News Archive
DETROIT- Walbridge has completed major construction on the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, the College for Creative Studies integrated educational community focused on art and design, which opened its doors for the fall 2009 semester. As part of a $145 million redevelopment project, Walbridge renovated and restored Detroit’s historic 11-story Argonaut Building to create a unique educational environment for students from middle to graduate school. Work on the groundbreaking facility spanned 14 months from demolition to the end of major construction.
The 760,000 square-foot Taubman Center adds a second campus for the College for Creative Studies and is home to the new Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies. Over 2,000 students, faculty, parents and visitors are expected per day to fill classrooms, labs, exhibition space and a 360-seat dining facility. Additionally, 300 students will reside in the building. The facility has 80,000 square feet of developmental space for new or growing creative businesses, professional networks and support services.
Restoration of the historic building required extensive demolition, removal of hazardous materials and preservation of the building’s façade. Designed in 1928 by Albert Kahn, the Argonaut building served as General Motor’s first research facility featuring the legendary Harvey Earl’s automotive design studio.
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