Architecture : Development News

The final phase of Eastern Michigan University's Science Complex opened at the start of the fall 2012 semester, and now
university officials are in the process of seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the building. The Science Complex is the centerpiece of EMU's plan to invest over $200 million in capital projects over five years, beginning in 2009.

"From a cost standpoint, it's our largest construction project in the history of Eastern Michigan University," says Scott Storrar, EMU's director of facilities planning and construction.

The 256,320 square-foot complex has 107 labs and a newer addition with a planetarium and green roof containing 16 varieties of drought-resistant native plant species. It houses EMU's biology, chemistry, psychology, physics and astronomy, and geography and geology departments.

The project's final phase consisted of a renovation of the original 180,000-square-foot facility. A vivarium, an enclosed space to house animals for research and observation, was installed in the penthouse portion. Other amenities include new windows with sunshades and insulated glazing, a high-efficiency electrical chiller, occupancy sensors for lighting and temperature controls, and heat recovery in the air handlers.

And in what could be coined a construction breakthrough, the complex makes use of a new chilled beam technology that uses convection and water to cool the building. "That's an active system, and it's one of the first installed in Michigan," says Storrar.

The university is seeking LEED-silver certification for the complex, but could be eligible for LEED-gold status, Storrar adds.  A decision is forthcoming in the next six to eight months.

Source: Scott Storrar, EMU's director of facilities planning and construction
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The nothingness of a boarded up gas station on Detroit Street in Kerrytown is likely to make way for a building that a local architect sees becoming a landmark for the city.

Though small, the proposed flat iron style building - roughly a triangular shaped structure with a nose that faces the convergence of two streets, will stand out, says Marc Rueter of Rueter Associates Architects. And true flat iron structures in Ann Arbor are rare - though there is one down the street near Zingerman's deli at Fifth and Detroit.

Rueter is the architect on the project that's being developed by Dan Williams of Maven Development.

"He recognized this was a really cool site..It's a hard site to develop because it's such a small footprint, but it could be very much a landmark, something to be seen when you cross the bridge over the river, something people will notice and remember."

The building would be three stories and about 4,000 total square feet. The ground floor would be office space, and the second and third floors would each be condominiums of about 1,650 square feet. The top condo would have access to a rooftop patio and a view of the Huron River. Parking would be located underground.

And the location to Kerrytown market makes it attractive.

"I think it's one of the nicer areas to live in Ann Arbor if you want the urban lifestyle," Rueter says. "It's a short walk to a lot of the things you need and great places."

The project, which involves demolishing a Clark service station that was boarded up about 30 years ago, is supported by city officials but most go before the historic district commission because of its location in a historic area. The commission meets Thursday.

If it is approved, as expected, the project would go for other approvals and likely be done by year's end. Construction could start in the spring, Rueter says.

Source: Marc Rueter, Rueter Associates Architects
Writer: Kim North Shine

As Michigan gained dominance in the new-car market in the mid-19th century, leading architects were also designing of-the-moment housing. The decades spanning 1940-1970 spawned Modernism - a spare, clean style which abounds in Ann Arbor, where renowned architects and professors of architecture - think Eero Saarinen, George Brigham, and Alden B. Dow - designed many of the iconic Modern homes still standing today.

"There was a lot happening in Ann Arbor - the college was moving from the Beaux Arts style to Modern, there was a large influx of new students after the war, more faculty, and the need to build. The faculty were doing cutting-edge research and were really open to a new and different way of living," explains Nancy Deromedi, co-founder of A2 Modern, an educational group and promoter of Ann Arbor's collection of Modern architecture.

Although no firm count of Modern properties in Ann Arbor has been completed yet, A2 Modern, together with U-M's College of Architecture, has developed a walking-tour map highlighting 86 sites around the city. Many can be found in Ann Arbor Hills, Barton Hills, near Spring Street, and along E. Huron River Drive.

"I think what is interesting to see is if you start in the Geddes-Arb area, you can see the changing styles of what was Modern, starting with the home George Brigham designed for two families...It is on Oswego, [made of] concrete block and has more of an International Modern feel. And then you can work your way over a few blocks to see what Alden Dow did for his sister in 1932, which is a fabulous low-ground hugging structure on Berkshire; then go a few blocks further and see an example of Bauhaus with the home William Muschenheim designed for himself on Heatherway. So, it is really a fascinating collection of ideas and influences," Deromedi says.

Modern fans and the merely curious can meet at 7 p.m. on October 9 at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor, where A2 Modern will host state historic preservation officer Brian Conway, who will be discussing Michigan's role in the Modern movement. To obtain walking tour maps and for more information on upcoming programming from A2 Modern, click here.

Source:  Nancy Deromedi, co-founder of A2 Modern
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

An Ann Arbor group that promotes creativity in the community has designed a traveling geodesic dome that can be used for any number of creative outlets.

The dome, 16 feet in radius, is a project of Syncytium, a group dedicated to creating large-scale, interactive art in Ann Arbor, Detroit and surrounding communities.

A2Awesome, the Washtenaw County arm of a Boston-based micro-philanthropic organization, The Awesome Foundation, awarded $1,000 to artist Amanda Sari Perez to help complete the dome, which is made out of 1.5 inch thick electrical conduit. Perez told A2Awesome that she wants the dome to be a "platform on which others in the community can express their creativity. The dome has already been a guest at Ann Arbor and Detroit Maker Faires, Figment and Lakes of Fire.

Future plans for the dome include covering it with cargo net so that it could be used as a climbing gym. Add lights and it's a great DJ stand.

“Other people,” says Perez, “may want to use it for parties, fundraisers, gatherings, or performances. They may want to hang hammocks or swings inside of it. They may want to cover it in some way, or leave it open.”

Ultimately, according to Perez, she would like to see it find a semi-permanent home where it could exist as a giant instrument, filled with cords that would trigger sound, either electronically or mechanically, when tugged or clambered upon.

Linh Song, board member of A2Awesome, where the mission is "Forwarding the interest in Awesome in Washtenaw County, $1,000 at a time, says the dome was chose as a grant recipient in June because “it’s the kind of thing that could continue to foster awesomeness for years to come. Not only will people be able to play on it at Maker Faire, which is awesome in its own right, but it’ll exist as an easily-transportable cultural asset that could be used in hundreds of different ways. We’re excited to see how it inspires people. The potential is endless.”

Source: A2Awesome
Writer: Kim North Shine

A little-known function of the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission has been to circle Ann Arbor neighborhoods in search of homes and buildings whose owners have done exceptional jobs of rehabilitation and preservation. The search committee didn't come up short this year. Fifteen homes and businesses, dating from pre-Civil War days to the mid-century, and a handful of other individuals received awards for their efforts at last Monday's Ann Arbor City Council meeting.

To qualify, among other criteria, the homes and buildings must be at least 50 years old but they do not have to be in a designated historic district.

Award recipient Herb David, owner of Herb David Guitar Studio in a Dutch Colonial Revival house at 302 E. Liberty St., has "just been a big advocate for the block that he's on, despite all the development pressures," Awards Committee Chair Susan Wineberg says. And Martin Soave rehabbed a small home at 508 Fourth St. on the Old West Side that sat "empty for 12 years, and it had raccoons living in it."

New this year, "Mid-Century Modern is getting more attention," says Wineberg. Six such properties were recognized, five of which are in the Ann Arbor Hills neighborhood. Many homes in the neighborhood were designed by architect luminaries such as Eero Saarinen and Alden Dow.

Nancy Deromedi and Tracy Aris, founders of the group A2Modern, received a special merit award for their work in promoting this architecture through walking tours, exhibits, lectures and publications.

Source: Susan Wineberg, awards committee chair,  Ann Arbor Historic District Commission
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The period from 1940 to 1970 was the heyday for the Modernist movement in architecture - a clean, natural style that is the flipside of ornately-trimmed homes from earlier epochs. A large contingent of Modern architects and designers, such as Charles and Ray Eames and Alden B. Dow, had Michigan ties.

"Michigan did play a really important role in the development of Modernism after World War II, specifically because Michigan was booming in that period. Michigan was and still is a center for design, particularly when you consider the auto industry, the furniture industry, plus the major institutions such as Cranbrook and the University of Michigan...." says Michigan State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway.

To inform the public of Michigan's strong design heritage, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network will be holding its annual conference in Flint, Mich. from May 10-12. The Michigan Modern Project presentation from 3:15 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 10 at the Flint Masonic Temple will be of especial interest to Ann Arborites, due to the city's extensive collection of Modern architecture - particularly residential.

"Because of the [University of Michigan] and the architecture program, Ann Arbor does have a wealth of very good architecture from this period, particularly residential architecture that was designed by architecture school faculty," Conway notes.

The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office last year gave a grant to the A2Modern group to develop a walking tour of Modern architecture in Ann Arbor. This year the group is developing an even more comprehensive walking tour, Conway says. And at the national conference of the Society of Architectural Historians held in Detroit a couple of weeks ago, A2Modern hosted an Ann Arbor tour for a contingent of academics and scholars.

"Long story short, Ann Arbor's very important to this story," Conway says.

Source: Brian Conway, Michigan State Historic Preservation Officer
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

* Next year, the Michigan Modern Project will be partnering with the Cranbrook Academy of Art to put on a major exhibition and seminar from June 10-16, 2013.

Last week the University of Michigan Board of Regents advanced a couple more big projects totaling nearly $100 million in capital outlay.

The regents approved a $47 million, inside-out renovation of the George Granger Brown Memorial Laboratories building. The 1958-era, 220,000 square-foot structure will get new finishes in common areas, an HVAC upgrade, new electrical and safety systems, new exterior windows, and better accessibility.

The state of Michigan will cover about $30 million of the cost, with the balance coming from the university's investment proceeds and other resources from the College of Engineering and the Office of the Provost.  

Troy, Mich.-based architecture firm Integrated Design Solutions will manage the design phase, with a construction start date to be determined upon completion of the design.

And soon the roars in Crisler Arena won't just be from basketball fans. The arena's $52 million expansion and renovation project is ready to go out for construction bids. Funding will be provided by the U-M Athletic Department.

The 63,000-square-foot addition will host retail spaces, ticketing areas, and a private club area. New spectator entries will also be installed. An existing 54,000 square feet will be redone with disability-accessible seating and better circulation and egress. Additional restrooms, concession stands, and fan amenities are also in the game plan.

Work is expected to be complete by winter of 2014.

Source: University of Michigan Board of Regents
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

With its recent inclusion on WebUrbanist's list of 14 Marvelous Modern Libraries, the Ann Arbor District Library's Traverwood branch is on the same page with fantastical book spots like the underground TU Delft Library in the Netherlands; Colombia's stone and pine lattice Villaneuva Public Library; and the National Library of Belarus, wrapped in an LED-lit globe reminiscent of a holiday ornament.

The 16,500-square-foot library opened in 2008 on a four-acre site in northeast Ann Arbor that had a thick canopy of ash trees felled by Emerald Ash Borer disease. Entire trunks of those original trees were worked into the interior, says Josie Parker, director of the Ann Arbor District Library. "And the ash borer's patterns are apparent on the trunks of those trees. So it's clear what killed the tree, and why so much ash was available. It's a social statement, an environmental statement, as well as an architectural statement, all being made in one design."

Its other notable features include an L-shaped design to accommodate the irregular lot shape, a light-bathed interior, a storm water management system with a rain garden, and a cafe. Parker puts the total project cost at $10 million, including the lot, construction, and furnishings.

The Traverwood branch made such a lofty list because, "First of all, it's not a big major city library," says Parker. "It's a highly sustainable and a very progressive site in an urban city without being in a major metropolitan area, and I think that  [WebUrbanist] understood it for that and that's why they chose it."

Source: Josie Parker, director of the Ann Arbor District Library
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Image courtesy of Ann Arbor District Library

With school back in season, stat-happy football fans would do well to take note of the recycling numbers posted by Eastern Michigan University's Pray-Harrold building renovation project. The university is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the $42 million redo of the building used by 10,000 students a day, says Sean Braden, planning and design manager at EMU.

This project was the biggest shake-up in the 1969-era building's structural history. Of the 1,200 tons of debris generated, 950 were diverted from the landfill, for a recycling rate in excess of 75%, according to Braden. Off to the recycling plant are 200 tons of masonry block; 30 tons of ceiling tiles; 15 tons of metal; and 3,163 lighting ballasts and 4,317 lamps.

In shooting for LEED certification, Braden says, "A lot of our focus on this was in the recycling of debris created and just trying to use low-maintenance materials or those with recycled content."

The new design includes recycled ceiling tiles, carpeting with recycled content, bamboo doors, low-flow plumbing fixtures, floor tiles made of a lower-hassle polymer composite as opposed to industry-standard vinyl composite, and a bamboo ceiling in the new glass-enclosed student commons area.

The project design also called for using the vast majority of the existing walls and pre-existing layouts of the seven-story, 235,000-square-foot building whenever possible, he explains. "We didn't move every wall in the building; we kept what we could when we could."

And vines will slowly be twining up the second through the fifth stories of its south wall. The intent of the green wall is to temper heating and cooling levels. "[The green wall] will absorb the rays of the sun rather than the building doing it and then from a storm water standpoint it will use some of the water that might otherwise have just been run-off."

A determination on LEED status could take up to a year to receive from the U.S. Green Building Council, says Braden. Meanwhile, students who used to have to sit in hallways between classes are enjoying the new commons area. All 60 classrooms were redone, and two of the four auditoriums were converted from movie theater-style seating to seminar-style designs.

"It's hard to pick one [standout] thing," Braden says.

A Pray-Harrold building open house is set for September 20 at 10 a.m. in the new student commons area.

Source: Sean Braden, planning and design manager at EMU
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

When it rains, the green roof on Ann Arbor's Larcom City Hall will be grateful for the soaking. The 18,000-square-foot expanse of roof will be planted during the first week in September, says Nancy Stone, a spokesperson for the city of Ann Arbor.

The roof will have 10,318 square feet devoted to sedum plantings, with alium (wild onion) plants interspersed for a mix of height and color. The plants come in four-inch-deep trays, over 5,000 of which will be used. The remainder of the space will be topped with walking pavers. The installation is costing roughly $450,000, or $25 per square foot, according to George Cook, chief executive of roof installer CEI.

"Using the promenade open space over the exposed original flat roof of the first floor of the Larcom City Hall was a natural location for a green roof. This type of vegetative roof absorbs rain water to prevent flooding and helps insulate the building, keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in the summer," Stone says in an email.

Excess water from heavy rain will flow into roof drains and then ground-level rain gardens and cisterns around the building.  

Green roofs last two to three times longer than standard roofs, according to an estimate by Live Roof, the city's vendor. It offers protection in the form of shielding it from UV radiation, temperature swings, wind, and perforations.

The rooftop, which will have seating areas, will be accessible to visitors once the stair rails are installed at the end of September, Stone says.

Sources: Nancy Stone, spokesperson for the city of Ann Arbor; CEI chief executive George Cook
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Image courtesy of city of Ann Arbor

Vintage home and commercial property owners in Ann Arbor who go to the extent of jimmying off asbestos siding to reveal original clapboards and replacing decayed trim with historically accurate replicas don't go unnoticed. Every February a vanful of preservation buffs makes the rounds of the icy streets, looking to spotlight exemplary historic properties.

For the last 23 years, the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission has presented awards to citizens and businesses for rehabs and projects deserving special merit, as well as preservation of properties they've owned and maintained for 10 years. Mayor John Hieftje presents the certificates at a city council meeting every June.

"We try to recognize people, some of whom are not getting any financial benefits out of it. They're just doing it because they believe in it," says Susan Wineberg, chair of the awards committee. The nine-member group is a mix of residents city-wide, some of whom are historic district commission members.

To be eligible, a property must be at least 50 years old. Among those honored in 2011 with a rehabilitation award was the Linder House, a bright aqua-hued co-op at 711 Catherine Street that's owned by the Inter Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan.

"The ICC is doing a great job... they seem to have a project every year," Wineberg says. The rehab included remilling of new wood trim to match the old, and historically accurate replacement windows and roof. "Usually things are not that much of a 100-percent overhaul, but that was a really major overhaul."

An adaptive re-use of the garage home base of Old House Gardens, an internationally-known antique flower bulb purveyor at 536 Third Street, also got the nod with a special merit award. After abandoning the search for a historic farm to use for his business, owner Scott Kunst remade the upper level of his barn-like garage into new office space. "Here's a local business guy who's really made good and is staying in Ann Arbor and reusing what he has," Wineberg notes.

Source: Susan Wineberg, Ann Arbor Historic District Commission awards committee chair
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Ann Arbor's Doug Selby is a finalist for a national award that heralds architects who show business acumen, financial strength, community and industry involvement, and entrepreneurial spirit.

The Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award comes with a cash prize and brings prestige. Selby, who's made a name for himself by building homes that fit in with their environment architecturally with minimal energy or materials waste and with regard for historic preservation, is president of Meadowlark Builders.

He was chosen as a finalist by a panel of judges from Case Design/Remodeling Inc., Harvard University's Center for Joint Housing Studies and Hanley Wood, a media company covering construction.

Case founder, CEO and co-chairman, Fred Case, says “Doug Selby represents not only entrepreneurial thinking but action on that thinking which is especially enviable in these more uncertain times.  Doug’s entrepreneurial spirit continually sets a higher bar not only for his business but for the remodeling industry as a whole.”

Case is credited with pioneering the design/build concept in remodeling in the 1970s and with developing the first certification system for remodelers.

Source: Greening of Detroit and Doug Selby, Meadowlark Builders
Writer: Kim North Shine

Gordon Hall, a circa-1840s manse with a suspected tie to the Underground Railroad, is getting the once-over from a team of consultants preparing a historic building rehabilitation master plan. The Dexter Area Historical Society & Museum (DAHSM) owned property sits on a 50-acre plot in Webster and Scio Townships but is visible from downtown Dexter, says Melissa Milton-Pung, a project manager with the Washtenaw County Department of Economic Development and Energy.

"I believe that there is a connection to the Underground Railroad - a lot of people do," Milton-Pung says. "It's just difficult to find documentation, obviously, for something that was so hidden during the time when it was active."

The work on the storied property is funded by a $14,752 grant from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office along with a $10,000 grant from the Knight Foundation. Local architecture firm HopkinsBurns Design Studio won out over a dozen bidders to lead the project, which Milton-Pung expects will be completed this summer.

Katherine Dexter McCormick, an early supporter of birth control pill research and granddaughter of original owner Judge Samuel Dexter, for whom the village of Dexter is named, gifted the property to the University of Michigan in 1950. In 2000, the DAHSM purchased the 9,900-square-foot home from the university, which had divided it into four faculty apartments in the 1950s.

"In doing so...they gutted the entire interior, and so there is practically no original historic fabric left on the interior, and the exterior has been sided aluminum," explains Milton-Pung. "So there is a lot that needs to be done to assess the current condition of the property in terms of its historic integrity, but the property is not in disrepair."

The original central staircase and grand entry foyer were removed during the reconfiguration.

The team will have access to drawings done by U-M's first dean of architecture, Emile Lorch, (for whom Lorch Hall is named) and the Historic American Building Survey prior to its alteration, which Milton-Pung believes will be incorporated into the consultants' recommendations. Estimated rehab costs are unavailable but will be addressed in the plan.

Its purpose, she says, is to make recommendations for maintenance and restoration of the property for different possible uses. "There is some desire to have it as a house museum, and there is also some desire to make sure that we have it in a more active use so that people can continue to want to go there and not say, 'Oh, well, I've already been there.'" Gordon Hall has hosted weddings and other events, school trips, and it is also the site of a Civil War days commemorative event from June 10-12.

And the completed plan will be a mark of credibility behind future funding requests when it comes time to do the actual rehabilitation. Says Milton-Pung, "I have every confidence that major work will be taking place at the property over the next several years."

Source: Melissa Milton-Pung, project manager with the Washtenaw County Department of Economic Development and Energy
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The Pratt Block building has shrugged off its damaged upper facade and now has a new front on Main Street.

Detroit Cornice & Slate recently completed a restoration of the cornice on the building at 301-306 S. Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. The circa-1896 building formerly housed Kline's department store and now has nine residential lofts and other businesses.

The new cornice was fashioned from sheet metal and replaced 80 1-foot by 18-inch brackets removed when flat porcelain panels were installed on the facade. The cornice was then painted to give the appearance of being cast from stone, a common sight in towns with 1800s roots. In that era it was common to construct buildings with ornate facade fronts and unadorned common brick backsides.

"Mark Twain referred to that as a Queen Anne front with a Mary Ann behind!" says Doneen Hesse, owner of Detroit Cornice & Slate.

The 122-year-old business has also had a hand in many of the ornamental slate or copper roofs on the University of Michigan's academic buildings and dormitories. In 1995, the Lurie Engineering Building was topped with a copper roof – 30 tons' worth. And last year the company installed a full new slate roof and copper metalwork such as gutters, downspouts, and fascia, as part of the historical restoration of the Mosher Jordan dormitory. That project cost just over $1.5 million and used about 140,000 pieces of slate, Hesse says.

Hesse ticks off a list of other work, including the installation of ornamental purple and grape green slate on the First Congregational Church as well as slate roofing for Stockwell Hall, Lorch Hall, Hutchens Hall, and fraternities and private Ann Arbor residences.

Source: Doneen Hesse, owner of Detroit Cornice & Slate
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar