Downtown Detroit has an inventory of available warehouse buildings
and for years has been an artists’ haven. Now, Live/Work residences are
appearing in suburban Detroit cities, and they appeal to a variety of
individuals with professions outside the arts. In this series of blogs
I will:
- explore the history of live/work residences
- give you a 'tour' of several new suburban live/work developments
- talk about why live/work lofts are emerging in the suburbs
- introduce you to who lives in live/work lofts
- speak about the future of live/work projects, and
- invite your feedback.
Artists originated the live/work lifestyle. They claimed space in
abandoned or rundown industrial buildings for reasons beyond
affordability. Warehouse space is open with high ceilings and walls of
windows, so it is conducive to shooting photographs and painting large
canvases. The space was also large enough for them to live and work in
the same space.
A designer friend of mine used to live and work in a Detroit loft
without proper heat and a finished full bath. She made do, as part of
her journey as an artist, but later moved into a secure building on
Jefferson Avenue with fence-protected parking where she now lives and
works. Her current space accommodates her residential needs and her
needs for an office, all within the confines of a historic apartment
building.
So, my friend lives and works in her apartment.
Would her place be considered live/work? I would tend to say "no",
because most new live/work projects feature street level retail/office
space. However, originally, artists lived and worked in their lofts
which did not have this feature. I see live/work evolving past this
current presentation, so I will leave that question up for discussion
on the blog. (By the way, her loft has been featured in the Metro
Times and her work can be found at www.constructure.net)
Over time, loft living in downtown or warehouse districts became
more mainstream, but the live/work components were disconnected. The
Kirkwood Group’s creative and project management team works in a loft
in downtown Ann Arbor (You can view photos of the loft at www.kirkwoodgroup.com).
This space has exposed brick walls, 17' high ceilings, open rafters,
track lighting and visible mechanical ducts. The space is very open.
Two executive offices are separated from the rest of the loft with
top-sliding translucent door walls. The space was formerly a theatre,
then office, and now renovated loft-office.
From experience, I can tell you that a loft office is not ideal for
all users. Our team is very collaborative and creative, so the open
environment works for us. The air-divided space is not ideal for other
businesses that safeguard confidential information, such as lawyers or
financial consultants.
Tomorrow we will 'tour' two live/work projects in the Detroit suburbs.