Project description by jury

The aim of this design proposal is to convert a brownfield block in the Beltline Industrial District of Detroit into a sustainable and productive community. It implements a new construction and economic system based on the recovery of a wealth of materials from the abandoned and deconstructed fabrics of the city and this once-thriving industrial precinct. The project includes the construction of housing, workspaces, parking areas, community gardens and orchards. To reduce fossil fuel energy consumption, the buildings are integrated with green technologies (solar and battery systems and geothermal HVAC) while rain collectors enable the re-use of water for on-site food production. Collaboration with local partners for the (re)construction of Bellevue Block will create new green jobs and make people of the community main actors of this transformation process.

Jury appraisal

In his 2000 essay, Isis Brook asks an important question: “Can spirit of place be a guide to ethical building?” It is through the search for a reconnection with the genius loci, the identity and sense of a place, that the Bellevue Block project pursues an ambitious triple bottom line of social, environmental, and economic equity. The Holcim Awards jury North America applauded the principled objective of restoring a sense of community, that had become fragmented over the last century, through a meticulous upcycling operation of its assets. The re-use of existing materials from dismantled buildings of the past century makes the project not only very respectful of the environment but also economically sustainable.

The jury admired the ability of the project to preserve the historical context of the site while rebuilding a sense of belonging and inclusiveness for the local people. It was also noted that despite the scale of the design being limited to one city block, the project longs for an urban dimension. The jury encourages refining the design to be more aesthetically compelling, but unanimously agreed on the overall merit of the proposal and its goals.