Client Briefing And Individual Reflection On Detroit Central Railway Station

Introduction

The pension arm of Ford UK recently sought to resurrect the Detroit Central Railway Station and use it to rebrand itself as the world leader in the manufacture of electric and driverless vehicles. This move is seen as inspiration from Henry Ford, who is credited with founding the Ford automobile brand, as well as helping build one of the richest cities in the US - Detroit. After the complete refurbishment of the railway station, Ford plans to host about 2,500 of its employees in the building. Currently, this automobile giant is headquartered in Brentwood, Essex, England. Having such a big office in Detroit will be a sure homage to Henry Ford, and a great Heritage to the dwellers in the city of Detroit. However, the main issue is the feasibility of the project. The train station, having been closed in 1988, is now in a dilapidated state, both structurally and aesthetically. Having set aside a total sum of about 740 million dollars for the refurbishment, the client needs to get the facts right before embarking on the challenging project. This report aims at informing the client, Ford UK, how feasible the project is. First is a detailed assessment of the location and the building itself, followed by a discussion on what actually needs to be done, and finally my personal opinion as an experienced consultant.

Location Analysis

The Detroit Central Railway Station is located in the city of Detroit. As of now, Detroit boasts as one of the biggest and most inhabited city in the state of Michigan, United States. Going way back into history, the establishment of Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit in 1701 by Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac must have been the first significant step towards the exponential growth of the Detroit population. Some 60 years later, the British captured the city from the french settlers. After about 20 years of reigning, the U.S. Army took over the city from British administration. This led to the city becoming a chartered one in 1802, followed by full incorporation in 1815. Come 1850, Bernhard Stroh started the Stroh Brewery Company, which set the pace for industrialization in the city. Towards the close of the 19th Century, Henry Ford started the Detroit Automobile Company, which surprisingly operated for only 3 years. The closure of this first automobile firm in Detroit was shortly afterward followed by the opening of the Henry Ford Co. This was later renamed to Cadillac Motor Co. after the founder left the company in mid-1902. By then, Detroit was position 13 in America in terms of population, which stood at about 300,000 people.

Ford, in mid-1903 founded the Ford Motor Co., moving his base to the outer-city of Dearborn some years later. Towards the end of 1908, another automobile company, General Motors, was founded by Charles Stewart and William Durant in Flint, Michigan. The next significant milestone for Detroit was the formation of the Chrysler Corp by Walter Chrysler. All these manufacturing companies had a multiplier effect on the population of Detroit. By 1950, the population had hit a whopping 1.85 million people, raising it to position 4 in the entire US in terms of population. This is no surprise given the nearly 300,000 industrial jobs at that time. Taking advantage of this trend, the Packard Motor Car Co. was founded 8 years later, having a total floor area of 3,500,000. Other notable endeavors that contributed to the rise of Detroit include the Motown Records by Berry Gordy.

Come 1967, the city of Detroit suffered the twelfth Street Riot, one of its kind in US history. The blacks were against the police. It lasted about a week and ended with 43 residents murdered, about 500 injured, over 7,000 arrested, and 2,000 buildings destroyed. 6 years later, the gasoline crisis erupted, putting the three leading automobile manufacturers in a state of limbo, given that vehicles with better fuel consumption had been imported in great numbers into the city. From that time, the city’s credit rating started deteriorating, especially under the leadership of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick who served between 2002 and 2008. When he left office, President Bush bailed out GM and Chrysler with a total sum of 17.4 billion dollars. Soon afterward, the two Detroit giants were rendered bankrupt. Residents left the city in thousands due to the troubled financial status to seek greener pastures. By 2011, the once burgeoning population had shrunk to about 700,000 people, the lowest recorded figure in one hundred years. By 2013, it was clearly evident that the city was insolvent and could in no practical way pay its debt of nearly 19 billion dollars.

Corktown is one of the oldest residential districts in Detroit. The neighborhood has been able to distance itself from the woes of the larger Detroit since the early 2000s. Investors have continuously set up new businesses in the old industrial structures established long ago. Some important structures like the Tiger Stadium have been demolished to pave the way for new construction. In the list of spared structures is the Detroit Central Station, which was purchased by Ford Motor Company, when they saw the rising business potential of Corktown.

Assessment of Condition

The Detroit Central Railway Station was built in 1913 to replace the original station for Michigan Central Railroad in downtown Detroit after it was razed down by fire. From 1914, the structure has been in use for some 75 years up to 1988 when Amtrak announced the cessation of its railway services. The station features two main structures: the train depot and the thirteen-stories office block, which stands at a height of 70 m, or rather 230 feet above the ground level. Included in the structure are also two mezzanine floors. In its year of construction and for several years later, it was the tallest railway station across the globe.

Regarding its exact location, Detroit Central Railway Station is at the heart of the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, adjacent to the Ambassador Bridge. This is just over 1 km to downtown Detroit. Other important establishments close to the Detroit Central Railway Station include the Roosevelt Park and the Roosevelt Warehouse, which is one of the officially recognized historic places in the US.

In the assessment of the condition of the building, it would be important to consider the architectural style and era in which it was built. The structure was built following the architectural style known as Beaux-Arts Classical. This style of architecture thrived in the US between 1885 and 1925. This was known as the Gilded Age. It is actually a subset of the Greek Revival and Neoclassical architectural styles. The main features of this architectural style are order, symmetry, formal design, grandiosity, and intricate ornamentation. Structures built in this style mostly comprised balustrades, balconies, triangular pediments, columns, pilasters, and cornices. Additionally, exteriors are normally gargantuan, flamboyant in their symmetry, with large arches bigger than the Roman arches, while interiors feature polished surfaces, extravagantly ornamented sculptures, imposing staircases and palatial rooms.

In this regard, the Detroit Central Railway Station features some structural and aesthetical elements that are worth the consideration in an attempt to refurbish the building. The first area of concern is the external cladding which is mostly limestone panels. Having been fixed to the wall over 100 years ago, it is expected that a considerable percentage of the panels are damaged. The overall look of the stone-clad facade is still intact as stone cladding is one of the most strong, durable, and aesthetic cladding. As such, the intact ones may last for other several years if well protected from weather elements like rain, wind, and sun’s heat. Even so, the ones damaged beyond repair need to be removed and replaced. To maintain uniformity in the facade, it would be necessary to try as much as possible to match the newly sourced stone panels to the original ones.

Second, the structure comprises steel frames enclosed in concrete. This method was favored because of the large spans characteristic of the Beaux-Arts Classical style of architecture. While the resultant structure is usually strong, the state of the main structural support system for the Detroit Central Railway Station is questionable, owing to the dozens of years of neglect. By now, there is a great possibility that much of the steel is corroded given reports that rainwater finds its way into the building. There is a need for extensive testing of the structural soundness of the building to ensure it does not collapse under its proposed new occupancy.

Another factor that adds to the question of structural integrity is the flooded basement. This is largely attributed to the poor drainage around the building and the leaking roof. While concrete is largely resilient to flooding, the foundation of the building is put at great risk when the floodwaters access the area beneath the foundation. This may lead to cracking of the foundation when the material beneath the foundation shifts. It is reported that the Detroit Central Railway Station is built on rock, but it is not a guarantee the rock is entirely soil with absolutely no sections with loose soil.

Next, the windows remain in a state of disrepair. It is reported that the previous owner, the Moroun family, in conjunction with the Bridge Company, had replaced more than 1,000 windows by the close of 2015. Even so, vandals have been notoriously breaking into the building and breaking windows. To bring the structure to the state-of-the-art condition so desired by the Ford Motor Company, it would be necessary to remove and replace most of the window panels. And given that the world is currently more inclined to green building, the existing windows may not support energy conservation, and thus may have to be wholly replaced.

Finally, the building is likely to contain hazardous materials, especially asbestos. This was a common construction material in the 20th Century because of its insulation properties. It was applied to steel structural members as fireproofing material, and also added to concrete, floor tiles, joint compounds, and roof shingles to add strength. When in a state of disrepair, asbestos is significantly toxic to human beings, with the threat of several respiratory diseases to anyone who inhales the fine fibers. Around 2011, there was attempted partial asbestos abatement on the first floor of the building, for which there is no valid evidence the removal was wholly successful. As such, the asbestos threat is still there as far as the Detroit Central Railway Station is concerned. The risk of lead poisoning is also high given that the building was used by soldiers in the course of World War II. Being a railway station, the risk of lead contamination can also not be underestimated.

Feasibility of refurbishment

Having established the existing condition of the building, the next step is to assess the feasibility of the refurbishment project. This analysis is guided by the US building legislation, which includes but not limited to International Building Code, International Fire Code, International Plumbing Code, International Mechanical Code, International Energy Conservation Code, Life Safety Code, and National Electric Code. Additionally, any construction or reconstruction project in Detroit falls under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Construction Law.

Of major importance is the energy efficiency regulations. The main aim behind these is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, as well as other pollutants that buildings re notorious for. To achieve this, every building must focus on operating with the least artificial energy possible and capitalize on natural energy. One way to reduce energy usage in buildings is to install energy rated windows. The existing windows of the Detroit Central Railway Station are not not energy rated as such. This means that, during winter, the interior of the building is likely to get extremely cold, necessitating the use of heaters and boilers to bring the interior temperatures to comfortable levels. To go green, it would be necessary to replace the window frames as wells as the glasses.

The walls likewise have to be renovated to be energy efficient. The railway station had been lined with bricks on the interior, which is a good thermal insulator but has lately been largely damaged. With the current technological advancement, fiberglass insulation is the best method for such structures. This will mean entirely stripping the brick lining and starting afresh with fiberglass insulation.

The roof of the Detroit Railway Station will also need to be wholly replaced. Metal strippers allegedly stole the original roof, the reason why rainwater freely accesses the interior of the building. Repairing it is out of the equation since it is already in a state of disrepair. Some of the energy-efficient roofing options include asphalt shingles, shake shingles, slate roofing, and tile roofing.

The entire flooring may also need to be revamped. The original floor finishes have long been destroyed and now lie in a state of disrepair. It would be green to go for stone, ceramic, or tile flooring. Wood and linoleum flooring have significantly better insulation value and should be considered for this project.

During summer months, the interior of the building is likely to get over-heated as the sun’s rays fall directly on the windows. There is no protective barrier to prevent the sun’s ray’s from hitting the windows directly. The roof has no overhang, nor is there exterior cladding to block the sun’s rays. Being a high-rise building, the most feasible options include installing exterior elements such as vertical fins and overhangs, installing horizontal reflecting surfaces otherwise known as light shelves, using low shading coefficient glass, and making use of landscape features like hedgerows and tall trees.

In conjunction with this is natural lighting for the building. The original design ensured enough natural light illuminates the building by installing vaulted ceilings with about 20 skylights on the main concourse and relatively large windows. This seems to be sufficient for the proposed new occupancy. The installed lighting system may need to be entirely replaced with a more energy-efficient option, which is the LED technology.

Regarding safety and ease of access, the structure has 10 well-sized gates to the exterior. These are enough for a 13-story office block. The automobile firm may only need to redesign the most appropriate fire exit and fire assembly points. In 2014, a 9,000-pound capacity freight elevator was installed to make it easier to install new windows and repair the roof. The mechanical soundness of this elevator ought to be further tested to ascertain its usability for the new occupants.

Given the initial budget of 350 million US dollars, rough estimates confirm that the refurbishment of the building may not not proceed to successful completion. The budget needs to be revised upwards for the project to fully comply with the current building regulations. Having already been listed as a National Heritage Historic site, demolishing the building is not an option to consider. For sustainability reasons, the embodied energy within the building should be conserved.

Reflective writing

In my opinion, the proposal for the refurbishment of the Detroit Central Railway Station is a feasible one that needs to be pursued to completion. I do not advocate for a demolition of the building. I do understand the emotional attachment that the residents of the area have to such old buildings. Demolishing the structure will be insensitive to the culture of Detroit residents. As they grew up seeing and using the railway station, it is only good if the building continues standing. The challenging part will be maintaining the original facade. This is needful if the building is to retain its cultural significance. Removing every original aspect of the original structure and replacing it with modern alternatives may not be the best way to go. Instead, repairs and replacements should be aimed at matching the original fixtures as much as possible.

In handling this project, I applied several technical skills learned from the coursework. These include i) the skill of establishing all clients, colleagues, and third parties, ii) collecting data, and analyzing and defining the requirements of clients, iii) issuing reports to clients, iv) analyzing data collected through meeting with clients, v) writing custom proposals with business strategies in mind, vi) presenting a logical and informative report to guide decision making, and vii) providing evidence of reasoned advice issued to clients.

Construction works in the US are significantly different from those in the UK. First, Americans are more willing to adopt new approaches to construction such as the design-build projects. Quite a number of firms in the US have embraced this as a cost-effective model. In the UK, the government is more inclined towards construction efficiency, especially when it comes to public construction. This way, the different stakeholders don’t get to share their experiences and knowledge through collaboration. Additionally, having gone through the US building regulations, I find the use of quite a number of terminologies to differ. For instance, instead of satisfactory quality, they use merchantable quality, and instead of endeavors they use efforts. You also find confusing terms like wilful misconduct and gross negligence.

Conclusion

Taking all things into account, adaptive reuse of buildings is an essential element of the 21st Century. Most of the cities across the world have a large number of historic buildings that are now not in use, given that the advancement in technology has led to a closure of the businesses they were originally built for. Architects and engineers alike need to find the best way to redesign these buildings for other uses. Demolishing all such buildings will lead to unacceptable levels of construction waste and outright eradication of our cultural heritage. The challenging bit remains to ensure the old buildings comply with the current building regulations.

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