2018 STUDENT DESIGN SUMMIT

WINNERS

Discover the winners of the 2020 and 2018 Student Design Summits!

Second Annual Cultural Center Student Design Summit Winners Announced

Detroit, MI — The second annual Student Design Summit — a joint initiative of the Michigan Engaging Community through the Classroom Initiative at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Midtown Detroit, Inc. — announced its winners this week.

The Student Design Summit is a complementary component of the Cultural Center Planning Initiative meant to engage high school, college and university students. The inaugural competition challenged students to re-design the Cultural District surrounding the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The second annual Student Design Summit invited students to explore the future of libraries and public universities and prepare specific ideas and design solutions for Cass Avenue, building connections between the main branch of the Detroit Public Library and Wayne State University. Submissions responded not only to the Summit prompt, but the constantly changing dynamic of urban living during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the need to move beyond a library or civic institution’s physical setting and showcasing social media strategies and interactive outdoor programming.

Submissions were scored by a jury comprised of: Meghan Courtney, Outreach Archivist, Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University; Jo Anne Mondowney, Executive Director, Detroit Public Library; Susan Mosey, Executive Director, Midtown Detroit, Inc.; Dan Rieden, Lead Landscape Architect, Planning and Development Department, City of Detroit; and Kiana Wenzell, Director of Culture & Community, Design Core Detroit.

“Student design competitions are important—especially during these uncertain times because they keep students challenged and encourage them to work on new ideas while growing their skills. It’s important that we continue to develop opportunities to train the next generation of urban planners and designers to keep them engaged in the evolution of Detroit,” said Sue Mosey, Executive Director of Midtown Detroit, Inc. who is leading the Cultural Center Planning Initiative.

The 2020winning submissions are:

First Place

School: Wayne State University

Team Members: Raneem Daaboul, Talia Dowling, Keana Freeman, Mahdi Hamid, Brittany Little, Megan Meddaugh, Priscilla Lloyd, Rachel Tapling and Samantha Wood.

Description: “Midtown Connect” seeks to further the agendas of the Cultural Center Planning Initiative and the Wayne Framework by suggesting how to continue the cultural hub connection toward the Detroit Public Library, along Putnam, and on to Cass Avenue for engagement with the Wayne State campus, with ideas that connect not only to the students, but to the larger Midtown community as well. With repeatable components and elements, it also lays the groundwork for a cohesive way to continually add to, and visually extend the town square concept and its important idea of democratic spaces that connect.

SECOND Place

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Cameron Giniel, Abraham Rycus and Adrienne Royce

Description: “Midtown Screenspace” - The Cultural Center Planning Initiative Student Design Summit 2020 seeks a 21st Century Democratic space that builds connections across and along Cass Avenue. The organizers desire an engaging public space that is welcoming and inviting. Our design assists in building a sense of community beyond the walls of the WSU Reuther and Detroit Public libraries by providing a placemaking feature that is inviting, playful, and accessible through two interactive screens installed on the ground on either side of the street.

THIRD PLACE

School: Wayne State University

Team Members: Natalie Lyon and Adam Pruett

Description: “Knowledge/Flow” re-conceptualizes the gateway between Wayne State University and the city's Cultural District at the Detroit Public Library Plaza on Cass Avenue from the lens of urban sustainability. Our approach considers the project's triple bottom line impact on people, planet, and prosperity in the city and region. Using the flow of water as a metaphor for the flow of people, ideas, and program throughout the Cultural District and its myriad institutions, Knowledge/Flow re-imagines the future of libraries as being particularly fluid and adaptable to changing local and global community needs. As in-person visits to libraries continue to decline with the rise of the internet, Knowledge/Flow attempts to create accessible outdoor civic spaces that attract citizens to the library while underscoring the importance of ecosystem services provided by nature to human life. Knowledge/Flow provides passive recreation opportunities where urban citizens can enjoy and connect with nature and build an appreciation for the impact that water has on urban life, in all its forms. The Rainwater Celebration Corridor that is at the core of this design invites citizens to consider the less-understood components of the urban water cycle, specifically stormwater and groundwater.

Student Design Summit Winners Announced in the Competition to Reimagine the Cultural District in Midtown Detroit

Detroit, MI—Including the voices of young people, who hold the keys to the future of our cities, was top of mind for the Cultural District planning partners in launching a Student Design Summit competition in the Fall of 2018 to run in parallel with the professional DIA Plaza/ Midtown Cultural Connections International Design Competition. More than 93 student participants from throughout the state of Michigan representing high school, college and university teams from Wayne State University, University of Michigan, College for Creative Studies, University of Detroit/Mercy, and Interlochen Academy of Arts submitted more than 23 team entries. The winner of the $2500 top prize and as well as the $2500 People’s Choice Award was Wayne State University. Three honorable mentions were awarded to teams from the University of Michigan.

“The Wayne State team seemed to practice what they preach,” said Dan Rieden, Lead Landscape Architect, City of Detroit, Planning & Development Department. “They actually went out and interviewed stakeholders and they showed us one way at least on how to engage the community.”

The jury of eight thought leaders representing the City of Detroit, Midtown Detroit, Inc., Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, The William Davidson Foundation, The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Detroit Institute of Arts, and the University of Toronto School of Urban Planning noted that the winning entry featured a complete and very professional attempt to create connection in the Cultural District through transforming the district’s parking lot on John R into a park-like cultural commons with a performance space, food trucks, play area and retail space. The jury also noted that many of the teams presented thoughtful and cohesive presentations that kept the focus on the existing institutions while creatively addressing basic needs such as lighting, seating, and signage to create a space where everyone feels welcome to stay.

"Collectively, the students’ ideas show a nuanced understanding of the many challenges associated with connecting the cultural institutions to each other, and the surrounding neighborhood. The need to create a setting that highlights all institutions' offerings is clearly seen in the submissions,” said A. Paul Fontaine, Program Manager for the Michigan Engaging Community through the Classroom Initiative at the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning at the University of Michigan. "The students’ work succinctly and imaginatively identify the primary issues the professional design teams will need to tackle in the coming year."

The jury assessed the submissions based on a project brief with a challenge to come up with ideas on how to help connect the 12 cultural and educational institutions in Detroit’s Midtown cultural district. The ideas submitted by the 23 teams were broad with some focusing on technology-only interventions including apps for connecting visitors with the programs and collections offered in the District. The winning team stands out for their “aspirational vision for the Cultural District,” said Juror Felicia E. Molnar, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, Detroit Institute of Arts. “They took a risk in trying to solve for the entire cultural district and I appreciate the Big thinking.”

2018 winner of the jury award and people’s choice award: 51Eighty/wsu

School: Wayne State University

Team Members: Xiao Zhou, Kristin Shaw, Gus Navvarro, Shelby Holmes, Allison Elam, Heather Washington, Tori Williamson, Krupa Vora, Jessica Stroble, Mariah Bosquez, Ashaki Zeigler

Description: For nearly a century, the Detroit Institute of Arts has served as the anchor of imagination locally as well as regionally. With a rich history and timeless architecture, this institution has served as the beacon of all things that have been - and things that could be, in the minds of the locals and visitors to the region. It is home to iconic cultural treasures and numerous masterpieces. 51Eighty - Wayne State University's proposal to the DIA Midtown Cultural Connections Student Competition, seeks to advance this legacy.

2018 honorable mention for Interactive Design: connectd/ u of m

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Denise Baran, Alissa Graff, Teresa Cao, Guanrong Wang

Description: We are addressing the lack of digital and physical connection between the cultural institutions in Midtown Detroit. We are approaching this with a digital app, a physical booklet, and a proposal to use the midtown U-M building as a central information hub for the cultural district.

2018 honorable mention for product design: d-lens - Miux/ u of m

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Jorge Cazares, Caitlin Helgesen, Megan St. Andrew, Yankun Wang

Description: As UX designers, we wanted to enhance the current user experience of visitors to the cultural district in exploratory and interactive ways. Currently, visitors are not necessarily cognizant of the institutions and opportunities available to them in the district. With our solution, users can have a magnified view of the district that's both fun and informative, all easily accessible between their car and their destination.

2018 honorable mention for overall design:
The Open Museum: Space Activators/ Taubman College U of M

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Benjamin Peace, Shaobo Niu, Da Chen

Description: The DIA inhabits a very enclosed architecture. This project aims to design spaces in the context surrounding the DIA to open its collection to the world.

Student Design Video Presentations

Voting is now closed for the Student Design Competition. Winners will be announced soon.

View all of the video presentations submitted by the students of University of Michigan, Wayne State University, University of Detroit Mercy, College for Creative Studies, and Interlochen Center for the Arts! Be sure to vote for your favorite submission below!

One vote per valid email address. You must vote by Sunday, January 13, 2019, 11:59 PM EST for your vote to count!

Student Team 1

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Benjamin Peace, Shaobo Niu, Da Chen

Description: The DIA inhabits a very enclosed architecture. This project aims to design spaces in the context surrounding the DIA to open its collection to the world.

Student Team 2

School: Interlochen Center for the Arts

Team Members: Yuqi(Alice) Bian, Xueer Wang, Kai Tung Yeung, Hiosut He, Mello Henderson, Jacob Hunter, Gabriel Kennis

Description: In our projects, we will make the museum district have a sense of unity because the building within the district seems very independent of each other, and there’s little to no relationship between the individual buildings. We will create a logo that defines the museum district and it will be placed around its borders. Another problem that our group is going to address is the signs around the district, there are not many maps around the area, and we are going to create stands of electronic maps near the bus stations to make transportation easier.

Student Team 3

School: Wayne State University

Team Members: Xiao Zhou, Kristin Shaw, Gus Navvarro, Shelby Holmes, Allison Elam, Heather Washington, Tori Williamson, Krupa Vora, Jessica Stroble, Mariah Bosquez, Ashaki Zeigler

Student Team 4

School: College for Creative Studies

Team Members: Ashley Hanson, Sophia Yauck, Jonathan Phillips, Lindsey Sieja, Pamela Schmieder

Description: Our concept addresses wayfinding, safety, and engagement within the community. Our illuminated sculptural cubes will be sights of interests that function as orientation points, educational exchange and entertainment zones. They host art pieces inside the cubes, and serve as inviting meeting points for the community on the lawns of each institution.

Student Team 5

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Denise Baran, Alissa Graff, Teresa Cao, Guanrong Wang

Student Team 6

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Xiaoti Di, Elpis Laipan Wong, Yuanzhao Wang, Zhenkun Zhang

Description: We seek to find a way to open the DIA as a physical institution to the neighborhood by providing alternative ways of the movement of people and building the identity of the DIA. Our ambition is to blur the boundary of DIA and blend it into the city, so that it is activated.

Student Team 7

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Nina Janies, Sarah Thong, Angela Lin

Description: Our proposal for this competition would encompass two parts. One part would be directed toward new people coming into the city with a passport program, and the other would be to involve local school children and incentivize learning through a badge program.

Student Team 8

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Shachi Salvi, Quynh Tran

Description: The challenge we are trying to address is the gentrification and cultural displacement of long-time residents in Detroit. We are proposing a solution that has two main goals. One is to promote connectivity, and the other is to directly involve the community in the district’s growth.

Student Team 9

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Ellie Simon, Anita Michaud, Phoebe Johnson, Leah Graham

Description: Currently, we see that the DIA Plaza area is underutilized, with no real incentives for visitors to remain in the area after they leave one of the institutions. It is time to reclaim this area, focusing on ensuring is it both accessible and welcoming to residents of the city of Detroit. We hope to address the challenge of making this space not an institutional space, but a public space that is open to all, both the Detroiters and those from outside the city. In addition, we aim to find a creative solution for the disconnect that exists between all of the institutions of the Cultural Center.

Student Team 10

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Qinzhi Jiang, Boshu Hua

Description: After researching and interviewing, we find that the disconnection between the surrounding community and the institutes are caused by uneven distribution of information. Citizens are unaware of the resources and often withhold the stereotypical impression of institutes—academic, serious and unwelcoming. To reach those daunted by the elitist appearance of institutes, we construct a playful way to interact with the cultural district distributed via social media. We hope our project will kindly remind citizens of the exhibitions, collections and programs here, and contribute to the outreach efforts of our stakeholders.

Student Team 11

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Ian Geiman

Description: The identity of the space around the Cultural Center Historic District can be leveraged in a variety of tangible and intangible ways to create and expand on the experiences had while visiting the institutions involved here. This identity can work to create connections between and beyond the institutions, which leads to new connections to the surrounding area and beyond.

Student Team 12

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Karis Tzeng, Jila Mendoza, Colin Brown

Description: The cultural district currently features world-class public institutions yet feels disjointed and inaccessible as a district to local and visiting populations alike. Although it is one of the greatest concentrations of cultural establishments in the United States, the district lacks the coherence and public realm attributes needed to become a truly dynamic space for all Detroiters. Hierarchies within the district related to transportation, institutional identity, and messaging limit the potential for greater connectivity.

Student Team 13

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Natalie Cadotte, Kara Burke, Julia Maenza, Alison Albrecht

Description: We hope that structural changes and introducing an app will enhance community engagement with the space.

Student Team 14

School: University of Detroit Mercy

Team Members: Anthony Vannoy, Madison Girolamo, Raya Alshamayleh, Maria Jose, Sara Mitrakovic, Aya Elmokadam, Hanen Mohammad

Description: Our team will discuss the historical relevance of the area. We will tackle that by proposing these historic pop-up displays throughout the cultural center and hoping to spread them throughout the city.

Student Team 15

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Jake Rosenberg, Levi Myers, Ian Rosenblum

Description: Our team is looking to approach this project through a lens of inclusivity as we look to propose a solution that will turn the space into an area that can be utilized by all types of demographics and for people both inside and outside of the city.

Student Team 16

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Nicole Butcher, Garret Wood-Sternburgh, Anqi Xu, Yufeng Wang

Description: The proposed project opens the museum to bring the community to the Detroit Institute of Arts through identifiable objects that as a society take for granted yet provides identity to the city. These objects such as trash cans, bus stops, benches, and swings can further reveal the DIA’s identity by incorporating notable works of art within the object which then can be deployed in and around the museum.

Student Team 17

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Ashley Fleckenstein, Valorie Zhang, Ambika Vohra

Description: Most people are not aware that Detroit has a thriving cultural district with world-class art museums, libraries, and universities. After speaking to visitors of the district, we found most people end up visiting the DIA and heading home. As it stands, the district feels disconnected. The root of the problem lies in a lack of awareness. The Detroit Cultural Village Passport aims to change this.

Student Team 18

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Reem Aburukba, Rachel Rollman, Dalia Marakby, Eleanor Wang, Iris Campbell, Rebecca Haines

Description: We will address the lack of welcoming and connected atmosphere as well as implementing activities for all. We would like to connect old and new Detroiters through public interactive sculptures and design. We aim to make the cultural district more prevalent among all Detroiters by adding an interactive record statue, art-inspired play structure, and more

Student Team 19

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Janani Gandhi, Mae Babbington,
Lindsey Masterman, Jessie Williams

Description: We believe that the key to making the Cultural Center important to Detroit families is ownership, and ownership comes when people are invited into spaces. We feel that low-cost programming starting at a young age is key to invitation, and making the DIA and Cultural Center an indispensable part of locals’ lives.

student Team 20

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Travis Bell, Sayhaan Goraya, Noreen Khan

Description: Our team will attempt to address the issue of underutilization by offering an approach to redesign the space so it is welcoming to both residents and non-residents. Our hope is to create a space in which visitors have the opportunity to engage with Detroit's history and culture. We plan to provide a simple framework for the redesign that is focused on engaging the community and giving community members a voice and stake in their community.

student Team 21

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Jorge Cazares, Caitlin Helgesen, Megan St. Andrew, Yankun Wang

student Team 22

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Kim Karlsrud, Blake Bellistri, Emily Legleitner, Kate Johnson, Eunji Bae, Courtney Geist, Perry Stella O'Toole, Mika Reedy, Emily Cutting, Kellie Kohler,
Srishti Gupta,

Description: Much of these institutions are self-contained, having knowledge that can only be enjoyed within the interiors of these spaces. By creating a space that goes beyond the interiors of these institutions, and also finds a way to unify them, Midtown Mirrors aims to create an environment that all kinds of people can enjoy in an informal atmosphere.

Student Team 23

School: University of Michigan

Team Members: Megan Chou

Description: Pop-up events can be a way to bring the DIA to the community.

Student Design Summit

Overview

As a part of the DIA Plaza & Midtown Cultural Connections international design competition, the Detroit Institute of Arts, University of Michigan, & College for Creative Studies invites student design teams to envision the museum’s future through the lens of CONNECTIVITY. The aim of this competition is to address the opportunity the DIA and surrounding cultural district have to connect with each other and with outside communities. Individual students and interdisciplinary student teams will develop cutting-edge tactics, prototypes, concepts, and designs that would better integrate the DIA in its unique geography at the heart of the region’s greatest collection of cultural assets.

What is the role of the art museum and cultural district in the 21st century? How do cultural institutions establish or reflect civic values? What tactics, tools, or designs can be developed to help these institutions better serve the communities around them? And where does public space fit into the mix?

The DIA annually hosts over half a million visitors, offers a host of programming for all ages, engages communities throughout Michigan, and holds one of the most thorough encyclopedic collections of artwork in the country. Additionally, Detroit’s cultural district is home to twelve institutions of culture & education that attract hundreds of visitors to the district daily. These institutions also serve the neighborhood's many residents (longtime and student) in this corner of Midtown. Given these great assets, the DIA and cultural district are setting out to find innovative ways to attract new audiences and activate the often forgotten exterior public spaces between buildings. Student-generated design solutions will make the most of these assets while addressing the challenges around public space and the DIA’s role as an anchor institution for Detroit and our region.

Student teams will have the chance to work parallel to a professional design competition. Three design teams will develop conceptual master plans leading up to January 2019, when they will present their designs to a jury of experts and to the public at the DIA. Students will learn from professional teams and key stakeholders, and contribute to a project that will transform the public space of the DIA and cultural district for centuries to come. The student projects should identify a particular challenge within this context, and build an appropriate and innovative solution that can be well addressed over the course of a semester. Student teams will showcase their solutions in three minute-long videos, to be voted on by the jury and the public in January 2019. Winning teams will: 1) Have their deliverables shared with the professional design team, 2) Be recognized at the student competition showcase in January 2019, and 3) Win a prize of $2,500.

Evaluation Criteria

Applicability: Does the proposed idea address the current conditions of the DIA, district, city, and region? Does it undertake an innovative approach to the theme of CONNECTIVITY?
Feasibility: Can the idea be built, programmed, funded, and/or maintained for a reasonable budget? Does it take into account user needs, public safety, seasonal weather, visibility, etc. What scope does it address?
Aspirational: Does the team’s concept make the DIA and cultural district a better place to visit, work, and live? What is the vision for the future of the DIA and cultural district?
There will be 2 winning projects -- 1 decided by the Jury + Steering Co. + Project Team, and the other by the public. Each winning team will leave the Student Design Summit with $2500 in prize money, and have their projects handed to the winning professional design team. The winning teams will have their short films showcased at the January 14th celebration.
Submit your final deliverables by 5:00pm on December 14th, 2018.
For those submitting projects, please note:
In connection with your submission of a video in connection with the DIA/MDI SDS (the “Video”), you hereby grant to the DIA/MDI and its affiliates, partners, licensees or assignees a non-exclusive, fully transferable, sublicensable right and license worldwide to reproduce, publicly perform, display, transmit, and distribute the Video, including altering, modifying and/or creating derivative works, through all media now known or hereinafter developed for the purpose of advertising and promoting the DIA/MDI, or its affiliates or partners, or for the purpose of advertising and promoting the cultural campus revitalization project. You hereby waive or have obtained waivers from each creator of the Video, to the extent permitted by applicable law, of all rights of paternity, integrity, attribution, disclosure, withdrawal, and any other rights that may be known as "moral rights" with respect to the use of the Video pursuant to this Agreement. Licensor has obtained from all persons and entities who are, or whose trademark or other property is, identified, depicted, or otherwise referred to in the Work, such written and signed licenses, permissions, waivers, and consents, including those relating to publicity, privacy, and any intellectual property rights, as are or reasonably may be expected to be necessary for the DIA/MDI to exercise its rights in the Video as permitted under this Agreement, without incurring any payment or other obligation to, or otherwise violating any right of, any such person or entity. You further represent and warrant that you solely and exclusively own or control the right, title, and interest in and to the Video and can grant the DIA/MDI the above-referenced rights.

jury

Alongside the public, the following jurors will evaluate the final student design team project submissions:

Sue Mosey, Executive Director- Midtown Detroit, Inc.
Dan Rieden, Lead Landscape Architect, Planning & Development Dept.- City of Detroit
Vadim Avshalumov, Program Manager, Cultural and Civic Vitality- William Davidson Foundation
Sigal Hemy, Program Officer, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
Leslie Tom, Chief Sustainability Officer, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Darian Razdar, Masters of Science in Planning- University of Toronto
Felicia E. Molnar, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives- Detroit Institute of Arts

Competition Period

September 24, 2018 - January 14, 2019

Registration Period

September 24, 2018 - November 30, 2018

Important Dates

September 24, 2018 | 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Student Design Summit Kickoff @ Kresge Court, DIA (doors at 5:45 p.m.)
October 10, 2018 | 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Participation in professional design team public workshop (optional but highly encouraged-this event is part of the professional design team competition)
October 16, 2018 | 5:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.
A Public Conversation on the Future of Museums, Public Spaces and Parks with renowned architect Sir David Adjaye of the Smithsonian’s African American History Museum
@ DIA’s Detroit Film Theatre
October 22, 2018 | **6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
EVENT NOW BEGINNING @ 6 P.M.
Perspectives on the DIA and Cultural Center : an opportunity for student teams to hear from stakeholder institutions and ask questions about what kinds of changes different cultural institutions would like to see in the district @ College for Creative Studies, Ford Campus, room W217 in the Walter B. Ford II Building

The event will be live streamed HERE

November 12, 2018 | 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
What it Takes to Make the Cultural District Run @ Wayne State University Welcome Center- 42 W. Warren, Detroit, MI 48202
This event will give participants the opportunity to get insight from the people who make sure the Cultural District is a safe and engaging place to live, work and visit every day. Specialists will be available to discuss the following topics as related to the Cultural District: personal safety/security, local history, facilities & site operations, narrative / videography, previous and on-going revitalization efforts and programming, engagement efforts, transportation and mobility, design and natural environment considerations. Please come prepared with clarifying questions for your own project. Dinner and light refreshments will be available at this event!
November 30, 2018 | by Midnight
Student team online registration deadline
December 14, 2018 | 5 p.m.
All video submissions due by 5 p.m.
January 14, 2019 | 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Student design team showcase & celebration (winners announced) @ DIA Kresge Court
January 23, 2019 | 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Three professional design team finalists present conceptual plans to Jury & public @ DIA Rivera Court

Prizes

Jury Prize: $2,500
Public Prize: $2,500
Highest scoring projects will be showcased at January 14 event
Runners-up will receive honorable mentions
All competing teams will receive certificates of participation.

Deliverables & Outcomes

Deliverables can take many forms—apps, reports, design concepts, animations, models, performance, etc.—as long as they meet the above criteria.
Three minute video showcasing your deliverable and process.

Eligibility

Individuals or teams of students (no maximum or minimum # of students)
Interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged
Team members must be able to attend regular events in Detroit between September 2018 and January 2019 (see above calendar)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Detroit Institute of Arts Student Design Summit (DIA SDS)?

The DIA SDS is a call for ideas to make the area around the DIA museum more user-friendly, active and welcoming. How do people enter the museum? What is inside the museum? How do people get to other area attractions? Can the art come outside? What is a civic center / arts district in the 21st century? These are just a few of the questions that can be explored by your submission.

What are the submission requirements?

One 3-minute-long video

Ideas must be presented in the form of a video no longer than 3 minutes. The first 20 seconds of the video must display text or a screenshot of a board with the following information:

Team Name/ Slideroom username
Name of project
Issue idea is addressing (i.e., improving way-finding, making the exterior more welcoming, expanding programs to outside areas, etc.)
In 25 words or less, tell us why your idea should win!

What can the videos show?

Ideas can be expressed in a variety of media and artistic formats: sculpture, poetry, journalism, dance, building plans, movie or whatever speaks to your team’s vision. Language and actions portrayed in the video should be appropriate for the idea and occasion.

Who is eligible to submit ideas?

The only requirement for submitting ideas for the DIA SDS is that you are currently enrolled in a Michigan high school, college, or university. Teams are strongly encouraged.

What is the required team size?

There are no minimum or maximum team sizes.

Are there prizes / rewards?

Yes, 2 grand prizes of $2,500 will be awarded - an Cultural District Jury Award and a People’s Choice Award. Additionally, up to 10 honorable mentions will be awarded. All competing teams will receive certificates of participation.

Jury Award: members will choose the submission that best articulates and activates the goals and criteria as described in the Student Design Summit brief.

People' Choice Award: All submissions will be reviewed to ensure no offensive language or disrespectful ideas are being espoused. After the review, all accepted submissions will be uploaded online. Visitors to the website will be allowed to pick one submission they feel offers the most compelling ideas / vision of the revitalization of the Cultural District. Voting will be open between January 3 - January 10, 2019

Winners will be notified via email by January 12, 2019.

What are important dates I should keep in mind?

September 24, 2018 | 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Student Design Summit Kickoff @ Kresge Court, DIA (doors at 5:45 p.m.)
October 10, 2018 | 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Participation in professional design team public workshop (optional but highly encouraged-this event is part of the professional design team competition)
October 16, 2018 | 5:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.
A Public Conversation on the Future of Museums, Public Spaces and Parks with renowned architect Sir David Adjaye of the Smithsonian’s African American History Museum
@ DIA’s Detroit Film Theatre
October 22, 2018 | 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
EVENT NOW BEGINNING @ 6 P.M.
Perspectives on the DIA and Cultural Center : an opportunity for student teams to hear from stakeholder institutions and ask questions about what kinds of changes different cultural institutions would like to see in the district @ College for Creative Studies, Ford Campus, room W217 in the Walter B. Ford II Building
The event will be live streamed HERE
November 12, 2018 | 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
What it Takes to Make the Cultural District Run @ Wayne State University Welcome Center- 42 W. Warren, Detroit, MI 48202
This event will give participants the opportunity to get insight from the people who make sure the Cultural District is a safe and engaging place to live, work and visit every day. Specialists will be available to discuss the following topics as related to the Cultural District: personal safety/security, local history, facilities & site operations, narrative / videography, previous and on-going revitalization efforts and programming, engagement efforts, transportation and mobility, design and natural environment considerations. Please come prepared with clarifying questions for your own project. Dinner and light refreshments will be available at this event!
November 30, 2018 | by Midnight
Student team online registration deadline - register HERE
December 14, 2018 | 5 p.m.
All video submissions due in Slideroom by 5 p.m.
January 14, 2019 | 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Student design team showcase & celebration (winners announced) @ DIA’s Kresge Court
January 23, 2019 | 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Three professional design team finalists present conceptual plans to Jury & public @ DIA Rivera Court

How do I submit my team’s idea?

Follow this link to register. After registering, you will have access to a SlideRoom folder where you can drop your completed video.

Still have questions?
Reach out to the Student Design Summit staff for more information.

resources

On this page you will find an abbreviated version of the resources received by the professional design teams. Included are the community engagement findings collected specifically in response to the DIA Plaza & Midtown Cultural Connections project in addition to various reports, articles, drawings and maps from key stakeholders. If you have any questions or would like to request or add specific resources, please reach out to the Student Design Summit Team.