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| 30 Mar 2026 | |
| Context Winter 2026 |
Located in the southwest Detroit neighborhood of Mexicantown, La Joya Gardens is an affordable housing development that brings 53-units to an eroded historic corridor. Representing the first investment in the community in decades, this milestone project features rental apartments, community amenities, and street-facing locally-owned retail to heal the wounds of prior economic displacement. Current-day Mexicantown is an extremely diverse neighborhood with an active community presence. Due to a period of economic decline in Detroit, that historic context along the corridor suffered, and many structures fell into disrepair. La Joya Gardens responds to the existing colors, textures, and facades of the neighborhood. It aspires to provide a safe and welcoming space for the community, retain the pedestrian-oriented scale of the commercial corridor, and integrate modern design within the transitioning historically-designated urban context.
Project: Project: La Joya Gardens
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Client: Cinnaire
Project Size: 60,000 square feet
Project Team:
SITIO a+u (Architecture, Furniture Design)
Alderson Engineering (MEP/FP)
O’Donnell & Naccarato (Structural Engineering)
Metropolitan Acoustics (Acoustic Design)
Photos: Jason Keen
