Condon Crow House – Urban Permaculture Settlement House

2016

Team Members

Austin Martin, Carolina Maestri, Marlena Hanlon, Michael Lin

Advisor

Joseph Trumpey

Project Summary

Crow House is an urban settlement house model, using sustainability education and programming for community and personal development located in Detroit, Michigan. Co-created with the community, Crow House efforts focus on service learning to teach green retrofit and permaculture skills. The result is a perennial teaching site and community center.

This urban settlement model is applicable for other local, national, and global communities. The impact goals of the project include: 1) Restoring a historic home in the Detroit Landscape, 2) Modeling community organization, and becoming a hub for community organizers, 3) Becoming a center of learning uncommon “green” skills, 4) Serving as a community resource of health, organic, sustainable fruit and produce, 5) Functioning as an ecology learning center for all ages, 6) Providing a space to foster self-actualization, 7) Providing a residential sanctuary for urban scholars, and 8) Contributing to an infrastructure solution. This project was a co-winner of the larger 2016 Dow Distinguished Award.