Connecting Detroit's Landscapes
This project addresses the city of Detroit's transformation from a thriving centre of trade and commerce, to its present abandoned state. Due to the decentralization of industry, and massive suburbanization since the 1950's, Detroit presently resembles a 'middle landscape,' somewhere between urban and rural.
Through the vehicle of design for a new technical college campus, this project proposes an urban design strategy for Detroit that mediates between nature and culture. First, investigation into the ‘zone of influence’ explores the City’s present conditions, including its infrastructure, buildings, and its current relationship with the natural environment. Secondly, the ‘zone of control’ proposes a new urban typology that is appropriate to the proposed college institution. Lastly, this proposal considers the ‘zone of effect,’ which displays the influence the proposed campus could have in promoting land development in the City’s residential areas, Eastern Market District, and Rivertown Warehouse District along the Detroit River waterfront.
Architecture and Design: Peter Braithwaite
Drawings + Models: Peter Braithwaite