Michigan Design Sessions: Detroit
Michigan Design Sessions: Detroit builds on the legacy of ArcPrep, Taubman College’s longstanding pre-college architecture program in Detroit, expanding its commitment to design education, creative exploration, and meaningful connections between Detroit students, the city, and the University of Michigan. Based in Detroit’s Cultural District, the program transforms museums, libraries, parks, educational institutions, and civic organizations into a distributed classroom where students investigate the people, places, and ideas shaping their city.
The program consists of four full-day workshops, each hosted by a Cultural District partner and serving approximately 20 students. Participants may attend a single workshop or return throughout the series to deepen their engagement. Working alongside University of Michigan faculty, practicing designers, educators, and community partners, students explore how Detroit’s buildings, landscapes, neighborhoods, and public spaces reflect histories of creativity, migration, industry, innovation, and civic life.
Why MDS:Detroit?
Through drawing, mapping, photography, model-making, visual storytelling, discussion, and collaborative design activities, students develop creative confidence, critical-thinking skills, and a stronger sense of civic responsibility. They learn to use design not only to create buildings and spaces, but also to ask important questions, collaborate across disciplines, and address complex public challenges. The program introduces pathways into architecture, urban planning, preservation, community development, and the cultural sector while strengthening relationships among Detroit schools, cultural institutions, and the University of Michigan.
Each workshop produces tangible student work—including drawings, maps, models, photographs, writing, videos, and design proposals—that contributes to an evolving portfolio of ideas for Detroit’s future. A public launch event and culminating exhibition will celebrate participants’ achievements, amplify their perspectives, and carry ArcPrep’s legacy forward by affirming a central belief: Detroit’s young people are essential partners in shaping the city’s next chapter.
Personnel
U–M Faculty Collaborators
- Ellie Abrons
- Zain Abuseir
- María Arquero de Alarcón
- Bryan Boyer
- Tess Clancy
- Jacob Comerci
- Melissa Harris
- Lesli Hoey
- Irene Hwang
- Yi-Chin Lee
- John McMorrough
- Julia McMorrough
- Ana Morcillo Pallarés
- Cyrus Peñarroyo
- Gina Reichert
- Mireille Roddier
- Jonathan Rule
- Dana Salama
- Jose Sanchez
- Geoffrey Thün
- Anca Trandafirescu
- Kathy Velikov
Past Fellows
- Missy Ablin
- Allen Gillers
- Youngtack Oh
- Suzanne Lettieri
- Julie Pedtke
- Paulina Reyes
- Salam Rida
- Torri Smith
- Sara Timberlake
Select Professional Partners
- 313 Creative
- Berardi Partners
- Equity in Architectural Education Consortium
- Fielding International
- Gensler
- Hamilton Anderson and Associates
- National Organization of Minority Architects
- Rossetti
- Smith Group
Partnering Cultural Institutions
- 400 Forward
- A Host of People
- Design Core Detroit
- Detroit Institute of Art
- Detroit Public Library
- Kresge Arts
- Oakland Avenue Urban Farm
- Scarab Club
- Sidewalk Festival
- Power House Productions
Select Academic Partners
- Cornell University
- University of Detroit Mercy
- Lawrence Technological University
Application Information
Any student from a participating DPSCD high school is eligible. Students are selected by their principals and must meet the following requirements:
- 2.5 GPA or better
- Good attendance and academic standing
- An interest in architecture
Apply
Applications are currently closed.
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