This project will work with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit to support the museum’s sustainability goals and initiatives. Photo credit: B. Korab, SAH Archipedia.
Project Dates: January 2025 - April 2026
Client: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
SEAS Advisor: Lisa DuRussel RLA, LEED AP Associate Professor of Practice + Engagement
SEAS Students: Keeton Bigham-Tsai (MS, Sustainable Systems), Emily Blenck (MS, Environmental Justice), Paige Hughart (MLA, Ecosystem Science & Management), Stevie Lehman (MLA), Zeyu Wang (MLA)
About the Client
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History celebrates the rich cultural legacy of African Americans and is one of the largest African American museums in the world. The Wright houses more than 35,000 artifacts pertaining to the African American experience, and welcomes more than half a million people annually. In addition to its social justice work, the Wright is increasingly focused on internal sustainability efforts and recently formed a Green Team to reduce its carbon footprint and explore the role that cultural institutions like museums can play in climate action.
About the Project
The student team partnered with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to advance its Green Initiatives Plan and support its journey toward becoming Detroit’s first “Green Museum.” Following the catastrophic 2021 flood that inundated parts of the museum with four feet of water, this project explored how landscape design and infrastructure improvements can enhance climate resilience while honoring African American history, culture, and heritage.
Working alongside museum staff, the team helped organize its second Green Town Hall that brought together community members, leaders, and sustainability professionals to co-envision a sustainable future for the Wright. Drawing from this dialogue, the students synthesized key themes and recommendations into a guiding report and conceptual design proposals that integrated community input into the museum’s sustainability vision.
Their work created a replicable model for other cultural institutions seeking to become more climate-resilient and sustainable.
Read the final report here.