WHERE COMMUNITY MEETS THE GREENWAY

As part of an early visioning study for the City of Detroit, INFORM Studio developed a conceptual package for administrative headquarters and a community hub along the northwestern edge of Detroit’s new 27.5-mile Greenway, the project transforms a 15,000 SF decommissioned recreation center into a vibrant civic anchor and administrative offices at the heart of the Campau/Banglatown neighborhood. The Joe Louis Greenway Headquarters serves as both destination and connector, welcoming residents, visitors, and trail users to gather and engage in opportunities that strengthen Detroit’s cultural identity and economic vitality

With a direct link to the Greenway, the reimagined site unfolds as an active public landscape: a generous entry plaza leads to outdoor “living rooms,” rain gardens, playgrounds, and ball courts alive with color and community expression. A transparent, light-filled public commons blurs the boundary between inside and out, offering clear sightlines to the Greenway and providing patrons with access to flexible multipurpose rooms, a banquet hall, interpretive education spaces, and administrative offices for Greenway employees. Operable partitions and adaptable furnishings allow spaces to transform, supporting everything from intimate gatherings to larger community celebrations. Interactive infographics and integrated branding make the Greenway’s mission of empowerment, unification, and healing a tangible part of the visitor experience.

Sustainable strategies are woven throughout. A vegetated green roof, photovoltaic arrays, and a network of rain gardens reduce environmental impact, enhance biodiversity, and build climate resilience. The design strikes a balance between contemporary form and contextual materiality, employing high-recycled-content finishes and low-maintenance systems to enhance durability and extend the building’s life cycle. As both civic destination and operational hub, the Joe Louis Greenway Headquarters embodies Detroit’s commitment to connected, equitable public space—rooted in the city’s history and designed for an inclusive and dynamic future.