Social Production

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Social Production Reformatting Studio Space Justin Mast

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Clockwise from Left : Jerr y Paffendorf and Mar y Lorene Car ter of LOVELAND 1 , Oneita Por ter, Designer and Owner of GrrlDog Jewerly 2, Andy and Emily Linn of City Bird 3 , SOUP 4 , Sarah Lipinski of Wound Menswear in her 2000 Brooklyn workspace 5 , Mike Han of Street Culture Mash, and Claire Nelson of the Bureau of Urban Living 6 .

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Agent Entrepreneur The Spirit of Detroit The days of mourning Detroit are over,

as cheap land, homes, and buildings, an

especially if you ask Detroiters. After years

opportunity for off-the-grid development,

of highlighted fallout, glorified ruin, and

and free-reign. Detroit entrepreneurs are

declarations that the city is dead—the tune

bringing restaurants, bakeries, bike shops,

has changed. And it’s changing from the inside

and produce into the city—not to mention

out. A new breed of wide-eyed wild men and

money, jobs, and occupancy. This decade

women are moving back into the city and

may the be start of a new era in Detroit—one

declaring it a land of opportunity. Deserted

marked by optimism and opportunity. It

properties, stretched infrastructure, and

seems that today in Detroit, there’s nothing

unpredictable services were reasons for

entrepreneurship cannot accomplish.

concern; but now the city is being seen (see “Agent Entrepreneur” in The Normal, Vol. I)

From left to right: GMaps Aerial of The Russell Industrial Center, an interior space at the Russell (March 2011), same interior space in 2008 by Christian Unverzagt.

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Russell Industrial Center With over 150 commercial tenants, including

built to accommodate the growing auto body

former use as a manufacturing facility, has

architects, painters, clothing designers, glass

manufacturing business of the Murry Body

served its tenants well. The space is raw

blowers, wood craftsman, metal sculptors,

Company. After years of being abandoned,

and secluded, perfect for the manufacturing

and graphic designers, the Russell Industrial

Dennis Kefallinos purchased the building

component of new small scale makers. That

Center is the classic example of abundant and

in 2003 and converted into more than one

being said, today’s maker-businesses need to

cheap space available in Detroit. Designed

million square feet of studio space and lofts.

thrive at far more than just manufacturing.

in 1915, by Albert Khan, the structure was

In many ways, the building’s design for its

Successful new business models emerging

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are collaborative and open. Production

the Russell is less effective. Some makers and

not the complete picture. If Detroit continues

now involves ever changing partnerships

entrepreneurs are finding themselves buried

to attract and produce independent maker-

and teams. Entrepreneurs are required to

in the center of a massive complex, isolated

businesses, we need to be ready for the next

be producers, salespeople and marketers.

from each other and from their customers.

step—an architecture that enhances and

Customers want to not only see behind the

To be sure, the Russell is providing Detroit

catapults new social production processes,

curtain, but also play a role in the making of

with something important—low cost flexible

the same way Khan’s designs did for the mass

their goods. In terms of meeting these needs,

space for making and designing. That said, it’s

production era.

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Eastern Market The Eastern Market is another example of

economy - a local food district with more

with hundreds of open-air stalls where

thriving entrepreneurship in Detroit. “As

than 250 independent vendors and merchants

everyone from toddlers to tycoons enjoy the

many as 40,000 people flock to Eastern

processing, wholesaling, and retailing food.

strong conviviality served up along with great

Market for its Saturday Market to enjoy one

selections of fruits, veggies, fresh-cut flowers,

of the most authentic urban adventures

a six-block public market that has been

homemade jams, maple syrups, locally

in the United States. The market and the

feeding Detroit since 1891. Every Saturday

produced specialty food products, pasture

adjacent district are rare finds in a global

it is transformed into a vibrant marketplace

and/or grass-fed meat.�7

At the heart of Eastern Market is

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From left to right: Eastern Market’s plan for it’s public core8, a vendor unloading produce9, a bird’s eye view of a portion of the Eastern Market as proposed10 , and a scene inside of one of the market’s interior spaces.

By serving as a larger entity under which

buying locally from dozens of independent

spaces, and they are planning on connecting

many independent entrepreneurs gather, the

vendors, Detroit restaurants can still go to

to the DeQuindre to enhance the pedestrian

“Easter Market” creates something tangible

one place at one time for their supply.

access to the market. In their plan, however,

that customers can approach. One doesn’t

they have decided to limit their focus to

need to know about a specific cucumber

Market has big plans. They are expanding

produce. The Easter Market is a place for

farmer, for example, to know where to find

the market to include more places for food

selling meats, vegetables, and flowers—not

fresh, locally produced cucumbers. While

production, they are planning out live/work

clothing, furniture, and paintings.

Building on this success, the Easter

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The Globe Trading Co. Building 1801 Atwater Street The intersection of Detroit’s pedestrian corridor The Globe Trading Company Building, also knows as the Detroit Dry Dock Company Complex, is located at the Rivertown Warehouse District, just Northeast of Downtown Detroit. It sits adjacent to the Tricentennial State Park and Harbor and is located at the intersection of Riverfront Conservancy and the Dequindre Cut.

The Dequindre Cut, a below-grade

1.35-mile pathway, offers a pedestrian link between the Riverfront paths, Eastern Market, and many of the residential neighborhoods in between. These pedestrian paths, community focused bike shops, and the Eastern Market have created a car-less and local market lifestyle potential in this city. The Globe Building is situated perfectly to tap into this network.

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Building History Started in the mid 1852, the Globe Trading Building consists of six interconnected buildings. The complex is significant as a remnant of Detroit’s once considerable maritime manufacturing industry. For decades, this facility made and repaired ships and also manufactured ship engines. For a time, the building also housed the Dry Dock Hotel.11

Detroit River

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Dry Dock No. 2 (1982)

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Section A 1/32” = 1’

River Walk

Atwate

er St.

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Proposed Design: Adaptive Reuse of the Globe Building

Globe Trading Co. Building

DeQuindre Cut Greenway Trail

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Franklin St.

Woodbridge St.

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E. Jefferson Ave.

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Undeveloped DeQuindre Cut

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Market Halls

Collaborative Spaces

Dry Dock Hotel

Studio Spaces

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Program Injecting new life into the building’s history

Fabrication Shop

The Globe Trade Building has evolved

over time; a collection of buildings built over the years—a dry dock facility, ship building, engine manufacturing, and a hotel. My

Fabrication Shop

hotel/restaurant, studio/office developer,

Market Place

Hotel+ Restaurant

fabrication shop, and Shed 7—an extension of

Studio + Office Owner Sub

the Eastern Market.

Sub

Each stakeholder brings a certain

strategic advantage to the table in both construction and on going activity. The Eastern Market acquires the land, the fabrication shop contributes to the

Construction sequence: starts with the

construction, the studio/office developer

fabrication shop.

funds new construction, while the hotel pays for building restoration.

Sub

Architect + Contractor

Client

program in based on having a few key players:

Sub

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Ground Floor Plan 1/32” = 1’

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Second Floor Plan 1/32” = 1’

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STUDIO–OFFICE Spaces

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Main Hall

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Dry Dock Hotel–Restaurant

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Eastern Market Extension

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FLEX Spaces/Shed 7

The main halls are left in place, serving as

Detroit. The spaces are available for special

non-produce related trade. Vendors, either

flex space used by all groups in the building.

events where tenants might invite their

tenants or regional makers, activate the two

During the day, the FLEX spaces serve as

customers to co-design and co-make items.

halls with market-style commerce.

workspace for the fabrication shop and the

studio occupants. We’re seeing that local/

restaurant is able to spread out into the East

micro-manufacturing models run differently

Hall space. Typically, they’ll use the space for

than traditional large scale manufacturing.

summer seating, but they may also rent the

Tenants might spread out for a collaborative

space out for catering special events or for

manufacturing process with another tenant

concerts from the Bar/Lounge.

in the building or with another business

from outside of the building, or even outside

Market spills into the FLEX spaces to host

During evenings in the summer, the

During weekends, the Eastern

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Section Detail (next page)

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Section B 1/32” = 1’

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Section Detail 1/4” = 1’

Construction Diagram

Structure Removed

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Structure Restored

Structure Added

Material Use

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Circulation Diagram 125

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North Entrance Sequence and Skylight

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The NORMAL Detroit

Detroit is a place full of contradiction

another side though. Car rims still get stolen.

and irony. The enthusiasm and belief in

A visitor gets sidetracked and ends up in the

entrepreneurship is real. There are things

wrong part of town. An unexpected turn can

working in Detroit that would not work

enchant or demystify the place. You can never

anywhere else. The wild-eyed bunch that

be sure what Detroit you will get. One day it’s

inhabit the place are as authentic as they

the place of opportunity, the next, your car

come. And they believe in their city—they

gets broken in to. The problems are real. This

will insist Detroit does not need rebirth

is the normal in Detroit—a place of extremes.

or rejuvenation, it’s already alive. There is

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