Rowing Forward

Abstract

This study investigates how adaptive reuse and historic preservation can be applied in a practical manner in order to transform Detroit’s Belle Isle Boathouse, the former home of the Detroit Boat Club, into a public gateway to access the Detroit River. Currently used by the non-profit Friends of Detroit Rowing as the training hub for the rowers of the Detroit Boat Club Crew, the building is in need of millions of dollars worth of repairs. Is there a way that the rowers can feasibly remain in this building that has been their home for the past 120 years? Rowing in the U.S., other boathouses, and the history of the Belle Isle Boathouse were studied in order to understand how the building was originally intended to be used, how it has been changed over time, and how the building can be adapted to better serve modern uses as a training center. The investigation was expanded to study how there is a lack of public access for people to get out onto the Detroit River. The boathouse is perfectly situated to serve Detroit’s need for a public aquatic facility that would offer multiple athletic programs in addition to rowing while increasing awareness and involvement with this historic structure.