The Hive at Gratiot
The Hive at Gratiot is a mixed-income housing, retail, and office proposed development on Gratiot Avenue, at the nexus of the Historic Eastern Market District and Historic Lafayette Park. In partnership with Latent Design, JIMA Studio developed a cohesive site design strategy that links together five new buildings, connecting residents, business owners and visitors into a series of intimate spaces unlike any other place in Detroit. Working closely with the architectural design team, JIMA Studio focused on establishing a balance of public and private open spaces that create value, offer respite, contributes to climate-forward design and aligns with state mandates for mixed-income development.
The site’s premier space includes a super-structure green roof over a parking garage with native planting, seating areas, meandering paths, and a playscape. JIMA also designed the ground-level landscape, which allowed the design team to evaluate street-level safety amid a high-trafficked thoroughfare.
To keep the project anchored in place and history, the overall site design approach borrowed from different historic qualities prevalent in the Black Bottom neighborhood, a historically Black neighborhood that was razed for the interstate system. The design details consider the integration of specific site materials, geometries and programs that were documents through historic images of the site, and other sites nearby.
(All post-production renderings by Latent Design)
Client
Develop Detroit
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Year
2025
The Hive at Gratiot fronts Gratiot Avenue, within the historic footprint of Black Bottom, a historically Black neighborhood that was razedfor the interstate system and modern homes. The map comparison highlights the level of density lost through this process.
As a result of urban renewal, the urban fabric has remained dismantled. This exposes new climate concerns, including urban heat, lack of tree canopy, poor air quality and challenged access to everyday resources.
Working with Latent Design, JIMA Studio developed over 6 individual concepts for Develop Detroit to review, evaluating how the premiere public space might be used across users. Each option focused on how to integrate playscapes, accessible lawns, dense native plantings and a balance of paved spaces for commercial spill-out and flexible programming. The southern portion of the site is expected to be anchored by a large commercial tenant, and so the green spaces need to offer a 16 hour use to balance demand.
The selected design transforms the super-structure’s green roof into an expansive garden, featuring a patchwork of native plantings surrounding community play areas and gathering spaces. Residences on the green roof open onto small patios nestled within the landscape, while commercial spaces extend outdoors to encourage patrons to dine, work, and linger. Winding stairs connect Gratiot to the upper level, offering a distinctive and welcoming entry to this signature space. At street level, the design enhances arrival points and calms the fast-moving traffic along Gratiot.
Enlargements of the key public spaces.
Team
Ujijji Williams | Michelle Y. M. Urano
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Credits
Architect: Latent Design