Novel container housing one of several local green projects in focus at MOCAD

"Good design still happens in Detroit," says architect Brian Hurttienne. "We are up on sustainable design...it's part of our culture."

Hurttienne and his cohorts on the Urban Priorities Committee of the American Institute of Architects Detroit express that sentiment in a new exhibit that recently opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) entitled "Considering Architecture: Sustainable Designs by Detroit Architects."

In collaboration with the Urban Land Institute and US Green Building Council, the group has put up a show that explores seven projects -- urban and suburban, residential and institutional, large and small, proposed and built -- designed by local firms.

One of the projects is proposed for the southeast corner of Rosa Parks and Warren. Designed by Woodbridge-based Steven C. Flum Associates and developed by Power of Green Housing, the multi-family development will make use of the over-abundance of used shipping containers as its framework.

If all goes as planned, the the 17-unit condominium project could break ground this fall and be ready for occupancy in 2009. Project cost is estimated at $1.8 million and will include numerous other green features such as recyclable gathering stations and energy efficient appliances, heating systems and lighting.

The other Detroit project the exhibit looks at is 2126 Pierce St., the single-family house built by Housing Operative as a theoretical study in sustainability -- environmental, social and economic. Read more about that project here.

Other projects include:

• Hamilton Anderson Associate's Detroit International Wildlife Refuge Gateway, which will serve as the entry point to a county park in the Humbug Marsh area. The Gateway makes use of water turbines as an energy source.
• The Traverwood Library in Ann Arbor, designed by inForm, which integrates reclaimed ash trees into its bold design.
• A private residence in Bloomfield Township, which makes use of structurally insulated panels and illuminates how eco-friendly building practices led to the selection of materials that give the home a unique aesthetic. Hue Projects was the architect for the home.
• Rossetti shared its gifts with Denver in the development of a mixed-use transit-oriented development (TOD) that is significant in its acceptance to the LEED neighborhood development pilot program.
• Indian Springs Metropark Environmental Discovery Center, designed by SmithGroup, makes use of Mother Nature for climate control.

The exhibit is multi-media and runs through July 27. In June, there will be several events that delve into details of the individual projects. Model D will be sure to let its readers know about events surrounding the exhibit.

Source: Brian Hurttienne, AIA Detroit UPC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh