Demonstrate inherent value of natural resources and remnant materials to rebuild Detroit

The unfortunate legacy of Detroit as the city that built the 20th century model for capitalism through the automotive industry resulted in a collapsed economy and vast abandonment of factories, warehouses, and neighborhoods over 140 sq miles of the city. This project seeks to demonstrate the value of vacant land and abandoned materials to create a new economy that will heal damage from 20th century uses by reversing the need for more materials, fossil fuels and infrastructure by utilizing materials that are on site, repurposing land, recycling area resources, diverting rain water and generating power to activate a greenfield vs. brownfield site. The scale of the project is limited to one city block, but the impact can be duplicated over hundreds of Detroit blocks.

Respecting the history of place and rebuilding community with local extant materials

Preserving the history of the site includes restoring the sense of community that was lost to industry along the former Beltline rail line that transformed the district by 1920. This transition to heavy industry was subsequently lost and only vacant land and a scattering of houses and warehouses remain today. To respect that history (which is commonly buried underground), the project seeks to rebuild following a triple bottom line of social, environmental and economic equity to return the area to a working neighborhood without displacing current residents and includes preserving equity for the local workforce, creating new green jobs and valuable open space that includes food gardens and recreation space utilizing materials from the area preventing losing history to the landfill.

Creating wealth from waste, energy and self-sufficiency from local resources and knowledge

Most critical to the project is the ability to work with community partners Architectural Salvage Warehouse Detroit (ASWD), Green Living Science, D2Solar, Detroit Future City and Keep Growing Detroit who together represent the expertise in recycled materials, solar energy and water drainage retention that allows the vision to rebuild from the existing materials on site, produce energy and retain water that eliminates waste and create new wealth for jobs in the construction, energy and food production fields. ASWD is the major contractor for deconstruction in Detroit and is the major tenant on-site with expertise in materials reuse. Savings in fossil fuel consumption with a 150 kW solar installation will go off-grid and water drainage fees will disappear into beneficial ponds and gardens.