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Design has an endless amount of possible origins.
Parameters may generate (or inhibit) solution, other
times serendipity provides the path. Often our own preju-
dice and experience is the catalyst / obstacle. Just as in-
spirations are fraught with baggage or excellence, so too
are the tools by which we conjugate our ideas. Before the
pencil touches paper, the results will have been determined
by our drawing ability, desire, and knowledge. We develop
a relationship with the medium over time, and our out-
comes begin to look familiar.
With a computer we can explore design that was
once impossible, often at overwhelming levels: extruding
scale-less boxes and zooming far away, rendering with a
keystroke; the internet an overflowing encyclopedia of the
world, for better or worse. We develop a relationship with
the media, as we excel in preferred softwares, and over
time our outcomes begin to look familiar.
Standing in front of the work bench, a mind’s sketch
at times the only guide, our first moves with the material
are in part guided by what experience we bring to the work
table, and in part by the limits and possibilities of the mate-
rials and tools before us. We develop relationships with the
instruments and elements over time; confidence and fi-
nesse. Over time our work is as recognizable as our signa-
ture.
[All these methods of design hold various advantage
and hindrances. Each mode benefits from the other. Every
approach reveals a nuance that may be invisible by
Oakland Ave,south of Smith,
Looking north
Mixed use , with residential upper floor
Retail single story
Mimics beginning of block
Potential Retail
block:
barber,
salon,
laundromat,
bank,
deli,
clothing
1:3
Model of New Canaan House by Hariri and Hariri
This project took on a life of its own. I partnered
up with Nick Middleton, who at that time had extensive
carpentry experience. It was a good match for an am-
bitious project. His experience in wood translated well
into steel. His tenacity and attention detail matched or
exceeded my own, with great results. The pitch roof an
barrel vault are removable.
The assignment was to draw and build a model
for an existing house, extracting a set of plans from
various photographs. The model was to be “of one ma-
terial preferably, not like a dollhouse, a little more ab-
stract”, according to Professor Cousins.
Massad: “Has anyone ever built a model entirely
out of steel for this assignment?”
Cousins: “ No. Can you do something like that?”
Massad: “I think I could figure it out”
Cousins: “That would certainly be an LTU first.”
Massad: “Then that settles it.”
When asked if there was one thing that could
be done to help improve the neighborhood in the
North End, Scott Alan Davis, Executive Director at
Vanguard CDC, said :
“I would go to each home and ask them what
they needed fixed, and fix it for them.”
That is the function of the Detroit Builder’s
Workshop. The goal is to teach and help residents to
fix, build, or repair their homes. Give someone a fish,
and they eat for a day. Teach them how to fish, how-
ever….
The ultimate goal of the Detroit Builder’s Work-
shop is to make itself obsolete; all houses in order,
every house a home. Additionally, the DBW can ser-
vice and help unify the community with thoughtful
programming.
Detroit Builder’s Workshop
An ongoing project, this has been and con-
tinues to be an invaluable learning experience.
Each phase and incarnation has been shaped by a
multitude of factors including zoning, context, cost,
politics, ethics, sustainability, and more
Early investigation revealed a strong need
for a clear circulation system, which is one of the
fundamental design motifs throughout all the de-
sign work. Some of the adjacencies may prevent
“ideal” solutions (such as pictured) due to parking
constraints, easements, and political ramifications.
This work helps establish the basic vol-
umes/areas needed for the interior program and
expansion needs. Two floors are mandated; a
third floor may be needed in time.
Motor City Brewing Works Expansion
This studio project yielded a number of
renderings and fine tuned some of my skills with
Revit as well as 3DS Max. Piranesi trial software
produced the watercolor-like effect in the lower
right corner.
While utilizing hand drawings (see cover
sheet) and model making to develop the project,
we were also required to develop HVAC and
structural plans.
Birmingham/Bloomfield Artist Community
