Kresge Foundation Detroit HQ+ Sustainability Framework

Rooted in Kresge Foundation’s mission to expand equity and opportunity in America’s cities, their new headquarters (HQ+) relocates the organization to Detroit’s historic Marygrove Conservancy campus—placing it at the heart of the communities it serves. Bio Studio developed a multi-scale Sustainability Framework integrating sustainability and resilience strategies across building, campus, and neighborhood scales—aligning the Foundation’s values with measurable environmental and social outcomes. The initiative builds upon Kresge’s legacy, transforming the campus and neighborhood into a living model of equity, resilience, and climate-positive design.

The approach combines net-positive energy, net-positive water, resilience hub capabilities, biophilic design, material circularity, healthy mobility, green stormwater infrastructure, habitat creation, inclusive design, and Living Building Challenge as an aspiration. Through a visioning workshop facilitated by Bio Studio with a diverse group of Kresge staff, the framework defines a pathway that advances environmental justice, social wellbeing, and regenerative performance of the building, landscape, campus, and surrounding community. The resulting framework centers people, racial equity and place—benefiting the community for generations to come and positioning Kresge as a leader in shaping resilient, regenerative cities that expand equity and opportunity for all.