So you want to save a house? Brick + Beam can help

Brick + Beam Detroit has been hosting monthly building rehab workshops and classes since July 2015. This month, the group is adding a second workshop specific to vacant homes. It's called "So you want to save a house?" and will take place Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 6-8 p.m. on the University of Detroit Mercy campus. The event is being produced in partnership with Live6 Detroit.

Brick + Beam provides classes, resources, and networking access to fellow building rehabbers. Co-founder Emilie Evans says that the organization strives to offer classes that are relevant to Detroiters. With that in mind, "So you want to save a house?" aims to teach residents how to identify the owners of abandoned houses, then figure out what they can do about it, a question Brick + Beam routinely fields. At the time of publication, nearly 200 people have RSVP'd for the class.

"We've found it helps that these concepts don't only exist in the abstract," says Evans. "That's why we have classes with hands-on components and first-hand experiences."

Loveland Technologies will be on hand to demonstrate how city residents can track down and identify property owners. They will also explain what can be done about publicly-owned properties. Dan Cousino of business law firm Honigman will offer legal tips for property acquisition from private owners. Detroit resident Claire Nowak-Boyd will provide her first-hand account of successfully working with the Detroit Land Bank Authority to acquire and then auction properties on her block, properties now filled with neighbors.

Evans says that a main component of the organization is providing people an opportunity to meet each other and network. In order to facilitate even more networking and the sharing of resources, Brick + Beam has launched a new website where building rehabbers can connect, build contacts, share recommendations, and more.

"So you want to save a house?" is being held at the University of Detroit Mercy Architecture Exhibition Space at 4001 W. McNichols Rd., though the entrance is on Livernois Avenue. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 6-8 p.m. RSVP online here.

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