Lars Graebner of Volume One Studio and the UM Taubman College submitted this entry to the “Detroit by Design” competition in 2012 with a radical reimagining of the Hart Plaza/Downtown Riverfront area. His conceptual drawings create a modern and ecologically focused series of islands that help to maximize use of the waterfront.

AIA Detroit Chapter’s Urban Priorities Committee just launched their Detroit by Design 2012: Detroit Riverfront Competition, which is open to students and professionals world-wide. The project site consists of the area between Cobo Hall and the Renaissance Center and between Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit River.

Digital rendering: