DTE Energy Campus Enhancements

Neumann/Smith created a new corporate campus integrating architecture and site design, blurring the line defining interior and exterior space. A grand new entry, vibrant Town Square, and uniquely designed urban green space create a special environment for employees and a new identity for the company.

The redesign of parking lots and vehicular city streets that once bisected and separated the various buildings on DTE’s downtown campus now provides nine acres of green space and pedestrian corridors that connect once separated buildings into an urban oasis which artfully integrates the architecture and site design. Visitors are greeted by a dramatic new gateway where water flows from three arches that frame the main driveway into a 26,000 sf reflecting pond.  The great sweep of shimmering water meets the translucency of glass at the new front door, a commanding lobby, sixty feet high and 165 feet wide, set under a cantilevered roof that shades the completely transparent, canted front wall.   A second floor conference room partially cantilevers into the lobby, offering a great view of the ringed garden and reflecting pool. A new glass-enclosed Town Square connects three vintage buildings in the complex and is the heart of a vibrant food-service and conference center.   The campus revitalization also included renovation of 31,500 sf of existing interior space, giving the entire facility a fresh and cohesive appearance. More focused on pattern, and less on color, the spaces were intentionally designed for the patterns to meld and enhance visual interest.  The design intent was to visualize and carry through an explosion of patterns and texture throughout the 9 floors. Honor Award, AIA Michigan Building of America Award, Real Estate & Construction Review Outstanding Achievement Award, Honorable Mention, ESD Facility Management Achievement Award, Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the International Facility Management Association Honor Award, American Society of Landscape Architects Special Issue Outstanding Construction Project of the Year,  CAM Magazine