, as though the artwork itself drifts weightlessly through space.
Using a
riffler rasp or a “raspa” in Italian to shape the sculpture
Shaping my alabaster while referencing my clay model
“cornucopia”
Course: Integrative Design Studio
Term: Winter 2023
Professors: James Leach & Kris Nelson
Team: Sofia D’Arienzo
Typology: Office Incubator
Location: Detroit, Michigan
The Cornucopia business incubator aims to create a sense of community that promotes and indulges in referencing context, levels of porosity, and sustainable functionalities. Referencing the material palette of Shed 2 in Eastern Market and implementing wood, steel, and brick within the building was crucial. The structure derives from the industrial aspect within Eastern Market and the factories nearby that follow a specific geometric grid pattern. Shading devices and porosity levels within the building are visible from a distance and at a more personable height. Additionally, porosity is integrated into the interior space, which has been purposely designed to provide optimal collaboration between colleagues for the best outcomes. A modular design of 16’x16’x16’ cubes are utilized on the top three levels to achieve efficient onsite construction. Ultimately, this central hub for sustainability is rooted in the site’s prime location on the Dequindre Cut and the values instilled by the Eastern Market community, which are brought to life through the design.
1/2 = 1’-0” Scale
Dequindre Cut
Division St.
Reference to Context
Materials Palette
Brick Steel Wood
Photovoltaic System Mounted at 42° Cardinal South
Stacked
Greenroof
Brick Thermal Mass
Greenhouse Rainwater Storage
Geothermal GSHP
WheeltoAluminum
Steel Cable Cross Bracing
Aluminum Frame with Wooden Panel
16’ x 16’ Timber Frame Construction
Aluminum Track
Roof Assembly
1 - 1/2” Pre-Vegetated Sedum Mat
3” Growing Medium
1/4” Water Retention Filter Fleece
3/4” Drain Mat
Root Barrier
R-40 Mineral Wool Insulation
Greenhouse Assembly
6” Steel Columns
Tempered Glass
Roof Vent
Sloped Floor for Drainage
Outer Assembly
Slat Louvers
Solid Panel
Wheel System
Aluminum Track
Armatherm
Curtain Wall System
Wall Assembly
1” Cladding
1” Furring
1/2” Air Barrier
1/16” Thermal Barrier
5” Insulation
1/16” Vapor Barrier
3/4” Plywood Sheathing
3 - 1/2” Stud
Floor Assembly
Carpet
Radiant Heating
Raised Floor Pedestals
2” Poured Concrete
1/8” Acoustic Mat
6” Beam
1’ Column
E/W Section
RADIANT HEATING + DOAS ADVANCED BUILDING SENSORS
DivisionSt.
PVT PANELS
GEOTHERMAL GSHP
THERMAL MASS WALL
GREENROOF
STACKED VENTILATION IN ATRIA 11.24 94%
DequindreCut
“a place with no name”
Course: Architectural Design V
Term: Fall 2022
Professor: Mikolaj Gomolka
Team: Mahmmoud Eljammali, Jake Lampi, & Ryan Lemke
Typology: Urban Planning & Design
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Barren land accompanied by abandoned buildings has left this community with little to no hope of seeing improvements. Having been stripped of most amenities, such as, schools, parks, housing, retail stores, and a downtown district, has put a dejected feeling on the future. Residents of this place with no name have been yearning for a revitalization of their once thriving community with a strong history. The establishment of the Joe Louis Greenway is promised to resolve these issues. This recreational pathway will unify this area of Detroit to its other surrounding neighborhoods by way of equitable space. The importance with the redevelopment of this once neglected region is to be shared equally via all demographics. Paving the way for new opportunities is essential for growth and allows local residents to establish their own story. Overall, some might say that a place is defined by its characteristics, such as its location or the natural features of its landscape. Others might say that a place is defined by its history, or the culture and traditions of its inhabitants.
Greenway Map
Minor on-going construction of the Joe Louis Greenway
Grand River Avenue and Oakman Boulevard central node with landmarks
Urban Composition Map
Residential homes adjacent to industrial businesses Existing Zoning Map
Abandoned buildings & overgrown vegetation
Vacancy & Vegetation Map
GRANDRIVERAVE.
Proposed Master Site Plan
Proposed Plot IV Site Plan
Key
Proposed Structures
Existing Structures
Public Spaces
Greenbelt
Walking Paths
Industrial Zone
Water Retention Pond
Greenway
Full Group Site Model | 1:1000 Scale
Plot IV
Scan Me!
View the entire book, “A Place With No Name - Establishing an Urban Identity” which is the urban proposal for the Joe Louis Greenway in Detroit. It is the collective work done by 12 students from the University of Detroit Mercy along with the leadership and supervision of visiting Polish professor, Mikolaj Gomolka. Editors of the studio book include: Sofia D’Arienzo, Sidny Hessem, and Giovanni Zora (also author of all general text).
