The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
the b-side
Thursday, February 16, 2017 — 5B
COURTESY OF GREEN GARAGE
Detroit’s sustainability
leader: work with heart
Local co-working space Green Garage illustrates the potential
harmony between eco-friendly practices and economic success
Sustainability and economic
growth do not have to be
contradictory. With the right
infrastructure and leadership,
reducing a business’s carbon
footprint
can
be
quite
inexpensive. In Detroit, the
Green Garage leads by example,
proving that sustainability is
not at the expense of economic
growth. This shared workspace
houses
50
businesses
and
non-profits all engaged in the
community that seek to improve
the lives for all Detroiters.
The Green Garage consumes
approximately 1/10th of the
energy compared to, on average,
other office building of its size.
Located in Midtown, one of
the city’s main urban renewal
hotspots, the Green Garage
paves the way for the most
innovative
advancements
in
sustainability
and
highlights
the importance of an inclusive
working community.
Last summer, I had about
as
good
of
an
internship
opportunity as possible — one
which
would
make
anyone
jealous. Even though I wasn’t
coding for Google and making
$20,000 a month or advising
the president on foreign policy, I
was a part of a work-community
that cared about issues beyond
its four walls. I worked for
Fresh Corner Café, a food
business focused on improving
Detroiters’ access to healthy and
affordable food, which is housed
in the Green Garage.
My work with Fresh Corner,
along with everyone else in
the Green Garage, positively
impacts the lives of Detroiters.
Rather than ignoring lifelong
residents’ voices and concerns at
the expense of selfish gain, the
Green Garage’s many businesses
listen and cater to them. There
is an omnipresent commitment
to the future of Detroit, one that
will be better for everyone.
It’s astounding how dreary
and soul-sucking some office
spaces can be. With unflattering
fluorescent lights and crusty
carpets, it’s no surprise why
many people dread going into
work. If workers must spend 40
hours a week in the same place,
it only makes sense to put forth
the resources to create a more
livable and aesthetically pleasing
environment. The Green Garage
is an archetype for livable office
spaces, but not in a douchey tech-
startup kind of way with ping
pong tables and flashy colors.
It’s understated and beautiful,
including lots of natural lighting
and gorgeous wood floors and
ceilings.
Everyone
entering
the
building is warmly greeted by
Manager Matt Piper. He grew
up just northeast of the city in
Harrison Township and later
attended Wayne State University,
receiving both a bachelor’s and
master’s degree there. Since
then, he has lived in Detroit for
ten years. Piper firmly believes
that other businesses can do
their part in becoming more
sustainable.
“We are an extreme case of
people who have worked hard to
reduce the impact of our activity,
but everyone can do something,”
Piper said. “Certainly, people
can consider installing more
energy efficient windows, better
recycling, and a composting
plant.”
The Green Garage features
a zero-waste recycling system
in which very little is actually
thrown
out.
Its
extensive
composting
system
supports
an urban ecosystem around the
building. A lot more goes into the
Green Garage’s environmental
efficiency, however.
“Our heating system is a solar
thermal system that doesn’t
generate electricity, but heats
up 5,000 gallons of water that
is then pumped through tubes
under the floor,” he said. “The
heat then rises.”
In
2013-2014,
the
Green
Garage spent about $3,100 on
electricity, which is shockingly
less than the average cost of
an office building of its size:
$28,000. The main factor of the
Green Garage’s sustainability is
its thick insulation.
“The best thing you can do
is insulate the building really
well and reduce the demand
for heating and cooling. Our
insulation is so thick that it takes
longer to change the thermal
properties of the building,” Piper
said.
The Green Garage is unlike
other
shared
workspaces.
In lieu of closed offices, the
building features an open work
environment in which businesses
operate all in one place separated
by small dividers. In the back of
the building are more private
conference rooms. This design,
according to Piper, was inspired
by Christopher Alexander’s book
“Pattern Language.”
“The key insight is that
a
building
should
have
a
progression of public to private
space. When you walk in, it is
most public. We want it to be
non-hierarchal
where
cross-
pollination
and
information
sharing happen naturally, and
the open-plan facilitates that.
You get to know your neighbors.”
Piper
emphasized
the
importance
of
the
Green
Garage’s tightknit and inclusive
community, and I can attest
to this. The building offers
more than just an incubator for
professionals.
“In a time where things seem
to be so divided, it feels special
that we’re bucking that trend
and finding ways to be accepting
and welcoming to one another,”
he said. “We have a place
where people of all different
backgrounds come together to
work and be intentional about
the fact that they accept one
another. We start everything
with the idea that we are more
than just an office building and
find ways to help people grow.”
Regarding the city’s future,
Piper remained optimistic.
“I think that we are one of
many leaders looking toward
a more sustainable future for
Detroit There are a lot of other
people that speak our language
and think along the same lines,”
Piper said. “We are a place where
the future leaders of Detroit are
getting started.”
The Green Garage represents
the
potential
for
positive
social impact in the city. If the
resources are there, there truly
is no reason not to increase
sustainability. With an emphasis
on community, the Green Garage
is a place where professionals
all look forward to work rather
dreading it. My time working
here opened my eyes to the
potential for improved work
spaces more similar to a home
rather than a typical office. And,
I was fortunate enough to call
the Green Garage my home for
two months.
WILL STEWART
Daily Arts Writer
‘Detroiters’ is a two-bit
buddy comedy with heart
Created by and starring two Detroit natives, Comedy Central’s
newest sitcom puts the Motor City on display in all its comedic glory
“Detroiters”
co-creators
Tim Robinson (“SNL”) and
Sam Richardson (“Veep”) were
determined to shoot their new
buddy sitcom on location in
Detroit, and after watching the
series pilot, it’s evident why.
Shots of Detroit landmarks
aside, the series seamlessly
weaves the city’s narrative into
its very own, calling on viewers
to shift their perspective of the
city. The series is the first in a
long time to be set in the motor
city; while it doesn’t address
Detroit’s history or current
socioeconomic
landscape
directly,
the
series
subtly
nods to its setting in theme
and story, harking back to the
past in order to set its focus on
moving towards the future.
After inheriting his father’s
ad
agency,
Tim
Cramblin
(Tim Robinson), along with
his partner Sam Duvet (Sam
Richardson), struggle to live
up to the agency’s (and the
city’s) former glory. With Tim’s
legacy on the line, the standard
premise is treated with higher
stakes, balancing comedy with
heart.
In
the
first
scene,
the
two are shown producing a
second-rate
commercial
for
the
robe-
and
crown-clad,
jacuzzi king of Detroit, Eddie
Champagne (Steve Higgins,
“Saturday Night Live”). Before
Eddie is doused in boiling
water in a cheap practical
effect, Tim and Sam dismiss
the potential hazard. Their
obliviousness establishes the
expectation that neither are
equipped to handle their jobs,
making their blundering path
towards success all the more
entertaining.
The Second City Detroit
alums
are
a
well-matched
comedic
team
with
authentic
rapport.
Though
the two characters are so
interconnected
—
they’re
childhood friends, coworkers
and
brothers-in-law
—
their
characters
verge
on
becoming one in the same. The
cornerstone of a great sitcom
friendship is the possession of
a quality by one character that
their counterpart lacks (i.e.
Rachel and Monica, Jess and
Nick and so forth). Perhaps
this will become clearer as the
series progresses, and for now,
their natural chemistry makes
up for the lack of inherent
distinction between the two.
When it comes to wooing
clients,
Sam
and
Tim
effectively act as
a single, in-sync
unit. Even their
brash decision to
pitch
to
Carter
at his hospitable
bed is met with
wholehearted
agreement
between the two.
They
attempt
to
persuade
Chrysler
executive
Carter
Grant
(Jason
Sudeikis,
“Saturday Night Live”) to hear
their pitch is one comedic gaff
after another. Their efforts
range
from
Tim
staining
his tie with steak sauce to
accidentally
hitting
Carter
with their car. In one sequence,
the two attempt to break a
glass door pane with various
office items before swallowing
diet pills decades past their
expiration
date.
Though
loosely connected, the series of
events remains amusing. While
seemingly unmotivated, their
asinine actions lead them to a
revelatory moment in which
they craft an unexpectedly
smart, resonant tagline for
Chrysler — one that plainly
sings Detroit’s praise.
Much
like
the
winding
nature of the series itself,
Sam
and
Tim
appear
to
meander carelessly until they
stumble upon some revelation
or opportunity. The show’s
sketch-like structure, similar
to that of “Broad City,” lends
itself to the plot’s discursive
pattern and Sam and Tim’s
absurdist
physical
comedy
and harebrained one-liners.
Moments of farce balanced by
pathos that doesn’t feel forced
or cheesy are meant to surprise
the show’s audience.
The
show’s
tendency
to
surprise is very much in tune
with the theme of confounding
expectations throughout the
pilot. Sam and Tim show us
a side of Detroit that feels
authentic, but put their spin
on it, melding together the old
with the new. Sam’s house,
which sits next door to Tim
and
Sam’s
sister
Chrissy’s
(Shawntay
Dalon,
“Daylight”) is a
dilapidated relic
of Detroit that
Sam’s
trying
to
flip
(with
difficulty).
He
lives
there
happily,
withstanding
the ruin with his
infectious optimism.
Sheila (Pat Vern Harris,
“Sirens”),
Sam
and
Tim’s
elderly
secretary,
is
a
caricature of the antiquated
workplaces characteristic of ad
agencies in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Her attempts to act seductively
while confusing Tim for his
father (referred to as “Big
Hank”) are a comical reminder
of a past at odds with modern
times.
The theme of past and
present set within Detroit’s
cityscape, in addition to Sam
and Tim’s endearing desire to
succeed in spite of themselves
and
their
circumstances,
is what gives the show its
legs and launches it past its
conventional
sitcom
setup.
Though not quite edgy — but
nowhere near bland — the
series has great potential to
push its sketch-like comedy
(the result, no doubt, of the
heavy involvement of “SNL”
alum) even further, allowing
its characters and setting to
really shine. The series is a
testament to what a little bit of
heart can add to quirky comedy
and a simple set up.
COMEDY CENTRAL
SHIR AVINADAV
Daily Arts Writer
“Detroiters”
Series Premiere
Comedy Central
Tuesdays at 10:30
p.m.
COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN
What happened to rest?
I get it, you’re busy.
I am too –– the pace of life is
moving so fast, you can’t even stop
to consider the idea of slowing
down. Even if you do consider such
a thing, I doubt you’ll really do it.
What is it that are we so driven
by that makes it impossible to
consider slowing down? We are
consumed by the notion that every
second of every day has to be put
toward something and hold some
sort of purpose.
If we choose to rest, it is only to
equip us to go on to accomplish the
numerous tasks of the next day.
If we choose to do something fun
or less stressful one day — let’s say
watch a movie — it is only to provide
a brief form of relief. Until we move
on to the next task and the cycle
continues.
We have all lost the incentive to
enjoy life at a slower pace. Because
if we stop, that other person who
kept going has a “better shot.”
They’ll make it and I won’t. That’s
the mentality I think we are living
under and it is strangely paralyzing,
though paradoxically: If I slow
down in efforts to revitalize my
energies enough to move forward,
the person who didn’t stop will be
one step ahead. It leaves us stuck in
this battle of trying to do too much
or feeling guilty if we take time to
pause.
My agenda is tightly packed
— too much so, I’ll admit. Even
sitting down to write this demands
a certain amount of peace and
patience that I’m not sure I know
where to find at this point in my
life. My weekends become just
as packed as the weekdays; even
vacations carry a lingering guilt,
almost a sinking feeling as my body
and mind slow down. It’s a feeling
that shouldn’t be foreign to us, but I
feel it has become that way.
It’s the thought lurking in your
mind: I should be doing something.
Our inability to rest or slow down
is due, in part, by the technological
advancements
that
make
our
information so instantaneous ––
we are addicted now to making the
rapid pace of life the norm. We are
connected to so much online, it feels
foreign to remove ourselves from
that and just sit still.
A friend of mine recently shared
with me the idea that we have
grown to “compete” in our levels
of workload. If one person you
converse with is “so busy” with his
or her three essays, you can think
to yourself: “Well, I have three
essays too and a midterm. Don’t
tell me about a busy week.” There
is an underlying pride that emerges
through this game of comparison
and if anything, it just pushes us to
do more.
While looking at all that demands
your attention — class, homework,
clubs, career plans — what is it that
you really want to win your time?
Typically, it is not what you are
hoping for. The fun movie night you
had planned is now canceled. The
10 hours of sleep you hoped for has
now been dwindled down to five.
Those amazing friends you wish to
visit who live in Chicago, D.C. and
New York will have to wait another
season. It looks like next weekend
won’t work after all for a visit.
Your phone reminds you of all
the people you wish to call and
catch up with. Scrolling through
Facebook deceives you, where it
seems like everyone has so much
time for so many things and you are
the one who needs to catch up.
Our time off, that we refer to
as “free time,” has entirely lost
its meaning. This “freedom” has
to have such purpose, such drive
and amount to such success, that
the very value to which we find
our most treasured relationships
and feelings are discarded for the
sake of finding purpose. This isn’t
freedom — it’s restriction.
This isn’t to say that busyness
needs to evaporate in order for value
in life to be restored. Maybe the
purpose behind all this craziness
is that we have found ourselves
stuck in needs to be reevaluated to
some extent. That nice dinner with
friends may cost you a few hours
of homework. And then sleep. And
maybe rob you of some peace the
following day.
But remember that you need to
slow down once in a while. Slowing
down doesn’t mean falling into a
trap of laziness or apathy; rather, it
is finding the form of genuine and
honest rest. That way, when you
actually gain some free time, you’ll
know what to do with it. For the
moments that feel incredibly hectic
and busy, you’ll be more energized
and prepared to face them.
BAILEY KADIAN
Daily Culture Columnist
BUSINESS PROFILE
TV REVIEW