6001 Cass

Historic Preservation & High-Performance Modernization

6001 Cass is an iconic Albert Kahn building originally designed as Cadillac’s 1920 flagship showroom. Farr led the team to restore and convert the historic building to meet the growing demand for tech-related office space in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. 

The building required extensive renovation to modernize its systems and restore many of its architectural features that had been damaged over the years.

Through integrated design thinking, the renovation features an aggressive envelope retrofit including highly-insulated exterior walls and roofing as well as installation of high-performance historically-sensitive replacement windows.

The building’s new mechanical system features Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology. By operating at varying speeds, VRF units work only when needed while utilizing heat recovery to substantially lower the system’s overall energy demand. Compared to a conventional forced-air system, the cost-neutral system resulted in a 10% increase in leasable area coupled with a 40% reduction in energy use. With this renewed level of performance, 6001 Cass is prepared to once again be the home for new industry in Detroit.