nARCHITECTS (with team lead James Corner Field Operations) was one of four finalists for the Detroit West Riverfront competition. Within the larger landscape we designed a Porch, conceived as a flexible armature, to span the edge of the park.
At 2,140 feet long, the open system of glulam timber and steel supports a variety of amenities and elements, variously providing shade, shelter from rain, or voids open to the sky. Beneath this canopy, a number of smaller gable-roofed structures support different programs – greenhouse, café, restrooms, storage.
The Porch celebrates Detroit’s industrial past, calling on current innovations in mass timber that speak to the city’s green future.
![](https://narchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Detroit-Riveryards_book_final_lr-83-e1588708077999.jpg)
![](https://narchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Detroit-Riveryards_book_final_lr-136.jpg)
If one were to hover above the Porch for the Detroit Riverfront, one would recognize that it stretches the entire length of the proposed park, acting as both a threshold and catalyst for human activity in an underused area of the city. From an eye-level vantage point, however, the Porch might appear not only endless, but possibly a work in progress.
![](https://narchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/nA_DETROIT_Model-photo-from-book-scaled.jpg)
![](https://narchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/nA_Detroit_Overall-Axon_extended-background-scaled-e1589568503213.jpg)
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Client: Detroit West Riverfront
Location: Detroit, MI
Status: Competition, finalist
Dates: 2018
Sq Footage: 2,140 ft long
Program: Public waterfront park including greenhouse, cafe, sports equipment rental, and flexible outdoor space
Environmental: Glulam timber construction
Design Team: Eric Bunge, Mimi Hoang | Amanda Morgan | Albert Figueras, Matthew Sikora
Collaborators: Team Lead/Landscape Architecture: James Corner Field Operations | Civil Engineer: Giffels Webster | Sustainability: Sherwood Design Engineers | Environmental: AKT Peerless | Economic Development: HR+A Advisors | Park Advocacy: Ann Zoller