During this monthly series for active aging adults, participants will have opportunities to meet our on-site educators, listen to guest presenters and take part in various natural resource-themed activities. All programs begin at 9 a.m. and include pastries, coffee and tea upon entry. At 9:30 a.m., presentations will begin, so sit back and enjoy your snack during an exciting and informative program, then wrap up with time to explore the OAC exhibits.
In July, join Dale A. Carlson, author of “Kahn’s Detroit: A Field Guide to Albert Kahn Designs of the Metro Area,” as he explores some of the most surprising and significant adaptive reuses of Albert Kahn’s buildings across metro Detroit.
Between 1929 and 1932, Kahn’s firm oversaw the design of more than 500 factories in Soviet Russia – many later converted to munitions plants during World War II. These distant transformations may well have shaped the outcome of the war, highlighting just how far-reaching and unintentional the impact of Kahn’s work could be. Prompted by this legacy, Carlson turns his attention to Detroit, asking: What imaginative reuses of Kahn’s buildings have taken place here? Which adaptations reveal the greatest versatility – and the most unexpected consequences? The results are both thought-provoking and deeply tied to the city's evolving story.
About the presenter: Author, photographer and architectural historian Dale A. Carlson was born and raised along the northeastern shores of Lake Michigan where, as an adolescent, he developed a fascination with the city of Detroit. Throughout the 1990s, Carlson studied art, journalism and graphic design at four Michigan colleges including Michigan State University, while simultaneously migrating closer and closer to the Metro area. In 2004 he made southeast Oakland County his permanent home, and in 2019 he earned an associate degree in photographic technology from Oakland Community College. More recently, he graduated from Wayne State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in art history. He is the author of “Corrado Parducci: A Field Guide to Detroit’s Architectural Sculptor,” “Kahn’s Detroit: A Field Guide to Albert Kahn Designs of the Metro Area” and “Stained Glass New Orleans: A Field Guide.” Carlson lectures regularly on the architectural history of Detroit and the state of Michigan for a variety of public libraries, historical societies and retirement living facilities. He credits his late wife, Carolin Venegas Jones, who he married in 2014, for inspiring his ventures into publishing and photography.
Preregistration is required. Cost is $8 per person.
Register for Senior Brunch and Learn – Albert Kahn: Unintended Consequences.
1801 Atwater Street, Detroit, Michigan, 48207Start: July 09, 2026 9:00 AM
End: July 09, 2026 12:00 PM
During this monthly series for active aging adults, participants will have opportunities to meet our on-site educators, listen to guest presenters and take part in various natural resource-themed activities. All programs begin at 9 a.m. and include pastries, coffee and tea upon entry. At 9:30 a.m., presentations will begin, so sit back and enjoy your snack during an exciting and informative program, then wrap up with time to explore the OAC exhibits.
In July, join Dale A. Carlson, author of “Kahn’s Detroit: A Field Guide to Albert Kahn Designs of the Metro Area,” as he explores some of the most surprising and significant adaptive reuses of Albert Kahn’s buildings across metro Detroit.
Between 1929 and 1932, Kahn’s firm oversaw the design of more than 500 factories in Soviet Russia – many later converted to munitions plants during World War II. These distant transformations may well have shaped the outcome of the war, highlighting just how far-reaching and unintentional the impact of Kahn’s work could be. Prompted by this legacy, Carlson turns his attention to Detroit, asking: What imaginative reuses of Kahn’s buildings have taken place here? Which adaptations reveal the greatest versatility – and the most unexpected consequences? The results are both thought-provoking and deeply tied to the city's evolving story.
About the presenter: Author, photographer and architectural historian Dale A. Carlson was born and raised along the northeastern shores of Lake Michigan where, as an adolescent, he developed a fascination with the city of Detroit. Throughout the 1990s, Carlson studied art, journalism and graphic design at four Michigan colleges including Michigan State University, while simultaneously migrating closer and closer to the Metro area. In 2004 he made southeast Oakland County his permanent home, and in 2019 he earned an associate degree in photographic technology from Oakland Community College. More recently, he graduated from Wayne State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in art history. He is the author of “Corrado Parducci: A Field Guide to Detroit’s Architectural Sculptor,” “Kahn’s Detroit: A Field Guide to Albert Kahn Designs of the Metro Area” and “Stained Glass New Orleans: A Field Guide.” Carlson lectures regularly on the architectural history of Detroit and the state of Michigan for a variety of public libraries, historical societies and retirement living facilities. He credits his late wife, Carolin Venegas Jones, who he married in 2014, for inspiring his ventures into publishing and photography.
Preregistration is required. Cost is $8 per person.
Register for Senior Brunch and Learn – Albert Kahn: Unintended Consequences.
