Detroit

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., is best known as the owner of the Buffalo Bills American football team. He earmarked a portion of his estate and the sale of his beloved football team to fund his namesake foundation. The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation (RCWJF) began operations in 2015 to continue his legacy — one of generosity and innovation, healthy risk-taking and collaboration, and an unshakable community focus.  Justin Maconochie RCWJF launched with its offices on the second floor of a historic Detroit building erected in 1896. In 2017, landlord Midtown Detroit, Inc., and local architecture firm McIntosh Poris Associates renovated the building, adding apartments.  Justin Maconochie RCWJF outgrew its existing office space... More

Co.act enlisted McIntosh Poris Associates (MPA) to design a welcoming open office that encourages walk-ins and “spontaneous social collisions.”  Housed on the ground floor of a building constructed in 1896, the design sensitively respects the historic fabric of the building by preserving and highlighting many original architectural elements through a contemporary renovation that references the past.  The design of Co.act focuses on spatial flexibility, offering users a mix of workspaces and amenities, while allowing opportunities for the space to adapt over time.  Open and private areas throughout provide a variety of zones for work and presentations.  Amenities include a pantry, a mother’s room, a bike... More

McIntosh Poris Associates was responsible for the renovation and restoration of an existing 19th-Century wood timber and masonry building into a modern office for Ford Motor Company’s self-driving business unit.  Originally planned for Buhl Sport Detroit, the building was purchased by Ford during construction to house Ford’s self-driving business unit and attract fresh talent as part of the company’s commitment to enhancing Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood.  McIntosh Poris Associate’s design concept was to bring back the building’s original form and retain as much of the historic character as possible while meeting Ford’s requirements.  Justin Maconochie Justin Maconochie Th... More

Architect:            McIntosh Poris Associates                Michael Poris, AIA, Principal Laurie Hughet-Hiller, AIA, Associate/Project Manager Charles Heid, AIA, Architect Jennifer Bueso, Interior Designer   Client:                  Kid Rock and Delaware North   Owner:                Olympia Development   Size:                     5,600 square feet; one floor   Site Little Caesars Arena is the centerpiece of The District Detroit, a 50-block, mixed-use area that includes eight theaters, three professional... More

For children of all ages, a visit to the hospital can carry negative connotations. In HED's recent year partnership with the Children's Hospital of Michigan, we envisioned a new kind of hospital—one that would create a new experience for young patients and their families. Welcoming, soothing, playful—even fun!—the resulting design challenges outdated hospital stereotypes and advances patient care.To inform our approach, we implements an Integrate Facility Design (IFD) process. A full-scale cardboard mockup was created to vet every aspect of the design, from the size of the rooms to the number of steps required to perform a task. We invited healthcare providers, hospital staff, patients, families and community members to review the mockup an... More

The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country.  The densely populated urban campus is home to five hospitals, research and teaching facilities.  When HED was selected to design the 216,000 SF, $95.5M Heart Hospital, the project became the new gateway to the Medical Center.By consolidating cardiac services from across the campus into a dedicated center of excellence, time from EMS pick up to balloon was reduced by 35%.  Our medical planners created a unique layout for the procedure areas, prep and recovery spaces, abandoning the traditional racetrack design and creating a linear path for cellular design that focuses on breaking down operations and space into smaller increments that co... More

Architecture/Interior Design/Furniture: McIntosh Poris Associates                       Michael Poris, AIA, Principal                       Laurie Hughet-Hiller, AIA, Associate/Project Manager                        Clara Mariotti, Designer                       Elizabeth Swallow, Interior Designer                       Charlene Erickson, Interior DesignerClient:          Restauranteur Jeremy Sasson of Heirloom Hospi... More

Architect/Interior Designer:  McIntosh Poris AssociatesMichael Poris, AIA, Principal-in-ChargeLaurie Hughet-Hiller, Associate, Project ArchitectSean Ryan, DesignerElizabeth Swallow, Interior DesignerRenee Kaip, Interior Designer                                 Size: 7,484 square feet, including 1,800-square-foot indoor/outdoor                    structure, and 1,440-square-foot outdoor patio Budget: $1.2 million Client:  Restauranteur Jeremy Sasson, whose first Townhouse restaurant is in neighboring Birmingham... More

McIntosh Poris Associates’ design for DuCharme Place—a new, ground-up, 185-unit luxury apartment community in Detroit’s historic Lafayette Park—is the area’s first lifestyle community in 40 years. The $45-million complex comprises four mid-rise buildings, with residences standing three stories tall above a parking/lobby podium base, totaling 188,500 square feet. It is one of many ground-up residential projects designed by McIntosh Poris Associates throughout the area. “We’ve been working on designing multi-family housing developments in Lafayette Park for nearly 15 years,” explained Michael Poris, AIA, Principal of McIntosh Poris Associates. “DuCharme Place builds upon the vision of the park’s original development team by creating a co... More

Architect: McIntosh Poris AssociatesMichael Poris, AIA, PrincipalJohn Skok, LEED AP, Principal/Project ManagerKelly Raczkowski, DesignerSean Ryan, DesignerBlake Hill, DesignerInterior Designer: Simeone Deary Design GroupClient: Aparium Hotel Group and Arco DevelopmentSize: 95,000 square feet; 5 floors Program: Historic preservation and renovation of the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters and adjacent Pontchartrain Wine Cellars building into a new 100-key boutique hotel featuring ground-level restaurant, private dining room, chef’s table, bar, lounge, retail, two business meeting rooms, and podcast studio. The hotel will also include a fitness center and a new modern building addition to the fifth floor to host... More

In 1924, a parking garage at 801 West Lafayette Blvd. in Detroit, Michigan was built. It was one of two buildings built for the Detroit News, with the other being the home of the newspaper itself. When the building was purchased in 2014 by Bedrock Management, renovations began immediately, with the preservation of the historic design elements of the building being of utmost priority. In order to convert the parking garage from fully enclosed to sufficiently ventilated, a custom metal mesh solution was required. The project architects, Albert Kahn and Associates, found that Banker Wire’s wire mesh and custom manufacturing capabilities were just what was needed. The parking garage had originally featured wired glass windows; therefore,... More