New LTU Building in Midtown

**dmike76** · December-13-13, 03:31 PM

Finally, something concrete. You'll have to do a google search on the title to be able to read the whole article.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-lawrence-tech

**Danny** · December-13-13, 03:36 PM

YAY! keep on building folks and midtown will look like Roger's Park, Chicago in no time.

**SpartanDawg** · December-13-13, 03:49 PM

This is awesome!! I always knew they were working on putting something at the corner of Woodward and Willis.. Thought it was gonna be apartments .. But I'll take this!! Along with the strathmore being renovated starting next year that's gonna be huge

**Armin** · December-13-13, 03:55 PM

A lot of new developments in the works for Midtown these days. Looks like that area might actually start to resemble an actual functional city in the next few years. Very exciting to see!

**rb336** · December-13-13, 04:08 PM

yuck. another bland cookie-cutter building with absolutely zero visual interest. From a school that has an architecture department no less.

**hybridy** · December-13-13, 04:12 PM

not sure who the architect is, but amy deines is a designer herself. she has a very distinct design sense [[masters at cranbrook) and her husband works for rosetti. i would've expected more, as she's the rep for the client. must be no budget for anything better. too bad, so sad

**SpartanDawg** · December-13-13, 04:53 PM

Are you guys serious?? Holy hipsters you need to shut it. Does it really not have enough character for a three story building that's gonna replace a patch of asphalt and grass?!! Since when did you guys get so picky... Until the demand is through the roof then maybe we can get world class designers to design every new building along Woodward... This is actually a nice modern building and increases the value of everything around it. You're both idiots.. Why don't you submit some design proposals so we can be in awe of your incredible design skills??? Idiots ....

**detroitpride313** · December-13-13, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by SpartanDawg

Does it really not have enough character for a three story building that's gonna replace a patch of asphalt and grass?!! Since when did you guys get so picky... Until the demand is through the roof then maybe we can get world class designers to design every new building along Woodward...

I do agree that having a building there is better than nothing. I think the building is ok...it's definitely not hideous, but it could be better. However, I think others have a valid point when they expect better. So many people are just like this is Detroit so anything is better than nothing, but that's a dangerous attitude to have. What's wrong with expecting the best and having a little bit of pride? But I do emphasize that having a building there is much better than having nothing.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · December-13-13, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

yuck. another bland cookie-cutter building with absolutely zero visual interest. From a school that has an architecture department no less.

I think the apparent mix of some brick with other materials, both light and dark, does indeed provide some visual interest. However, I assumed that it would take just a few minutes after the original post to hear the design disparaged. To each his own. But I wonder how many designs anywhere would pass muster with the critics on this forum.

This is not a Detroit-only issue. There are condo buildings going up all over SF that are a bit "meh" in design. Would you like to spend $1,400 a square foot for a condo here in the Mission in this building? [[BTW, this gem of a building has 13 parking spaces to split up between 5 1-BR and 12 2-BR condos.)

http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2013/1...les_record.php

The LTU development, along with the Strathmore and the proposed Wayne State development at Cass/Canfield, means a lot of development in a compact area.

**rb336** · December-13-13, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

I think the apparent mix of some brick with other materials, both light and dark, does indeed provide some visual interest. However, I assumed that it would take just a few minutes after the original post to hear the design disparaged. To each his own. But I wonder how many designs anywhere would pass muster with the critics on this forum.

This is not a Detroit-only issue. There are condo buildings going up all over SF that are a bit "meh" in design. Would you like to spend $1,400 a square foot for a condo here in the Mission in this building? [[BTW, this gem of a building has 13 parking spaces to split up between 5 1-BR and 12 2-BR condos.)

http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2013/1...les_record.php

The LTU development, along with the Strathmore and the proposed Wayne State development at Cass/Canfield, means a lot of development in a compact area.

$1.4 million for 1000 sq. ft. Falls into the "more money than brains" category.

I will give them kudos for echoing the old thermal plant behind it, and it isn't the worst example of its type, but c'mon, its an ARCHITECTURE school

**Gistok** · December-13-13, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by SpartanDawg

Are you guys serious?? Holy hipsters you need to shut it. Does it really not have enough character for a three story building that's gonna replace a patch of asphalt and grass?!! Since when did you guys get so picky... Until the demand is through the roof then maybe we can get world class designers to design every new building along Woodward... This is actually a nice modern building and increases the value of everything around it. You're both idiots.. Why don't you submit some design proposals so we can be in awe of your incredible design skills??? Idiots ....

SpartanDawg... since you're only a newbie with 2 months under your belt... Hybridy IS an architect... and different points of view are welcome here... name calling IS NOT....

As for that design... which has all the charm of a Walgreen entrance... one would think that a University with an architectural school would come up with something that was better than mediocre...

DetroiterOnTheWestCoast... that design in SF is much nicer than this Midtown design... whose major point of contention is the boxy corner pavilion. Fortunately we've seen this design before today... we've had time to digest this...

**313WX** · December-13-13, 07:02 PM

As Hybridy said, they probably didn't have the budget for something more fancy.

Also, we don't know who all had input in the design. It could have been the students at Lawrence Tech [[who know nothing better living in Detroit's suburbs) who submitted that design.

But again, beggars can't be choosers. Any development is better than no development for Detroit at this point.

**rb336** · December-13-13, 07:07 PM

Its from Quinn Evans, who do their best work in restoration.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · December-13-13, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

DetroiterOnTheWestCoast... that design in SF is much nicer than this Midtown design... whose major point of contention is the boxy corner pavilion. Fortunately we've seen this design before today... we've had time to digest this...

Including the cheap siding on the side of the building?

**DetroitPlanner** · December-13-13, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

yuck. another bland cookie-cutter building with absolutely zero visual interest. From a school that has an architecture department no less.

I doubt that. One of LTU's most prominent departments is Architecture. Building rarely look like their original proposals. Do you really prefer an empty lot instead? https://www.google.com/maps/preview#...-08A!2e0&fid=5

**rb336** · December-13-13, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I doubt that. One of LTU's most prominent departments is Architecture. Building rarely look like their original proposals. Do you really prefer an empty lot instead?

And they even more rarely look better

**Sharnelle** · December-14-13, 09:32 AM

Please, please, please let's not fall into the trap of believing that there has to be a trade-off between interesting and the budget.

Detroit is not bland and boring. It is not a generic place. It has soul and funk and spunk. It is quirky and eccentric. It has industrial roots that can be translated into materials and a design that is interesting as well as meeting a budget.

We have to demand that every new scheme and every new building says, "This is the best Detroit can be for the budget!" not "This is good enough to be in Anytown, USA."

So many cities across the country went through a phase of replacing their downtowns with interchangeable design for the sake of renewal. The public knew of nothing better, so they shrugged and accepted whatever replaced the old. Detroit missed that phase but now has the opportunity to not build bland.

Stop the blanding of Detroit!!! Always say to the architects, "Ya gadda do better than that!" This means meeting two non-technical requirements -- "something interesting" and "reflecting the best the D can be" -- as well as meeting the city's building code.

Let's make conscious choices [[pyramid below) and use one of our inborn skills to get to the top: ranting!

**Cliffy** · December-14-13, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I doubt that. One of LTU's most prominent departments is Architecture. Building rarely look like their original proposals. Do you really prefer an empty lot instead? https://www.google.com/maps/preview#...-08A!2e0&fid=5

Lets just put another Church's chicken then. God, some of you people need to be happy that something worthwhile is being built and not some beauty shop, liquor store, pawn shop, barber shop.

**Sharnelle** · December-14-13, 03:54 PM

In case anyone is interested in my photo essays about what makes Detroit visually interesting, plus some questions and concerns direct from the mean streets:

"Who stole the soul?"
http://www.slideshare.net/FarrowPart...the-soul-alive

"Detroit Style: What makes this city so seductive?"
http://www.slideshare.net/svanderk/detroit-style-2

**Gistok** · December-14-13, 04:49 PM

Very nice Sharnelle... "soul" and "soul-less" are good descriptives for new building architecture... with [[unfortunately) it seems more emphasis has been placed on the latter as of late... [[last 50 years).

**Sharnelle** · December-15-13, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

.. "soul" and "soul-less" are good descriptives for new building architecture... with [[unfortunately) it seems more emphasis has been placed on the latter as of late... [[last 50 years).

That the thing, it's not so much a lack of money, but a lack of soul that gets us buildings that are missing the human dimension. Zero personality.

And a lack of guts, I might add. As demonstrated in a place like Ann Arbor where the U has plenty of money but seems afraid to build anything interesting. The message conveyed over the past 20+ yrs with all their blend-in boxes and expensive, boring, generic neo-classicism is, "We have no imagination and we're too timid to think beyond bland, so let's cling to our glorious past. Go Blue!"

**KJ5** · December-15-13, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Sharnelle

In case anyone is interested in my photo essays about what makes Detroit visually interesting, plus some questions and concerns direct from the mean streets:

"Who stole the soul?"
http://www.slideshare.net/FarrowPart...the-soul-alive

"Detroit Style: What makes this city so seductive?"
http://www.slideshare.net/svanderk/detroit-style-2

Love the photo essays, Sharnelle. Like seeing new development, but the last thing I want is for Detroit to become some boring, cookie cutter city. KEEP DETROIT WEIRD! Otherwise I'll have to move to New Orleans or somewhere...

**AuburnSpeedster** · December-15-13, 04:36 PM

Am I the only one who thinks that this building doesn't look that bad? I mean... it could be better. But I still think it would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood and I welcome it with open arms. This certainly goes beyond the "it's better than nothing" and gets to the "it's better than many other things" level, in my opinion.

**DetroitPlanner** · December-15-13, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by AuburnSpeedster

Am I the only one who thinks that this building doesn't look that bad? I mean... it could be better. But I still think it would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood and I welcome it with open arms. This certainly goes beyond the "it's better than nothing" and gets to the "it's better than many other things" level, in my opinion.

No you're not. But there are people on this site that will bitch if you gave them a million dollars because they would have to pay taxes on it.

**noise** · December-15-13, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by AuburnSpeedster

Am I the only one who thinks that this building doesn't look that bad? I mean... it could be better. But I still think it would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood and I welcome it with open arms. This certainly goes beyond the "it's better than nothing" and gets to the "it's better than many other things" level, in my opinion.

No, but there are a lot of know-it-all loudmouths here.