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:

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.”