Waawiyaataanong [The Curved Shores] Transect

Waawiyaataanong [The Curved Shores] Transect is the initial step of a research project that tells a story of ecology, urban design, and patterns of human settlement from the end of the most recent Ice Age to present day. Traveling along a path used by indigenous peoples from Detroit to the Northwest called the Saginaw Trail, a cross-section is documented with photographs and maps along with historic representations from various eras. This survey of the urban landscape reveals an evolving attitude towards land and human settlement from the time of the American Mastodon through European colonial settlements, the upheavals of the 20th Century, to present day.   

Field recordings from 50 points along the transect from Jackson Park in Windsor, Ontario to Silver Lake in northern Oakland County serve as touch points along the physical route, revealing evidence of issues related to urban design, ecology, and human settlement patterns. Analytical maps and documentary field work will be on display in the Exhibition Space at the School of Architecture and Community Development at the University of Detroit Mercy from September 16th to September 20th, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. 

A lecture will be offered by the author on September 20th at 5:00 pm.    

About University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture and Community Development  

Building on their heritage of 59 years and their unique relationship with Detroit as their home, the School of Architecture + Community Development (SACD) is internationally recognized for its student-centered approach, which centers on social, economic, and environmental just design for all people. SACD is divided into two departments, architecture and community development, and one applied teaching/research center, the Detroit Collaborative Design Center.   The School is strongly committed to a broad-based liberal arts education that prepares architects to understand the spectrum of human endeavors. The School intentionally keeps its enrollment small to maintain relationships with each student. SACD advocates an open dialogue about architectural issues and philosophies, then searches for deeper architectural meaning than that offered by trend, fad, or style.