Get an insider look at the grounds of the Shepherd on a built environment guided tour with Simon David, founder of renowned design + planning studio, OSD (Office of Strategy + Design). On this limited-capacity tour, visitors will be treated to insights on OSD’s design approach, adaptive reuse strategies, and community-driven design. The Shepherd is a century-old Romanesque-style church transformed into a cultural arts centre with multi-faceted programming. The campus grounds, designed by Office of Strategy + Design (OSD), invite visitors through a diverse collection of destinations themed on the original identity of the church: the nave promenade, art altar galleries, the restored Good Shepherd Church, the apse community lawn, Father Forgive Me outdoor dining, a public skate park designed in collaboration with Tony Hawk and a sculpture park honouring the late Detroit artist Charles McGee. 

Community and arts are at the heart of the experience, welcoming neighbours and promoting interaction, discovery, and inspiration from the rich arts scene that plays out on site. Not only does the adaptive reuse of the site offer a connection with Detroit’s local history, but sustainability can be found down to the details of reused brick and glass chips that pay homage to the craftsmanship of the church’s stained glass windows. Recently recognized with an Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the design revitalizes a once-vacant 3.5-acre site for a “modest yet socially impactful transformation.”