Winning the top prize for North America in the LafargeHolcim Awards has given the project team a huge boost. The Seebaldt Pilot project by studio[Ci], It Starts at Home (IS@H) and partners across Detroit aims to incubate long-term community engagement through interventions for local energy and food production, water and waste management, and community empowerment.

After the LafargeHolcim Awards ceremony in Chicago, team representatives Constance Bodurow, Will Bright, Haibin Tan and Eric Mahoney returned with trophy in hand and winning grins on their faces. Celebrations continued at a dinner for the Board of Directors of It Starts at Home (IS@H) including (l-r): Latosha Melvin Bright (Board Lead, Fiscal Sponsorship), Will Bright (Board Treasurer), Rico Razo (Office of the Mayor of Detroit, Campaign Manager), Constance Bodurow (Board Lead, Design), Darrel West (Board President), and David Cross (Board Secretary). A community celebration is also in planning.

Main Author Constance Bodurow of studio[Ci] in Detroit explained that the prize was not only an important professional recognition, but also brought an enormous injection of enthusiasm. “We have always believed in the residents of Detroit 48204 and our design direction, but the LafargeHolcim Awards make a tremendous difference and give us new confidence and hope”, she said.

Under the name of The Seebaldt Pilot (TSP), a large group of collaborators proposes a pilot project for local energy and food production, water and waste management, and community empowerment. “Taking the pocket vacancies normally characterized as the biggest problem in Detroit, the design turns them into an opportunity to create a compelling sustainable neighborhood,” praised the jury.