School of Architecture News

The School of Architecture (SOA) traces its roots to the establishment of the Department of Architectural Engineering within the College of Engineering in 1922. In 1957, Lawrence J. Green, S.J., was able to transform the curriculum and re-title the program as the Department of Architecture. From 1961 to 1963, Professor Bruno Leon served as chair and began the transformation of the program into an autonomous School of Architecture. In 1964, the degree was accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, and Bruno  Leon was named the School's first dean. Throughout the past 50 years, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture has produced graduates who are uniquely qualified to lead and serve in their communities. 

To celebrate the School of Architecture's accomplishments over more than half a century as we look forward to a bright future, the School is planning a number of exciting events to give our students, faculty, alumni, and friends several opportunities to mark this wonderful occasion. 

The 50th Anniversary Dinner will be held Friday, Sept. 27th and will include several award presentations and many special guests. This will be preceded by a keynote lecture offered by James Timberlake '74 on the 26th. Please check the SOA website (architecture.udmercy.edu) for more information, and plan to return to Detroit and to campus for these events.

In addition to the School's anniversary, the Detroit Collaborative Design Center is looking forward to celebrating its 20th Anniversary. During those years, the School's reputation has been greatly enhanced by its outreach in the community through the work of staff and students working collaboratively with many local community groups.

Business leaders and community stakeholders in Detroit’s Livernois Avenue community are joining together to celebrate local businesses and culture on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion with a new Pop-Up community space.

The Livernois Community Storefront is a temporary community space that occupies a vacant storefront at 19410 Livernois Avenue. The location will serve as a welcome center for the Avenue of Fashion, Livernois Avenue’s business district and will hold community events.

“Light-Up Livernois” will kickoff the community storefront with a festive weekend full of fun on Friday, May 31 and Saturday June 1, 2013. Friday evening will feature a fashion show of Livernois clothiers, music and art from the neighborhood. Saturday’s activities will include yoga, paint-your-own pottery, a fashion workshop, theatre and a parade down Livernois. Local artists and food vendors will participate on both days.

“There are gems all over the City of Detroit,” said Dan Pitera, Executive Director, DCDC. “Livernois Avenue with its surrounding communities is one of them,” he added. “The Livernois Community Storefront represents a community driven action and is not the end goal. It will connect and bring awareness to many of the assets within this Detroit gem."

Through its Impact Detroit initiative, and in partnership with Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's Revolve Detroit and Challenge Detroit, the Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture is spearheading the Livernois Community Storefront project on the Avenue of Fashion.

Tentative event itinerary:

Friday, May 31

• 6 p.m. – Storefront open w/ music, art and Livernois businesses open late
• 7 p.m. – Remarks from organizers and participants
• 8 p.m. – Fashion Show
• 10 p.m. – Close

Saturday, June 1

• 10 a.m. – Yoga
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Livernois Community Parade, begins at Mike’s Fresh Market
• 1-3 p.m. – Paint Your Own Pottery with We Are Clay/Art in Motion
• 3 p.m. – DIY Fashion workshop
• 5 p.m. – Theater Performance by Extra Mile Playwrights
• 6 p.m. – Close

For more information on “Light-Up Livernois,” contact Ceara O’Leary, Project Manager, DCDC, at 313-993-1037 (olearycm@udmercy.edu) or visit the Livernois Community Storefront page at www.facebook.com/LivernoisCommunityStorefront.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture presents a talk by Mickey Jacob '82 on Wednesday, April 3 from 6–8 p.m. in the Warren Loranger Architecture Building.

Jacob was recently inaugurated as the 89^th president of the American Institute of Architects, chosen to represent over 80,000 AIA members. He has more than 25 years of AIA participation holding numerous leadership positions.

Jacob is the managing principal at Urban Studio Architects in Tampa, Florida. Urban Studio Architects is an architecture and interior architecture practice with a focus on sustainable design practices in a variety of project types. Jacob oversees the day-to-day business operations, the development of the firm's strategic direction, and the implementation of business development.

This event is free and open to the public and is part of the 2012-2013 School of Architecture Lecture Series, presented by the Great Lakes Fabricators and Erectors Association.

This exciting, educational, and, innovative summer program is a one-week (June 24 - June 28, 2013) commuter camp for students currently enrolled in the 9th-12th grades who are interested in gaining exposure to the world of Architecture. Students will be introduced to fundamental concepts of architecture, design, and engineering through a variety of hands-on projects while working within a university studio environment. Under the leadership of professors of architecture, individuals will design and model a small scale intervention with emphasis placed on the relationship between form, structure, and the surrounding environment. By the end of the week, students will have completed a project, which they will present at a reception for all participants and their guests. The cost of this program is $300. A $50 nonrefundable registration fee is due upon acceptance into the program. The remaining $250 is due no later than May 24th. For further information, contact Professor Gilbert Sunghera, S.J., at gilbert.sunhgera@udmercy.edu, or call the Architecture Office at 313-993-1532.

Plans will continue this summer for renovations
to many of the studio spaces. Thanks to the generous support of many individuals,
especially alumni, as well as several leading local architecture firms, the School has raised approximately $370,000 to date to fund this important project. The School also completed the fabrication of a custom drafting table prototype that has been well received by students, and plans are under way for renovations that will focus on the studios on the 2nd floor of the building. Students will surely appreciate and enjoy these improvements. Thank you to those of who have given so generously to the project.

Renovations are nearing completion on an extraordinary new facility in Volterra, Italy. Most renovations were completed in early April with furnishings and finishing touches expected to be completed for the arrival of our students in early May. A strong cohort of 10 architecture students and 9 honors students from the College of Liberal Arts & Education will soon be the proud inaugural class of the Volterra International Residential College.