Detroit School of the Arts

Location: Detroit, MI. Near Downtown Detroit

Located in the city’s urban center, the Detroit School of Arts (DSA) is a progressive high school of choice, offering a dual-focus fine arts curriculum in the performing and media arts. The DSA brings an innovative educational approach to the Detroit Public School district, blending two separate fine art focuses within one dynamic and interactive learning environment. The DSA combines the Communications and Media Arts High School with the Detroit School for Performing Arts. The school houses the new Communications Production Center for Detroit Public Television (DPTV)—the local PBS affiliate—and a new radio facility for WDTR FM, the Detroit Public Schools’ radio station. In addition, the DSA is a flagship project within the Detroit Public Schools Capital Improvement Program. The six-story building features many complex, unique academic, performance and production spaces, including an 800 seat auditorium, a 200 seat recital hall, a black box theater, art studios and galleries, as well as vocal and instrumental music rehearsal rooms. The top-floor media center and dining hall spaces feature expansive views of the city’s downtown skyline. At the onset of the project, the School District challenged the architecture firm to explore Detroit’s storied legacy of industry and innovation as inspiration for creating a building that embodies the authentic energy and character of this truly unique city. The intimate urban site also presented the design team with opportunities for sustainability, which ultimately led to the school’s LEED registration. The vision is focused on creating new facilities and programs that attract students, establishing schools as resource centers within neighborhood communities, and providing progressive learning environments for Detroit’s youth.

Transect Zone(s): T5 center.
Status: Complete
Project or Plan's Scale: Building
Features: Green buildings, Sustainable infrastructure.
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Civic uses (type and size): School
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Residential types: Mid-rise/loft.
Project team designers: Hamilton Anderson Associates
Project team developers: N/A

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Starting/Ending date of construction/implementation: -