{"id":2135,"date":"2015-07-20T06:19:39","date_gmt":"2015-07-20T12:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/challengedetroit.org\/blog\/?p=2135"},"modified":"2015-07-20T06:19:39","modified_gmt":"2015-07-20T12:19:39","slug":"fellow-spotlight-ann-phillips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/fellow-spotlight-ann-phillips\/","title":{"rendered":"Fellow Spotlight: Ann Phillips"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this week\u2019s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Ann Phillips<\/a>. She fills us in on what she enjoys most about Detroit, her host company, Saroki Architecture<\/a>, and what she enjoys most about being a Challenge Detroit Fellow.<\/p>\n

Tell us about living in Detroit. What neighborhood do you live in and what things make it unique\u00a0and exciting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\u201cBuilt<\/a>

\u201cBuilt in 1901, this police station was designed to imitate the style of the lavish upper-class homes
of the surrounding Woodbridge Neighborhood.\u201d \u2013Julia Teran for the Detroit Historical Society<\/p><\/div>\n

I live in the Woodbridge neighborhood and I love it. The neighborhood was established in 1887\u00a0and was listed as an Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. As written\u00a0by Julia Teran for the Detroit Historical Society, \u201cThe Woodbridge Neighbhorhood is notable as\u00a0an intact, turn-of-the-century streetcar suburb containing architecturally significant residential and\u00a0commercial buildings. It is recognized for its primarily Victorian style homes, which stand as rare\u00a0survivors of the Victorian Era. Most of the buildings in the Woodbridge Neighborhood were built\u00a0after 1870, beginning with small cottages.\u201d I live in a 3-story brick row house that was built in\u00a01915 with my housemate-Denise, her dog-Jane, her cat-Zero, and my cat-Midge. We have a\u00a0shared back yard where we enjoy grill-outs during the summer and fall months. With beautiful\u00a0tree-lined streets, I thoroughly enjoy the walkability of the neighborhood and the tight-knit\u00a0community of neighborhood residents. In addition, the attractions of Downtown, Midtown,\u00a0Corktown, and New Center are within walking and biking distance. As a designer and\u00a0preservationist, I value the character of the structure and neighborhood in which I choose to\u00a0reside and Woodbridge could not be a better fit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"My<\/a>

My fellow fellow, Elizabeth Grabowski and I, presenting at the Drinks x Design PechaKucha Night at the Carr Center.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you enjoy most about living, working, playing, giving and leading in Detroit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The people<\/strong> with whom I live, work, play, give, and lead are what I enjoy most. From my fellow\u00a0Challenge Detroit fellows to Detroiters whose families have lived here for generations, I enjoy\u00a0meeting and interacting with the diverse set of individuals who call Detroit home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The office of Saroki Architecture is located at 430 N. Old Woodward in Birmingham, MI<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tell us about your host company and your role in the organization.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I work at Saroki Architecture in a northwest suburb of Detroit called Birmingham. The award-winning architecture and interiors firm, founded by Victor and Michelle Saroki, has been in\u00a0existence since 1983. I am pursuing my architectural license and serve as an architectural\u00a0designer within the office.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>

Our team of fellows working with the 8MBA was comprised of fellows with backgrounds in Public Relations, Journalism, Architecture, Education, Politics, and Business.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit over the past year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Problem solving and communication skills\u2014specifically as it relates to working with multi-disciplinary professionals. It has been thoroughly rewarding to work towards solutions with\u00a0colleagues who have different professional perspectives than my own. I truly believe this\u00a0experience has made me a more deliberate and respectful communicator and thinker.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"I<\/a>

I became a fellow because\u2026DETROIT MATTERS!<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

What kind of impact do you hope you’ve made within your host company and within the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope to have brought a bit of levity and a fresh perspective to the office along with meaningful\u00a0interactions concerning the role of architecture and the changing face of the city of Detroit.\u00a0Through my involvement with various professional and community-based organizations in the\u00a0city, I hope to have demonstrated my commitment to making Detroit my home while embracing\u00a0and honoring its history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are you most looking forward to in the final month of Challenge Detroit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a single month left in the year-long fellowship, I look forward to our final \u201cchallenge\u201d\u2014our Social\u00a0Impact challenge. Partnering with fellows Elizabeth Grabowski, Annie Hakim, and Sarms Jabra, we will\u00a0be working with RecoveryPark in an effort to sustainably activate portions of the large area of land the\u00a0organization recently acquired\u2014stay tuned! In addition, I look forward to future opportunities to\u00a0implement the full range of skills that I have gained over the past year.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The entrance to the historic Chene Ferry Market is one of the areas we will be focusing on activating during our final challenge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Also, be sure to check out Ann’s<\/a>\u00a0video to learn more about her time in Detroit, so far.<\/p>\n