search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube instagram Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • TOPICS
    • Cool Roofing
    • Event News
    • Latinos in Roofing
    • Low Slope
    • Legal
    • Metal
    • Project Profiles
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Roofing Safety
    • Steep Slope
    • Sustainable Roofing
    • Technology
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Best of Success
    • Contractor Profile
    • IRE Show
    • Roofing Contractor of the Year
    • Top 100
    • Young Guns
    • State of the Industry
    • Century Club
  • MULTIMEDIA
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Roofing Quizzes
    • IRE Videos
    • Webinars
    • Photo Galleries
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Featured Products
  • COLUMNS
    • Editor's Note
    • Exit Planning
    • Legally Speaking
    • Safety Advice
    • Technical Details
    • Guest Column
  • EVENTS
    • International Roofing Expo
    • Webinars
    • Best of Success Conference
    • Industry Events
  • DIRECTORY
    • Associations
    • Distributors
    • Manufacturer/Supplier
    • Business Services
    • Get Listed
  • MORE
    • Roofing Contractor eNews
    • Techos y Más Advisory Board
    • RC Store
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Company Spotlights
    • Classifieds
      • Auctions
      • Business For Sale
      • Business Opportunities
      • Equipment For Sale
      • Positions Available
      • Products
      • Safety
      • Software
      • Services
      • Training
    • Contact Us
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Editorial Calendar
      • Contact
    • Archive Issues
  • SIGN UP!

Detroit School of Arts

By Tom Watts
March 28, 2008
When Hamilton Anderson Associates of Detroit designed the Detroit School of Arts, the firm believed that sustainability of the project would lead to LEED certification.

The Detroit School of Arts is a new national prototype built upon the shared strengths of education and business, art and technology, school and community.


A green roof was selected for outside the Media Center as a teaching tool for the students; reduce water runoff from the roof; reduce the urban heat island effect; and to provide better aesthetics.

When Hamilton Anderson Associates of Detroit designed the Detroit School of Arts, the firm believed that sustainability of the project would lead to LEED certification.

Hamilton Anderson made good on its promise and today the $72.4 million project is a thriving 1,200 student public high school located in downtown Detroit’s Cultural Center.

“The vision was 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,” said Paul Locher, Associate and Project Architect from Hamilton Anderson.

The project was completed in August 2006, which marked the completion of the Orchestra Place Master Plan that includes historic Orchestra Hall and the newly completed Max M. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. A substantial portion of the project was completed in February 2005, when students began moving in.

The six-story, 286,219-square-foot facility is now a flagship project for the Detroit Public School District’s $1.5 billion bond program.

Green buildings are associated with higher occupant satisfaction, lower operating cost, and higher worker performance.

Vision

At the onset of the project, the school district challenged Hamilton Anderson to explore Detroit’s legacy of industry as inspiration for creating a building that mirrored the character of Detroit.

“The genesis of the school creation was brought forth by Dr. Denise Cotton and Dr. Kenneth Burnley, with the main emphasis from Dr. Cotton,” Locher said, referring to the school’s principal and the school district's then superintendent, respectively. “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 vision, Locher said, was focused on creating new facilities and programs that attracted students, establishing schools as a resource centers within neighborhood communities, and providing a progressive learning environment.

“The intimate urban site presented the design team with opportunities for sustainability, which ultimately led to the school’s LEED registration,” Locher said. “Dr. Cotton, she had started a program in an old vocational school and they were making due with a worn-out public school. Some of the performing spaces was the auto shop, acoustics were horrible, didn’t even have an auditorium. They had a facility not highlighting their talents. This gives them a worthy space to expanded on ability.”

The school district formed partnerships with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Public television to give students direct access to top quality educators and programs, as well as state of the art professional facilities such as the Production Center for WTVS, Detroit’s public television affiliate, and the on-air/production facilities for WRCJ.

Media and Performing Arts professionals participated in the curriculum authorship process, leading to a collection of coursework offerings that are unique at any high school level.

Paul Locher, Associate and Project Architect, from Hamilton Anderson Associates of Detroit.

Building Design

The school is a new national prototype built upon the shared strengths of education and business, art and technology, school and community, Locher said.

He said the design team worked closely with the client and its partners to identify the best resources from this range of environments with the ultimate goal of creating a place for learning, a place where business professionals, educators and students come together to share knowledge and produce high quality work.

Locher said the overall work involved in the design of the building included, “Architectural Design, Architectural, Site Design, Civil Engineering, LEED Certification,” all by Hamilton Anderson Associates, which took into account longevity, low maintenance, and LEED consideration in designing the school.

“A highly reflective roof surface was chosen for the majority of the roof surface to reduce the urban heat island effect that dark color roofs have and to reduce the amount of air conditioning needed for the building by reducing the roof temperature,” Locher said. “A green roof was selected for outside the Media Center as a teaching tool for the students; reduce water runoff from the roof; reduce the urban heat island effect; and to provide a better visual to be viewed from inside the building.”

Firestone Building Products supplied the reflective roof, while Hydrotech was used for the green roof components, Locher said.

“Firestone: SBS-modified bituminous membrane roofing with Firestone aluminum fibered roof coating,” said Locher, noting Hydrotech’s extensive garden roof assembly with monolithic membrane 6125EV to a 90-mil thickness was used.

“Green buildings are associated with higher occupant satisfaction, lower operating cost, and higher worker (or in a school’s case, higher student) performance,” Locher continued. “A LEED rating is a way to have a third party validate the decisions and measures that have been implemented into the project (checks and balances). Anyone can say they have a green building, but a LEED rating proves you have one.”

Final Considerations

Safety is always a concern on projects, but in relation to a LEED certification, additional precautions were taken to ensure materials were protected from water and dust exposure.

“Low- to no-VOC paints and finishes were used, and additional ventilation and filtration measures were taken to not only ensure that a high indoor air quality was achieved for the building’s end user but also improved the environment for the contractors as they constructed the project,” Locher said. “The project team delivered this LEED rated project with no cost increase over a traditionally designed project other than the LEED Certification fees. It all comes down to everyone working together as a team to accomplish a goal.”

Locher said since the project is located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, the school is a new national prototype built upon the “shared strengths of education and business, art and technology, school and community.”

“The project strived to emulate this emerging paradigm in education by connecting physical resources through sensitive open space design, innovative communications technology, and an expressive, contemporary architecture,” Locher said. “This bold, fresh, potent project with all of its optimism helped to renew the spirit of its school district and became an important center of the community.”

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Tom Watts is the associate editor of Roofing Contractor. He can be reached at 248-244-1738 or wattst@bnpmedia.com.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Roofing Contractor Group Publisher Jill Bloom

    Physics, the Power of Authenticity and You

    In February's Publisher's Note, Jill Bloom describes a...
    Columns
    By: Jill Bloom
  • The Family Food Fare supermarket in Midland, Mich.

    ‘Rooftop Ninja’ Discovered Living on Roof, Inside Grocery Sign

    A bizarre tale out of Midland, Mich.: a woman dubbed the...
    Roofing News
    By: Bryan Gottlieb
  • A before and after heat measurement comparison

    How Hot is Too Hot in the Attic?

    If the ventilation is working, how hot should the attic...
    Steep Slope Roofing
    By: Paul Scelsi
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Sign Up for the eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Roofing Contractor audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Roofing Contractor or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • TAMKO Titan XL Shingles
    Sponsored byTAMKO®

    Built for Business: How Titan XT® Shingles Keep Proving Their Value

  • An overhead view of a residential block
    Sponsored byCBIZ CompuData

    From Spreadsheets to Strategy: How Roofing Companies Can Transform Financial Operations

  • Snow Guard Solutions for Metal Roofs by S-5!
    Sponsored byS-5!

    Safeguard Your Building: How Snow Guards Prevent Costly Roof & Property Damage

Popular Stories

The Home Depot is weighing a bid for GMS. The potential offer would pit the retail giant against QXO Inc.

UPDATE: Home Depot Pushes QXO Out of GMS Pursuit

Brad Jacobs, chairman and CEO of QXO, offers $5 billion to acquire GMS, a major distributor of gypsum and interior building products.

QXO Sets Its Sights on GMS in $5 Billion Offer

Undocumented workers make up 36% of the U.S. roofing workforce, leaving contractors and workers alike especially vulnerable.

Roofing is Left Exposed by Trump’s Deportation Flip-Flop

Roofing Contractor Webinar

Events

December 3, 2025

The Premier Roofing Conference: Best of Success

Join roofing professionals from across the nation at the 2025 Best of Success conference, the ultimate destination for roofing professionals seeking the latest industry insights and networking opportunities. Pick up strategies for critical challenges like workforce shortage with innovative solutions, explore the latest advancements in roofing technology and sustainable practices, and gain valuable insights from industry leaders on navigating the evolving roofing landscape.

View All Submit An Event

Related Articles

  • Life Remodeled at Detroitâ??s Osborn High School

    Life Remodeled at Detroit’s Osborn High School: Roofing Contractors Join Together for Project Symbolizing Detroit’s Rebirth

    See More
  • Project Profile: Palace of Fine Arts

    See More
  • VIDEO: The Great Heights of the Building Arts with Trent Cotney

    VIDEO: The Great Heights of the Building Arts

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • vrb_1.jpg

    The Art of Roofing Cutting Series DVD Library - Super Advanced DVD

  • framing.jpg

    Complete Book of Framing: An Illustrated Guide for Residential Construction, 2nd Edition - Updated and Expanded

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Art Unlimited

    Art Unlimited is a team of marketing professionals who maintain a balance with the constantly changing trends. We ensure our clients' businesses succeed and have the vision to see and embrace change via data-driven marketing solutions. The marketing services include digital, traditional and marketing strategies for businesses and manufacturers.
×

Be in the forefront of the roofing industry!

Join thousands of professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing