BrandNu Design Studio organized a Hip Hop Architecture Camp in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Detroit Planning Department as part of the community engagement process surrounding the future of Interstate I-375 in Downtown Detroit.

The initiative challenged youth to reimagine Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, historic Black communities that were destroyed during the construction of I-375 in the 1960s. As state and city leaders explored replacing the expressway with a major boulevard, the camp created space for young people to learn the history of the community and contribute ideas for its future.

Through architecture, music, storytelling, and design, students explored the cultural legacy of Hastings Street, once a major center of Black business, music, and nightlife in Detroit. The month-long initiative concluded with students producing an original song titled “Black Bottom” and a music video inspired by the history and future of the neighborhood.