Co-instructor: Yojairo Lomelli
Fall 2022 Team: Morgan Jones, Senneca Jones, Justice Lewis, Alan Maciel-Gutierrez, Charles McLean, Merrideth Mills, Monserrat Molina, Noe Pena, Alejandro Perez-Zayas, Rafael Ramirez, Christopher Ramirez-Hernandez, Khalil Revels, Emma Roberts, Evelyn Rodriguez, Africa Roman-Morales
Winter 2023 Team: Asholey Calito-Cucul, Devon Hunter, Erik Vega, Fahmida Faijah, Jacob Bradley, Jada Ingram, Jaia Johnson, Jared Hernandez, Jazmin Jenkins, Jazzmyn Fagin, Kalista Bennett, Kennedy Watts, Klay Cole, Royshawn Tye-Horn, Sudip Deb, Tom Anderson
During the 2022-2023 school year, we collaborated with Cornell University's School of Architecture, working closely with their master's students. A primary goal of this ongoing partnership was to explore non-hierarchical frameworks that redefine “expertise” and cultivate inclusive decision-making in our built environment. In mid-October, Cornell students traveled to Detroit, with the Michigan Research Studio serving as our main host site. This field trip was a joint effort involving University of Michigan ArcPrep students, the Cornell Mellon Design Justice Workshop, and the Cornell Option Studio Foregrounding Background: Perceptions, Identities.
During the trip, we visited various sites including schools, alleys, galleries, and Belle Isle. Through these site visits and collaborative workshops, our students engaged with different perspectives on urban design and architecture. This exposure helped them understand the importance of inclusion and the implications of exclusion in shaping our built environment. By working alongside Cornell's master's students, ArcPrep students experienced a unique, hands-on approach to learning that emphasized collaboration and shared knowledge.Our mission at ArcPrep is to empower the next generation of Detroit leaders by offering rigorous design education in a studio environment. This collaboration provided direct engagement with inspiring artists and creative practitioners, paving the way for students to pursue postsecondary education in professions related to the built environment. This innovative teaching format underscores the potential for redefining architectural pedagogy, promoting equity, and fostering a more inclusive approach to design.