LANEWAY HOUSE
48-510 Advanced Synthesis Option Studio
Professor Jeremy Ficca
Spring 2026
North Corktown, a neighborhood just beyond Detroit’s urban core, was once a densely populated residential district. While much of the area is now characterized by vacant lots, underutilized land, and abandoned parcels, the neighborhood stands at the forefront of Detroit’s ongoing economic transformation as the city invests in emerging industries and attracts a new generation of young professionals and creates a demand for housing.
This project explores how North Corktown’s low-rise, low-density character and abundance of vacant land can be leveraged to create new forms of housing and community life. The design imagines new relationships between different modes of living, such as renters and homeowners, roommate households and families, or young professionals and long-term residents. It seeks to integrate a younger demographic into the social and physical fabric of the neighborhood while respecting the identity and character of the existing community.
