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Michaela Habte and Derek Harris weren’t strangers to Detroit when they arrived this summer on Wayne State University’s campus.
The college seniors weren’t Warriors, however, even though they were staying in WSU-provided housing.
Habte, a Philadelphia native studying at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, and Harris, a Dallas native studying at Prairie View A&M University outside of Houston, were interns for the Detroit-based Framework E LLC architecture firm. This summer, they received hands-on experience in the ins and outs of urban development — everything from obtuse and confusing zoning regulations to working around building columns in mixed-use redevelopment projects.
“I liked it so much (last year) that when Pierre reached out, I jumped at the opportunity,” Habte said.
And hopefully get them to boast about the city to others after the nine-week program comes to an end and they return to their respective campuses.
“I want to attract talent to Detroit. Bringing people here, giving them an experience of Detroit — like we want to spread this infectious narrative that Detroit is a great place to be, a place you can have a great career,” said Roberson, who grew up on the city’s northwest side.
Habte and Harris were far from gofers, wrapping up their internships at the end of July before they headed back to campus; Habte is expected to graduate in the spring, while Harris anticipates wrapping up his undergraduate studies by the end of the year, with the goal of graduate school in his sights.
They worked directly with clients on project design for the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance as well as on a pair of mixed-use projects on Trumbull and West Fort Street.
Habte and Harris also were able to take in more of the city, which both described as welcoming and friendly but also not without its challenges. For Harris, the public transportation system was a frustration, while Habte — who described her native Philly as “a dollar store version of New York” — had difficulty finding late-night food options.
But still, the two came to appreciate Detroit — and its people.
“All around Detroit, it’s nothing but welcoming, open arms,” Harris said. “Everybody wants to make sure you feel safe and warm.”
Although not necessarily a stated goal of Framework E’s program, it does help nurture budding Black architecture talent in an industry that’s overwhelmingly white.
The National Organization of Minority Architects, or NOMA, citing data from from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, says that although as of 2020 about 22% of architects in the U.S. identify as a racial or ethnic minority — what NOMA calls “a significant increase compared to previous years” — just 2% of architects nationally are Black or African American. That held steady from the decade prior.
Saundra Little, principal and director of diversity and inclusion for the architecture firm Quinn Evans, said NOMA and the American Institute of Architects, or AIA, Large Firm Roundtable have an initiative to double the number of Black architects in the country by 2030. That’s a tall order, she said, because that number has been flat for many decades.
“It’s hard to double that percentage,” Little said. “It’s like the number of architects is growing but that percentage is still staying the same within the profession.”
The efforts to increase that are many. For example, more than half of NOMA’s nearly 50 chapters across the country — including in Detroit — offer free camps to junior high and high school students ranging from one day to one week.
Little also pointed to a fellowship program through the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund called HOPE Crew, which stands for Hands-On Preservation Experience. The six-month program immerses students from Florida A&M, Prairie View and Tuskegee University in Alabama.
During the Detroit Month of Design last month, Quinn Evans hosted several events for middle and high school students showcasing career paths in the architecture and design industry.
The ACE Mentor Program — ACE stands for architecture, construction and engineering — reaches more than 10,000 students annually. More than 70% of them are people of color, and 40% of them are women.
Little said exposure to the industry as a sound career path at an early age is one of the ways to help bolster the ranks of Black architects around the country. While the medical and legal fields draw attention — and high salaries — architecture is a fulfilling career as well, she said.
“Everybody talks about being a lawyer or a doctor, and I just think architecture is not one of the first things that come up when people talk about career choices,” she said.
It wasn’t Harris’ first choice, either. He had planned on becoming a mechanical engineer but switched his path. A residential architecture program wasn’t offered, as he had hoped, but found a calling with commercial space.
“Pierre and Jerry taught me the importance of commercial architecture,” Harris said. “I wouldn’t want to pursue commercial architecture if it wasn’t for Pierre and Jerry.”
Habte, on the other hand, knew from an early age that she was interested in the field, even when she didn’t quite know what it was yet.
“When I was little I used to like make buildings out of cardboard and sticks and duct tape,” Habte said, noting that she learned what it was when her mother was watching the TV show “How I Met Your Mother,” whose protagonist Ted Mosby is an architect.
But unlike Mosby, Harris and Habte did real, tangible work.
The product of Habte’s and Harris’s efforts over the summer was thrilling for Kenyetta Campbell, executive director of the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance.
The students designed a new headquarters for the nonprofit on the city’s northwest side, combining a pair of buildings that would have things like a technology lab, co-working space, a wellness room and other features.
“I’ve been doing development work for more than two decades, and the experience I’ve had with these two has been phenomenal,” Campbell said. “We are always looking to attract and retain talent in Detroit, and to be able to have two young students from HBCUs work directly with our young people in the community, they see that there’s hope. They see that they can do it too.”
The two also worked on a pair of mixed-use projects: one with 26 residential units and 8,400 square feet of commercial space at 1450 Trumbull at Labrosse, and another at 2281 W. Fort St. at 15th Street with 30 residential units and commercial space for a restaurant, gym and other uses.
“I like their outside perspective,” said Jennifer Fiore, whose family owns the property. “They bring a lot of fresh ideas and it’s interesting what they want to include in the project.”
As for next steps, Roberson and Attia hope to expand the internship program to include more students next year. And perhaps even some sweeteners to stay in the region.
“I’d like to set up a scholarship program for anyone who does this program here in Detroit,” Roberson said. “They get a scholarship to go to one of the local universities (like University of Detroit Mercy, Lawrence Tech, University of Michigan) and that way we can attract talent back to Detroit. I hope you do grad school here, work here for a few years and then maybe you set up your own shop.”
Building a talent pipeline to help with building throughout the city, region and country is key — and it doesn’t come out of a vacuum.
“That doesn’t come without some mentorship,” Attia said.
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