The Mission
"Making sustainable housing accessible for everyone"
The Method
"Making sustainable housing accessible for everyone"
The Method
(Re)building a $1000 Detroit showcase
We develop and share low-budget and do-it-yourself methods to transform worn-down houses into self-sufficient homes. To prove this, we bought a $1000 Detroit home to transform it into a showcase for sustainable, energy-efficient housing. The home serves as a showcase and a community center. The ground floor will be our demonstration home with a training center. The upper level of the two-family-home will be given to a Detroit family that lost their home due to tax foreclosures. Finally, the basement will be housing the local resource center that provides the neighbours with computers, wifi and books.
We develop and share low-budget and do-it-yourself methods to transform worn-down houses into self-sufficient homes. To prove this, we bought a $1000 Detroit home to transform it into a showcase for sustainable, energy-efficient housing. The home serves as a showcase and a community center. The ground floor will be our demonstration home with a training center. The upper level of the two-family-home will be given to a Detroit family that lost their home due to tax foreclosures. Finally, the basement will be housing the local resource center that provides the neighbours with computers, wifi and books.
Why Detroit?
We see great potential in implementing simple but effective technologies that go along with the Motor City’s resilient, creative and independent spirit. Residents have not only shown us that they embrace bold bottom-up initiatives, but also that they have the urge, capacity and desire to realise change. That’s why the ideal city for our pilot project is Detroit: the do-it-yourself city.
We see great potential in implementing simple but effective technologies that go along with the Motor City’s resilient, creative and independent spirit. Residents have not only shown us that they embrace bold bottom-up initiatives, but also that they have the urge, capacity and desire to realise change. That’s why the ideal city for our pilot project is Detroit: the do-it-yourself city.
An adventure with 6 friends
With these 6 friends, I had the pleasure to work on a start-up; The Motown Movement. The idea? Transform a $1000 Detroit home into a showcase for sustainable, energy-efficient housing. A place where middle/lower class people can learn how to reduce their energy bills with low-tech, low-budget methods. Brilliant right?
A year where we discover a fascinating, damaged city; Detroit. A year where people inspire us, poor and rich. A year where we had to find ourselves, over and over again. But also an opportunity for us to get around the table with big (and small) companies in sustainability, renowned experts, national media and Detroit locals.
With these 6 friends, I had the pleasure to work on a start-up; The Motown Movement. The idea? Transform a $1000 Detroit home into a showcase for sustainable, energy-efficient housing. A place where middle/lower class people can learn how to reduce their energy bills with low-tech, low-budget methods. Brilliant right?
A year where we discover a fascinating, damaged city; Detroit. A year where people inspire us, poor and rich. A year where we had to find ourselves, over and over again. But also an opportunity for us to get around the table with big (and small) companies in sustainability, renowned experts, national media and Detroit locals.
An open-source platform
The techniques of our methods are now tested and presented to the
community in Detroit. We also want to share our gained knowledge on
an online platform, serving as our main reference work. Our method
will be presented as a menu with house improvements for every climate and budget. This way The Motown Movement can reach out to everyone on earth; rich or poor. It does not matter.
The techniques of our methods are now tested and presented to the
community in Detroit. We also want to share our gained knowledge on
an online platform, serving as our main reference work. Our method
will be presented as a menu with house improvements for every climate and budget. This way The Motown Movement can reach out to everyone on earth; rich or poor. It does not matter.
Mr. Marketing
As the marketing manager of The Motown Movement, I was responsible for spreading the word of sustainability by developing promotional campaigns and strategies. During my time at The Motown Movement, I grew our Facebook (+4200 likes), Instagram (+1400 followers) and LinkedIn (+600 followers) pages further, was featured on multiple (inter)national news and radio platforms (Telegraaf, BNR, CoBouw) and started a monthly vlog about our life in Detroit. Apart from that, I organised multiple successful (fundraiser) events and arranged inspirational keynote speeches at, among others, the Dutch Design Week and TED.
As the marketing manager of The Motown Movement, I was responsible for spreading the word of sustainability by developing promotional campaigns and strategies. During my time at The Motown Movement, I grew our Facebook (+4200 likes), Instagram (+1400 followers) and LinkedIn (+600 followers) pages further, was featured on multiple (inter)national news and radio platforms (Telegraaf, BNR, CoBouw) and started a monthly vlog about our life in Detroit. Apart from that, I organised multiple successful (fundraiser) events and arranged inspirational keynote speeches at, among others, the Dutch Design Week and TED.
