Anchor Detroit

Life Remodeled acquired a 7.55-acre site in Detroit's Denby neighborhood to establish a permanent home for Anchor Detroit. The building had previously housed Winans Performing Arts Academy and, before that, Dominican High School from 1940 to 2005.

The property offered significant space for Life Remodeled and its nonprofit partners, but converting a former school into a community hub required decisions about how the existing building and site could support new programs, improve accessibility, and accommodate growth over time. DAC became involved during site selection, providing development consulting before leading the architectural work on the selected property.

DAC developed an adaptive reuse strategy that works with the existing building while addressing the improvements needed for its new use.

The design introduces a new circulation tower with an elevator, stair, and formal entrance, improving accessibility and movement through the building. Site planning relocated parking to the rear of the property, allowing the original front entrance to remain the primary arrival point.

DAC led architectural design, construction documentation, and contract administration while coordinating the new work with the existing structure.

Anchor Detroit gives an existing school campus a new purpose, creating space for afterschool youth programs, workforce development, and health and wellness resources in Detroit's Denby neighborhood. A substantial portion of the building is intended for lease to the nonprofit partners providing those services.

By getting involved during site selection and staying involved through construction, DAC evaluated the property as both a development opportunity and an architectural project, helping Life Remodeled make decisions about the building, the site, accessibility, and long-term use together rather than in sequence.