A large house in Detroit. Credit: Greta Guest.
A large house in Detroit. Credit: Greta Guest.
Taubman College faculty-led projects aimed at expanding renewable energy usage in Ann Arbor, rehabbing vacant homes in Detroit, and converting invasive mussels harvested from the Great Lakes into insulation have received Climate Futures Research Grants.
The one-time grant program aims to accelerate faculty-led climate action and/or resilience through research and creative practice. Winning projects reflect the program’s goals of producing strong interdisciplinary and community partnerships, innovative approaches, and clear potential for measurable impact. Launched at Taubman College in 2024, Climate Futures amplifies architectural, design, and planning contributions to climate action and a sustainable built environment.
Following a blind review process, the jury selected three projects to receive a $15,000 award including:
Home Rehab Kit: Increasing Climate Resilience through DIY Strategies
Detroit’s aging housing stock presents both a critical climate challenge and a major opportunity for equitable climate action. Thousands of homes, many owned or formerly owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA), remain vacant or underutilized due to deferred maintenance, limited access to capital, and the technical complexity of rehabilitation. Even when brought into basic compliance with DLBA and/or Detroit ordinances, many homes fall short of modern energy performance standards, leaving residents burdened by high energy costs and contributing to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. This project builds on ongoing research conducted in partnership with the DLBA to beta-develop and test a weatherization-focused Home Rehab Kit. This free, public, online resource will be designed to help rehabbers working on severely distressed properties improve energy efficiency through accessible, do-it-yourself (DIY) strategies.
Principal Investigator: Adam Fure, Associate Professor of Architecture
Co-investigators: Ellie Abrons, Associate Professor of Architecture; Sharon Haar, Professor of Architecture; Matthew Wizinsky, Associate Professor of Practice in Urban Technology; Scott TenBrink, Lecturer III, School of Information.
