Jefferson East Incorporated Offices – Detroit
Synecdoche created a dynamic space for a variety of needs at the Jefferson East Incorporated offices in Detroit, Michigan.
We’re big on community, so when local non-profit Jefferson East, Inc. needed a build-out of their Neighborhood Resource Hub in the historic Kresge store building our approach was first at the community scale. The growth of the JEI team required a space to support the more than 1,000 Detroit residents in the adjacent neighborhood and 44,000 in the E. Jefferson corridor. The design is directed by the overall neighborhood vision to support long-term residents and small business owners with financial resources and learning pathways to accomplish their goals. As the first renovation in a long-term revitalization plan, the hub is tasked to implement and support the development of the neighborhood through multiple configurations and use cases.
The community hub needs space to meet daily office needs and host evening workshop engagement events. Custom modular furniture–designed and built by the architecture team–includes high and low tables, and felt pad benches work together to provide flexible seating, storage, display, and worksurfaces. Multi-functional moveable wall units store bins, hang coats, and provide whiteboard surfaces. Open desks and study carrels on the main level provide a drop-in workspace with free access to computers and wifi. The technology is coordinated to be the first of a mesh-network for neighborhood wide free wi-fi. Privacy is important, as JEI frequently engages with the community on sensitive personal and financial issues. A platform workbench separates the common area from the secure area for equipment and files, and meeting rooms are acoustically and visually enhanced for more private meetings.
Design: Synecdoche
Photography: courtesy of Synecdoche
