ABSTRACT
Title of Document: ADAPTIVE REUSE IN POST-INDUSTRIAL DETROIT: TESTING THE
VIABILITY OF THE ENGINE WORKS
Degree candidate: Jessica M. Green
Degree and year: Master of Architecture, 2008
Thesis directed by:
Visiting Associate Professor Ronit Eisenbach
Dean and Professor Garth Rockcastle, FAIA
Professor Karl Du Puy, AIA
The decline of heavy industry and manufacturing in today?s major cities has created a
serious dilemma. These industrial areas which once brought success and vitality to our cities now
exist only as derelict reminders of the past. Through adaptive reuse this thesis reinterprets the
industrial landscape as a resource for future growth.
An example of post-industrial Detroit, the abandoned Dry Dock Engine Works facility no
longer is the vital center of activity it once was. Using this isolated building on the Detroit
Waterfront as the site of operations, this thesis seeks to establish a link between past and future,
combining multiple new land uses (museum, market, ferry terminal, business incubator) and
existing site elements (building, river, rail/trail) to generate a ripple effect of social energy. The
interaction between these diverse elements not only creates a new ?reason for being? for the
Engine Works, but a reason for growth in a shrinking city.
ADAPTIVE REUSE IN POST-INDUSTRIAL DETROIT:
TESTING THE VIABILITY OF THE ENGINE WORKS
By
Jessica M. Green
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Architecture
2008
Advisory Committee:
Visiting Associate Professor Ronit Eisenbach, Chair
Dean and Professor Garth Rockcastle, FAIA
Professor Karl Du Puy, AIA
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my committee members, for without their enthusiasm and patience
this thesis would not have been possible.
I would also like to thank the following people for their help and support:
Erin Carlisle
Natalia Chetvernina
Lin Mao
Dan Pitera
Corey Powell
Kat Shieh
Cindy Thompson
Steven Vogel
Brittany Williams
Krista Wilson
Detroit Collaborative Design Center
University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture
ii
Table of Contents
iii
Acknowledgements
Table of Contecnts
List of Figures
Introduction
Site of Operations
Program Exploration
Design Strategies
Design Proposal
Reflection
Notes
Bibliography
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List of Figures
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Figure 1. Regional Map
Figure 2. City Map
Figure 3. Historic View of Detroit Riverfront [1855]
Figure 4. Map of East Riverfront District of Detroit, MI
Figure 5. East Riverfront District Land Use - Existing [top] + Proposed [bottom]
Figure 6. Detroit Riverwalk Historic Plaque
Figure 7. Site Plan locating the three marine engine firms.
Figure 8. Site Evolution of the Dry Dock Engine Works
Figure 9. Aerial View of Detroit?s East Riverfront
Figure 10. Greater Detroit Context
Figure 11. Hard Connectors
Figure 12. Soft Connectors
Figure 13. Regional/International Hubs
Figure 14. Detroit Riverwalk Rendering
Figure 15. Photostitch : Dequindre Cut Trail
Figure 16. Photographs: Dequindre Cut Trail
Figure 17. Drawing: Dequindre Cut Trail
Figure 18. Site Aerial and Context
Figure 19. Site Aerial and Building Context
Figure 20. Spatial Investigation
Figure 21. Machine Shop Information
Figure 22. Industrial Loft Building Information
Figure 23. Foundry Information
Figure 24. Chipping Room Information
Figure 25. Machine Shop Addition Information
Figure 26. Shipping + Receiving Room Information
Figure 27. New Program Elements for the Dry Dock Engine Works Site
Figure 28. Program: Movement Systems
Figure 29. Program: Interface
Figure 30. Program: Detroit Museum of Industry + Innovation
Figure 31. Artists as Conceptual Drivers
Figure 32. Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Accretion
Figure 33. Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Connection/Extension
Figure 34. Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Insertion
Figure 35. Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Subtraction
Figure 36. Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Overlap
Figure 37. Site Interventions: Composite
Figure 38. Site Interventions: Existing Conditions
Figure 39. Site Interventions: Courtyard
List of Figures
v
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42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
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Figure 40. Site Interventions: Transit System
Figure 41. Site Interventions: Bicycle System
Figure 42. Site Interventions: Museum
Figure 43. Site Interventions: Commerce
Figure 44. Ripple Effect: Site Resources
Figure 45. Ripple Effect: Program Strategy
Figure 46. Site Plan
Figure 47. Dry Dock Engine Works: Ground Floor Plan
Figure 48. Dry Dock Engine Works: Second Floor Plan
Figure 49. Dry Dock Engine Works: Third Floor Plan
Figure 50. Dry Dock Engine Works: Section Looking South
Figure 51. Site Evolution of the Dry Dock Engine Works: Including 2008 Proposal
Figure 52. View From Atwater Street
Figure 53. View Inside Machine Shop Museum Hall
Figure 54. Views of Courtyard
Introduction
?In the evolutionary urban order, Detroit today has
always been your town tomorrow?Detroit remains a
surpassingly purposeful place, as important to the nation
right now as it has ever been - maybe more so, because
right now it is telling us that the cities are in trouble. Detroit
is the advance warning system - the flashing red light and
siren - for what could be a catastrophic urban meltdown,
and the country had damn well better pay attention.?
- former Mayor Coleman A. Young
from his autobiography, 1994.
This thesis began with a fascination with the past, and
a curiosity of a city?s future. Driving through the City of
Detroit, one cannot help but wonder what activities once
took place in the now vacant buildings and city blocks.
Detroit was once one of the most populated cities in
the United States. However, today it is considered a
shrinking city; one that suffers from depopulation, frag-
mentation and neglect. Despite Detroit?s deteriorated
state, this author believes there are many lessons to
be learned; especially ones of reappraisal and revival.
This thesis poses several questions regarding the process
of adaptive reuse as a design method and as a means
of urban regeneration. As a design method, several con-
ceptual and formal strategies are explored at both the
urban and architectural scale. The application of these
1
DETROIT RIVER
CANADA
MI
INIL
WI
strategies is the author?s attempt at understanding how to
reuse; how to integrate the old with the new; how to de-
termine what to retain and/or demolish of existing historic
structures. A mixed-use program is investigated on the
selected site ? The Dry Dock Engine Works ? as an at-
tempt to understand what role historic structures can play
in the regeneration of communities and urban districts.
The Dry Dock Engine Works [DDEW] site is historically
significant for two major reasons. One, the noteworthy
role it plays in the evolution of American factory construc-
tion methods; the existing structures to serve as a vital
showcase for one of the earliest steel-structure buildings
in America. Two, the important role it played within the
Detroit/Great Lakes shipbuilding industry; the DDEW was
vital in the manufacturing and repairing of marine steam
engines and boilers between 1866 and the mid-1920s.
Today, this thesis explores how the adaptive reuse of the
abandoned Dry Dock Engine Works site can play a vital
role in Detroit?s future. The reuse of such a site could
generate a ripple effect of growth and activity along the
valuable Detroit Riverfront, proving that even amongst
such destruction one can find the seeds of revival.
2
Site of Operations
?I have never seen a derelict landscape
where something wonderful could not occur.?
- Patricia Johanson from her lecture,
?Art and the Ecological Landscape?,
University of Maryland School of Architecture,
Planning, and Preservation, October 17, 2007.
The Detroit Riverfront has transformed significantly from
its origins of wilderness and farmland. What remains of
the north-south grid of river-to-inland streets reminds us
of the long and narrow farms that were here during the
eighteenth century. During the nineteenth century, the
effects of the Industrial Revolution were made visible
along the riverfront. As a result of the rapidly developing
heavy industry, the once natural face of the city became a
production zone and transportation way of materi-
als and goods. The maritime, railroad, and automobile
industries all left their mark on the Detroit Riverfront.
By the mid-twentieth century, pieces of the industri-
ally privatized riverfront were reclaimed, returning to the
public places of civic purpose. This process of recla-
mation and reinterpretation continues today, especially
through the efforts of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
3
DETROIT RIVER
CANADA
MI
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Figure 1: Regional Map. The red dot indicates
the City of Detroit.
[Image by author.]
Figure 2: City Map. The red dot indicates the
Dry Dock Engine Works site within the East
Riverfront District.
[Image by author.]
The Jefferson Corridor, by the late eighteenth century, was
a sought-after place to live outside the boundaries of the
frontier town. By the mid-nineteenth century, developing
industries and rail lines infringed upon the quality of life along
the corridor. At the beginning of the twentieth century, an
assortment of apartment buildings, institutions, and com-
mercial sites made for a lively urban environment; however,
such dynamism was short-lived. Since the mid-twentieth
century, planning and development efforts have been scat-
tered and unfulfilled. Current efforts; however, show signs
of improvement. This area of the city has transformed nu-
merous times over the course of its 300 year history, and it
continues to change today. The East Riverfront District is
changing from a heavy industrial area to a mixed-use district
containing residential, recreational, and commercial uses.
4
Figure 3: Historic View of Detroit Riverfront [1855]. This depicts the once densley developed and active [maritime]
industrial riverfront. [The Buildings of Detroit: A History.]
5
DETROIT RIVER
BELLE ISLE BRIDGE
JEFFERSON CORRIDOR
RIV
ARD
Figure
4:
Map
of
East
Riverfront
District
of
Detroit,
MI.
East
of
the
Downtown
core
of
Detroit
is
the
East
Riverfront
District,
also
known
as
Rivertown.
The
selected
site
for
this
thesis
lies
within
the
boundaries
of
this
district.
It
is
defined
by
Jef
ferson
A
venue
to
the
north,
the
Detroit
River
to
the
south,
the
Belle
Isle
Bridge
to
the
east,
and
Rivard
Street
to
the west. [Image by author
.]
6
Figure 5: East Riverfront District Land Use - Existing [top] + Proposed [bottom]. This depicts the
City?s intent to re-purpose the riverfront, assisting in the transformation from industrial to residential/com-
mercial/recreational land use. [City of Detroit Master Plan of Policies.]
Before the automobile industry took hold of the City of Detroit
and its riverfront in the early 1900s, shipbuilding constitut-
ed one of the more established industries of the city. More
specifically, the East Riverfront District was a very impor-
tant hub of shipbuilding activity. This district comprised of
numerous manufacturers of marine steam engines, as well
as multiple dry docks. Marine steam engines were con-
structed at the site of the Dry Dock Engine Works for a period
of sixty years, between the mid-1860s and the mid-1920s.
Detroit saw its first steamship constructed, the Argo,
in 1827. The Michigan followed soon after, in 1833.
Rather than sending their vessals to Buffalo, NY for re-
pairs, Detroit ship-owners expressed a need for the city
to operate its own dock facilities; several dry docks were
in operation by 1852. That same year, on the East Riv-
erfront at the end of Orleans Street, a ship repair yard
was established by Campbell, Wolverton and Com-
mpany. ?This site was the ancestor to a succession of
shipbuilding firms: Campbell & Owen, the Detroit Dry
Dock Company, and the Detroit Shipbuilding Company.?
1
7
Figure 6: Detroit Riverwalk Historic Plaque.
[Photograph by author.]
During the following decades the East Riverfront experi-
enced extensive industrial development, as many more en-
gine manufacturers and dry docks were established. Three
significant marine engine firms appeared along the east riv-
erfront between 1863 and 1866: Cowie, Hodge & Company,
the Frontier Iron Works, and the Dry Dock Engine Works.
?[An] outstanding feature of these three firms was
their geographic concentration along the east riverfront
of Detroit. The Samuel Hodge enterprise was located at
Rivard and Atwater. The Frontier Iron and Brass Works
was established at the corner of Chene and Atwater. The
Dry Dock Engine Works stood between these two facilities,
at the corner of the intersection of Orleans and Atwater,
opposite the Campbell and Owen Shipyard?For much
of the nineteenth century, the downtown core of Detroit
featured an array of residences, public buildings, retail
stores, craft shops, and small industrial companies. In the
1860s?heavy industrial activites began to move beyond
the central city to underdeveloped areas along the riverfront.
By 1880, ?the riverfront had become a long industrial strip.??
- Thomas A. Klug
2
8
DETROIT RIVER
1884 Site Plan
Cowie, Hodge & Company
Dry Dock Engine Works
Frontier Iron and Brass
Figure 7: Site Plan locating the three marine engine firms. It is clear that the industrial concentration along the
riverfront was not by chance; access to the river was, and still is, highly desirable. [Image by author.]
9
Figure
8:
Site
Evolution
of
The
Dry
Dock
Engine
W
orks.
Depicted
here
is
the
growth
and
decay
of
the
Detroit
East
Riverfront,
as
well
as
the
urban
context
surrounding
the
Dry
Dock
Engine
W
orks.
The
once
heavily
active
industrial
riverfront
is
now
ripe
for
public
intervention.
Now
is
the
time
for
the
people
of
Detroit
to
take
back
their
riverfront;
perhaps
the
City?
s most important attribute. [Image by author
.]
Presently, the Dry Dock Engine Works site is located
4 city-blocks south of Jefferson Avenue, and is immedi-
ately north of the Tri-Centennial State Park site along the
riverfront. The current boundaries for the block within
which the Dry Dock Engine Works site lies are: Franklin
Street to the north, Atwater Street to the south, St. Aubin
Street to the east, and Orleans Street to the west. As seen
on the previous page, historically, the northern boundary
was Guoin Street (between Atwater and Franklin) and the
eastern boundary was Dequindre Street (between Orleans
and St. Aubin, where the Dequindre Rail line entered the site.)
10
*
WOODW
ARD
A
VE.
Figure 9: Aerial View of Detroit?s East Riverfront. The aerial view shows the selected site [center] relative to the
Waterfront Park System, Central Business District to the west, neighborhoods to the north and east, as well as Windsor,
Canada to the south. The selected site is an important node within the city that must be developed. [Image by author.]
11
Figure 10: Greater Detroit Context. The Dry Dock Engine Works site has the benefit of many urban and regional con-
nectors, primarily Jefferson Avenue. The site also lies at the intersection of two major city greenway systems [Dequindre
Cut and International Waterfront Park System.] The surrounding urban fabric also creates an interesting dynamic, at-
tracting a diverse range of people to this part of the city [local residents, daily commuters, tourists, etc.]
[Image by author.]
Figure 11: Hard Connectors.
Urban connection: Primary - red arrows
Urban connection: Secondary - small dash
Urban boundary: Freeways - large dash
[Image by author.]
Figure 12: Soft Connectors.
Dequindre Cut: non-motorized transporta-
tion corridor; connect people to/from river,
riverwalk, parks, Eastern Market, Midtown
neighborhoods, Hamtramck Trail.
Detroit International Riverwalk: riverfront
parks, plazas, bike trails, pedestrian trails/
paths.
Windsor Riverfront Bike Trail: riverfront
parks, part of citywide Windsor Biketrail
Network.
[Image by author.]
Figure 13: Regional/International Hubs.
Includes parks, plazas, stadiums, business
districts, and markets.
[Image by author.]
12
Figure 14: Detroit Riverwalk Rendering. This drawing shows the planned riverwalk with photographs of existing
parks, plazas and green spaces, as well as proposed development. It is in the City?s best interest that the selected site
be integrated with the riverwalk, providing it?s users with public amenities. [Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.]
The Dry Dock Engine Works site is not only accessible
via urban and regional roadways, but by [international]
waterways and greenways, too. The Ambassador bridge
crosses the river and links Detroit with Canada, while the
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is one of the largest underwater in-
ternational automobile tunnels in the world. Located along
Atwater Street, the site is connected to the Detroit River by
the resalvaged slip that once served the historic dry dock.
The site also sits along the new Detroit Riverwalk, a paved
promenade along the riverfront. ?The Detroit International
Riverfront is a planned 5.5 miles of waterfront, linked by a
continuous riverwalk and parks, plazas and green spaces.
As of June 2007, more than 2.5 miles of East Riverfront is
open to the public.?
3
13
The Dequindre Cut is an abandoned railroad right-of-way
that extends from the Detroit River north to Eastern Market.
Detroit has taken the initiative to adaptively reuse this old
railroad bed, and transform it into a hiking/biking trail, with
space reserved for future light rail transit. The eastern half
of the cut will be covered with asphalt to provide a smooth
surface for walking and ?wheeling? - bikes, strollers, etc.
The western half will be seeded and simply landscaped,
with the expectation that someday [lightrail] tracks will be
laid there.
?The graffiti?is staying. It decorates the old bridge
abutments and helps to create a dazzling visual effect -
gritty artwork, old walls and big shade trees contrasting
with the newly paved path, plantings and modern lights
and security phones. Fixtures for the lights and phones
are in place?The path now starts at Gratiot on the north,
just south of Eastern Market, and terminates about
a block north of Atwater Street. Plans call for the trail
eventually to punch through the thicket to Tri-Centennial
State Park on the waterfront and extend gradually north
toward the New Center area. The Cut essentially con-
nects two other Detroit landmarks that have undergone
recent renovation -- the RiverWalk and Eastern Market..??
- Bill McGraw
4
14
Figure 15: Photostitch: Dequindre Cut Trail.
Plan of trail north of Jefferson Avenue.
[Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.]
Figure 17: Drawing: Dequindre Cut Trail. Annotated section of trail development. [Image by author.]
Figure 16: Photographs: Dequindre Cut Trail. Views of trail development. [Faded Detroit blog; Detroit Free Press.]
15
Figure 15: Photostitch: Dequindre Cut Trail.
Plan of trail north of Jefferson Avenue.
[Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.]
16
Figure 18: Site Aerial and Context. The above images show the site and its existing surroundings: 1) View from Frank-
lin Street, 2) Tri-Centennial State Park, 3) Marina, 4) View of historic dry dock slip. This thesis attempts to build upon the
site?s adjacency to the river and parkland [accessability and entertainment], as well as the historic street grid that remains
[pedestrian-friendly and has character.] [Image by author.]
1
2
3
4
4
3
2
1
17
Figure 19: Site Aerial and Building Context. The above images show the site and the existing structure: 1) View
down Orleans Street, 2) Dry Dock Engine Works - north elevation, 3) Dry Dock Engine Works - east elevation, 4) View
of adjacent vacant lot, 5) View from Atwater Street. This thesis attempts to salvage what remains of this district?s past to
generate growth and activity along Detroit?s valuable riverfront. [Image by author.]
1
2
3
45
5
4
3
2
1
Although it has been almost eighty-five years since the last
steam engine came out of the Dry Dock Engine Works,
the six buildings that make up the industrial complex are
a physical reminder of the ingenuity and prosperity that
once was at 1801 Atwater Street. The existing structures
on the site - the Machine Shop, the Foundry, the Industrial
Loft Building, the Machine Shop Addition, the Chipping
Room, and the Shipping + Receiving Room - also hold
an important place in the evolution of factory design and
construction. The buildings were designed for strength,
light, ventilation, and economy in construction, as well as
maintenance; it is no wonder the buildings remained in use
long after engine production stopped. With that in mind,
there is no reason why the buildings? lives should end here.
The reuse of these structures not only respects a part of
Detroit?s history, but helps propel the city into the future.
The following six pages highlight the existing structures.
18
Spatial Investigation: Room location + square footage + volume
24,200 sq ft
647,518 cubic ft
10,004 sq ft
215,086 cubic ft
10,372 sq ft
448,395 cubic ft
4,480 sq ft
118,720 cubic ft
25,800 sq ft
412,800 cubic ft
8,064 sq ft
201,818 cubic ft
Spatial Investigation: Room location + square footage + volume
24,200 sq ft
647,518 cubic ft
10,004 sq ft
215,086 cubic ft
10,372 sq ft
448,395 cubic ft
4,480 sq ft
118,720 cubic ft
25,800 sq ft
412,800 cubic ft
8,064 sq ft
201,818 cubic ft
Figure 20: Spatial Investigation.
Room location, Square footage +
Volume. [Image by author.]
Figure 21: Machine Shop Information. [Image by author.]
19
Figure 22: Industrial Loft Building Information. [Image by author.]
20
Figure 23: Foundry Information. [Image by author.]
21
Figure 24: Chipping Room Information. [Image by author.]
22
Figure 25: Machine Shop Addition Information. [Image by author.]
23
Figure 26: Shipping + Receiving Room Information. [Image by author.]
24
Program Exploration
?It is people, not money and not technology, who have
the imaginations, the ?know how? and the sense of
purpose to prosper and to grow. If people are our main
competitive resources, and the drivers of the new
economy, then the more inventive, flexible and
talented they are, the better it is for all of us. Given this,
the question for both society and enterprise, is how best
to release and enable people?s creative and imaginative
potential. The answer, in part, lies with Design. Design,
with its emphasis on people, its capacity to see things in
a new way, and its ability to make things real, can help
education foster a more creative and prosperous society.?
- Josephine Green,
Urban Learning Space Board Member.
The program is made up of three major elements: a mu-
seum facility, a network of movement systems [esp. ferry
+ bicycle], and a business incubator. Previous explora-
tion did not include the ferry system; however it did include
an educational facility separate from the museum, and an
architectural salvage retail facility. After much analysis
and testing of the site, as well as further investigation of
community needs, the final program was selected; one
that responds harmoniously with the nature of the existing
buildings, and demonstrates a reappraisal of the built and
natural elements remaining on the site.
25
A museum is proposed for the appreciation and under-
standing of Detroit?s industrial/-ous past, as well as for the
emphasis and showcasing of Detroit?s innovative work of
today and it?s future. The City of Detroit is known around
the world for her myriad of industrial successes; here is a
place for those to shine.
A network of movement systems is proposed for several
reasons. First, as a means of accessing the site; people
need to be able to get there. This necessity transformed
into an exploration of diversity; how many different ways
can one access this site. Second, in order to create a [so-
cially] sustainable building, this site must be re-woven into
the urban fabric. The reuse of the old dry dock slip and the
Dequindre Cut as means of moveing to/around the site is
not only appropriate, but unequivical.
A business incubator is proposed as a means of regen-
erating economic vitality in the once prosperous district.
The existing lofty interiors provide great flexible space for
a range of entrepreneurial companies. Also, by attracting
new commpanies to the district, perhaps adjacent blocks
will experience simimlar development as well.
26
27
Figure 27: New Program Elements for the Dry Dock Engine W
orks Site.
This diagram maps out the new program elements for the chosen site.
[Image by author
.]
Figure 28: Program: Movement Systems. [Image by author.]
128
MOVEMENT SYSTEMS
A significant part of this thesis exploration is fo-
cused on reconnecting the Dry Dock Engine Works
site, as well as the valuable Detroit Riverfront, with
the rest of the city. As a result of the site?s mul-
tiple adjacencies - waterways, greenways + urban
connectors - several movement systems are intro-
duced to the site in order to create a functioning
and accessible district that is securely woven into
the greater city fabric.
Ferry Terminal:
Create an international connection between the
cities of Detroit and Windsor. It would provide an
alternative link for those who already commute
via the congested Ambassador Bridge and the
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. It would Promote more
cross-river travel, whether it is for work [daily com-
mute] or play [tourism.]
Bike Center:
Create a bicycle retail, rental + service shop that
appropriately anchors the Dequindre Cut Trail
along the riverfront. It would provide much need-
ed amenities to those traveling [recreational or for
work] the network of paths/trails through the city,
as well as promote a more sustainable and afford-
able means of travel.
Transit Interchange:
Create a transit hub that will mediate the diverse
movement systems on/around the site - ferry, bi-
cycle, light rail, bus, automobile + pedestrian. This
program element accepts the proposal for a light
rail track to run along the Dequindre Cut Trail.
Parking:
Create on-street parking, a lot near the transit in-
terchange building, and secure, covered bicycle
parking.
MOVEMENT SYSTEMS
BICYCLE CENTER
PARKING
FERRY TERMINAL
TRANSIT INTERCHANGE
Figure 29: Program: Interface. [Image by author.]
129
INTERFACE
BUSINESS INCUBATOR
CAFE - BAR
COURTYARD
MARKET SPACE
INTERFACE
A significant part of this thesis exploration is fo-
cused on re-establishing the Dry Dock Engine
Works site as a dynamic and prosperous area
within the district. A mixed-use program is prop-
sed; one that can make best use of the diverse
historic spaces, as well as spawn future growth
and attraction to the area.
Courtyard:
Create a true public space near the riverfront; a
piazza. This would be shared by all on the site
- an outdoor theater for the museum or local per-
formers; host festivals; an exterior extension of
the market space and cafe; a waiting area for the
ferry; a place for kids to play.
Business Incubator:
Create rentable units for small/start-up business-
es; promote entrepreneurship. In time, the busi-
nesses could move/expand to other building sites
within the district, improving business/develop-
ment in the area, creating a cycle of growth.
Market Space:
Create a year round market that connects local
producers with consumers. Like the Bicycle Cen-
ter, this too would be an appropriate anchor to
the Dequindre Cut Trail along the riverfront, as it
directly connects to Detroit?s Eastern Market, the
largest historic public market district in the United
States.
Cafe - Bar:
Create a casual place to meet + dine near the riv-
erfront. This cafe - bar would be a great ammeni-
ty for both locals and visitors, providing service
throughout the day [morning rush, mid-day snack,
after-work drink/meal + a night out.]
Figure 30: Program: Detroit Museum of Industry + Innovation. [Image by author.]
130
DETROIT MUSEUM OF
INDUSTRY + INNOVATION
VISITOR SERVICES
SUPPORT SPACE
GALLERIES
ADMINISTRATION
MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY +INNOVATION
A significant part of this thesis exploration is fo-
cused on creating a link between old + new. The
Detroit Museum of Industry + Innovation would
feature facilities for the collection/display of his-
toric documents and artifacts relevant to the Dry
Dock Engine Works, as well as those illustrative
of Detroit?s diverse industrial past [a physical
timeline.] Additionally, to make the link between
Detroit?s past + future, facilities would also show-
case current/on-going works of Detroit?s innova-
tive minds.
Galleries:
Create both permanent + flexible gallery spaces
within the museum. The permanent gallery holds
architectural + indutrial history displays. The flex-
ible gallery space holds temporary + traveling dis-
plays of current works.
Visitor Services:
Create an auditorium, classrooms + gift shop to
enhance the visitors? experience at the muse-
um. The auditorium + classrooms provide mul-
tipurpose space for orientations, schools + tour
groups, films, lectures, performances, as well as
other public programs. The gift shop allows visi-
tors to purchase books, souvenirs, etc., as well as
provides more commerce in the area.
Administration:
Create a space to hold the offices for the museum
director and other employees, as well as a small
reception area and shared employee area.
Support Space:
Create purely functional areas to hold mechanical
space and storage of materials. Parking is neces-
sary, but should be done in an attractive and sus-
tainable way. Diverse movement systems around
the site encourage parking alternatives.
Design Strategies
?Traditions can be reinterpreted; connections
can be forged between the seemingly random or
disparate. [Joseph] Cornell believed that artists
renew and transform materials, experiences, and ideas,
and this belief fueled his ability to communicate the
beauty and magic in ordinary, often forgotten things.?
- Lynda Roscoe Hartigan,
Peabody Essex Museum?s
Chief Curator and Curator of
?Joseph Cornell: Navigating the Imagination.?
When designing, the question of how is ever-present.
How much?? How little?? In terms of adaptive re-
use, these types of questions abound. How does one
integrate old + new? How does one determine what to
retain/demolish? How could things be done differently?
The approach taken by this thesis to answer such ques-
tions is rooted in analysis [site resources + community
needs] and driven by multiple conceptual and formal
strategies.
31
Figure 31: Artists as Conceptual Drivers. [Image by author.]
CONCEPTUAL
DRIVERS
32
COLLAGE: DEFINING SPACE:
?The Hotel Eden?
Joseph Cornell
- collision and recombination of
ideas.
- connection and interaction
between disparate elements.
- reinterpretation
- alteration
COLLAGE: CAPTURING SPACE:
?City - Space - Scape V?
Louise Nevelson
- assemblages
- additive process
- heightened awareness of the
space[s] between.
TEMPORAL EVOLUTION:
?Das Geviert?
Anselm Kiefer
- transformation over time.
- collage elements of history.
- destruction and renewal.
COLLIDING FORCES:
?Dispersion?
Julie Mehretu
- re-envision the urban experience.
- inspired by community, history,
and the built environment.
- dynamic layering of [conflicting]
forces and site elements.
[Flickr.com]
[Photograph by author]
[Artchive.com]
[Artnet.com]
Figure 32: Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Accretion. [Image by author.]
33
A C C R E T I O N
DIALOGUE BETWEEN NEW + OLD:
existing structure serves as foundation
for development upon and around.
PRECEDENT:
Ruck Sack Haus, 2005
Munich, Germany
Stefan Eberstadt
[Model by author]
[Streeteditors.com]
[Model by author]
Figure 33: Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Connection/Extension. [Image by author.]
34
C O N N E C T I O N /
E X T E N S I O N
DIALOGUE BETWEEN NEW + OLD:
slot/in-between space serves as coor-
dinator linking the existing spaces with
the new spaces.
PRECEDENT:
Higgins Hall, 1997-2005
Brooklyn, New York
Steven Holl
[Model by author]
[Architecture Spoken, Steven Holl]
[Model by author]
Figure 34: Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Insertion. [Image by author.]
35
I N S E R T I O N
DIALOGUE BETWEEN NEW + OLD:
a break in the existing structure serves
as point of intervention, inserting the
new within the old.
PRECEDENT:
Mill City Museum, 2003
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Meyer, Scherer + Rockcastle
[Model by author]
[Meyer, Scherer + Rockcastle]
[Model by author]
Figure 35: Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Subtraction. [Image by author.]
36
S U B T R A C T I O N
DIALOGUE BETWEEN NEW + OLD:
existing elements are removed to al-
low for new development, as well as to
highlight the memory of the past.
PRECEDENT:
Duisburg-Nord Landschaftspark, 2000
Duisburg Nord, Germany
Latz + Partners
[Model by author]
[LatzundPartner.de]
[Model by author]
Figure 36: Design Strategy: Formal Driver - Overlap. [Image by author.]
37
O V E R L A P
DIALOGUE BETWEEN NEW + OLD:
new architectural/programmatic ele-
ments reach over/beyond existing
boundaries.
PRECEDENT:
Le Fresnoy Art Center, 1992-1998
Tourcoing, France
Bernard Tschumi
[Model by author]
[Tschumi.com]
[Model by author]
38
Figure 37: Site Interventions: Composite.
[Image by author
.]
39
EXISTING CONDITIONS
SITE KEY BUILDING 1 - MACHINE SHOP
, c. 1892
steel frame + brick infill
BUILDING 2 - FOUNDR
Y
, c. 1902
steel frame + brick infill
BUILDING 3 - INDUSTRIAL
LOFT
, c. 1902
steel frame + brick infill
BUILDING 4 - MACHINE SHOP
ADDITION, c. 1910s
steel frame + brick infill
BUILDING 5 - CHIPPING ROOM, c. 1910
steel frame + brick infill
BUILDING 6 - SHIPPING + RECEIVING ROOM, c. 1910s
steel frame + reinforced concrete structure
Figure 38: Site Interventions: Existing Conditions.
[Image by author
.]
40
SITE INTER
VENTION: courtyard
SUBTRACTION Removal of the Chipping Room and the Shipping + Receiving Room allows for the creation of a shared, mixed-use open space on the site. Removal of the Chipping Room and the Shipping + Receiving Room provides access to light + air for the structures that are retained. Retention of certain elements from the Chipping Room and the Shipping + Receiving Room provide a sense of scale, act as design features, as well as recall the memory of what once was here. * Chipping Room: once had an interior railway track that facilitated movement between Machine Shop and Foundry
.
Now it is an exterior space that facilitates movement across the site. * Shipping + Receiving Room: the last of the six buildings erected, it was once an exterior space with access to
Atwater Street (driveways). Now it is once again an
exterior space, linking the courtyard to
Atwater Street.
Figure 39: Site Interventions: Courtyard.
[Image by author
.]
41
SITE INTER
VENTION: transit system
ACCRETION Addition of new bus/light rail interchange north of the Engine W
orks site.
CONNECTION/EXTENSION Addition of light rail system and ferry terminal (bridge.) Remapping of Guoin Street (between Engine W
orks and
transit interchange.) INSERTION Addition of ferry terminal/waiting area, balcony
, and stair
.
Figure 40: Site Interventions: T
ransit System.
[Image by author
.]
42
Figure 41: Site Interventions: Bicycle System.
[Image by author
.]
43
SITE INTER
VENTION: museum
ACCRETION Attachment of small exhibit spaces to second level of Machine Shop. CONNECTION/EXTENSION Extension of retained structure (Shipping + Receiving Room) to create colonnade. INSERTION Addition of ramp system within Machine Shop OVERLAP Interior/Exterior overlap of exhibition space (Machine Shop
Addition) + courtyard colonnade.
Figure 42: Site Interventions: Museum.
[Image by author
.]
44
SITE INTER
VENTION: commerce
CONNECTION/EXTENSION Connection of courtyard and adjacent park/farmer
?
s market
through ground level market space. INSERTION Addition of floor plates within Foundry (rentable office space.) Addition of cafe/bar within Foundry
.
OVERLAP Interior/Exterior overlap of market space + activity (open swing doors.)
Figure 43: Site Interventions: Commerce.
[Image by author
.]
Design Proposal
?We seek an approach that can respond to changes in the
economy and the building market, to changes of program,
and to the diversity of future lifestyle aspirations that no one
can predict. Like a bricoleur, we create design strategies that
can cope with incompleteness and can transform a situation
of multiplicity of styles and expectations into a pleasure.?
- Florian Beigel + Philip Christou,
?Specific Indeterminancy.?
45
Figure 44: Ripple Effect: Site Resources. [Image by author.]
46
Figure 45: Ripple Effect: Program Strategy. [Image by author.]
47
SITE PLAN:
DR
Y
DOCK ENGINE WORKS, EAST
RIVERFRONT
, DETROIT
Existing Context
Proposed Context
Dry Dock Engine W
orks
Figure 46: Site Plan.
Dry Dock Engine W
orks, East Riverfront, Detroit. [Image by author
.]
48
Figure 47: Dry Dock Engine Works: Ground Floor Plan. [Image by author.]
1. Courtyard
2. Lobby
3. Machine Shop Museum Hall
4. Auditorium
5. Gift Shop
6. Cafe - Bar
7. Market Space
8. Bike Center
9. Transit Center
10. Dry Dock Slip
11. Dequindre Cut Trail [bicycle + light rail]
1.
2.
5.
7.
6.
4.
3.
9.
8.
11.
10.
49
Figure 48: Dry Dock Engine Works: Second Floor Plan. [Image by author.]
1. Courtyard
2. Gallery
3. Machine Shop Museum Hall
4. Flexible Exhibit Hall
5. Classroom
6. Business Incubator: shared space
7. Business Incubator: units
8. Ferry Terminal: waiting room
9. Ferry Terminal: security check
10. Ferry Terminal: bridge
1.
2.
5.
7.
6.
4.
3.
9.
8.
2.
2.
7.
7.
7.
7.
7.
10.
50
Figure 49: Dry Dock Engine Works: Third Floor Plan. [Image by author.]
1. Courtyard
2. Flexible Galleries
3. Machine Shop Museum Hall
4. Flexible Exhibit Hall
5. Gallery
6. Business Incubator: shared space
7. Business Incubator: units
8. Museum Administration
9. Lobby
10. Ferry Terminal: bridge
1.
5.
7.
6.
4.
3.
9.
8.
2.
7.
7.
7.
7.
7.
10.
51
Figure 50: Dry Dock Engine W
orks: Section Looking South.
[Image by author
.]
52
Figure 51: Site Evolution of The Dry Dock Engine W
orks: Including 2008 Proposal.
[Image by author
.]
53
Figure 52: View From Atwater Street. Before intervention [top] + After intervention [bottom.]
[Historic American Buildings Survey; Image by author.]
54
Figure 53: View Inside Machine Shop Museum Hall. Before intervention [top] + After intervention [bottom.]
[Historic American Buildings Survey; Image by author.]
55
Figure 54: Views of Courtyard. Before intervention [left 3] + After intervention [right 3.]
[Historic American Buildings Survey; Image by author.]
*The above 3 images depict an updated version [5-14-08] of the courtyard
design presented at the Public Review [4-22-08.]
Reflection
?Cities are places of communication and exchange. Yet this
basic condition of urban life is critically undermined by the ef-
fects of shrinkage - migration, population decline, fragmen-
tation, and introversion. Artistic interventions foster commu-
nication and new relationships between individuals, a city
and its residents, the people who moved away, and those
left behind. At the same time, novel forms of representation
and changes in perception lead to reflection about oneself
and a reappraisal of one?s environment. The very diversity
of conflicting opinion lends a new quality to public space.?
- Philipp Oswalt, ?Shrinking Cities: Volume 2.?
Reflecting on the development of this thesis, several points
come about: the [im]balance of analysis + design, levels of
hesitance/assertiveness, and overall design process and
clarity. Perhaps a symptom of adaptive reuse projects, this
author found that extensive research and documentation
of the site proved to be a significant obstacle in the design
process. Although a comprehensive understanding of the
site and its history seemed necessary for an appropriate
design, it in fact led to an apprehension of intervening, pre-
venting the author?s pursuance of an aggressive design.
A myriad of precedents [program + design], too, proved to
be an obstacle, flooding the drawing board with too many
possibilities.
56
At the public review, more time was recommended in order
to heighten the level and clarity of the design. Additional
diagrams were also requested to help clarify the final de-
sign, as well as the design process. Further development
of the thesis focuses on redesigning the courtyard, as well
as certain museum elements [ie. entry and auditorium], as
they relate directly to the new courtyard design.
With adaptive reuse projects there will always be those
questions of how. How to achieve the appropriate level
of intervention? The explorations conducted through this
thesis show that this is not an easy question to answer, yet
it is one that deserves much attention. The fear of taking
on too much may be daunting, but this author still believes
that the challenge posed by adaptive reuse projects is one
that must be accepted ? as a personal exercise of design
abilities, and as a necessary tool for reinterpreting Detroit
and the many other shrinking cities around the world.
57
Notes
1. Dry Dock Engine Works, by Thomas A. Klug. Page 5.
2. Dry Dock Engine Works, by Thomas A. Klug. Page 7.
3. ?About the Riverfront,? at .
4. ?Dequindre Cut Path At Least 6 Weeks Away From Opening,? Detroit Free Press, Bill McGraw.
58
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