Christian Unverzagt is one of those creative people who could set up shop anywhere in the world and be successful. The 38-year-old chose Detroit and now operates one of the city's most innovative firms,
M1/dtw, out of its longtime home in the
Russell Industrial Center.
The Lafayette Park resident holds a bachelor's in architecture from the University of Michigan and a master's in architecture from the
Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. His small design firm designs just about everything. He plans to add staff by the end of the year.
Describe your business in two sentences or less?We leverage design to engage, shape and understand the world around us.
Why did you decide to set up shop in Detroit?Plenty of cheap space centrally located.
What are some of the advantages to doing business here?There is a tremendous independent manufacturing base that allows us to have almost anything we can imagine produced within a 30 mile radius of our studio. People around here know how to make things and in my opinion are a severely untapped resource.
What do you see in Detroit that other people who live outside the city don't?Detroit has the potential for a new post-industrial future unlike any other city in the world. You can never go back, so forget all the talk about "bringing the city back." We're here and we're forging a new future. If you're up for it and have something positive to contribute, you should join us.
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about opening a business in the Motor City?Follow your heart, take it slow and then give it your all.
If you could change one thing about Detroit, what would it be?It's size. It should either be half or twice its current size as it's caught up being too large of a town and too small of a city (or region).
Source: Christian Unverzagt, owner and design director of M1/dtw
Writer: Jon Zemke
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