b.h.d.

It is an unfortunate truth that within the city of Detroit there remain many neighborhoods with too many blighted elements. Sometimes there is also a cadre of persons, many young, that do not see a reason to respect others’ property or question the impact of their action on the community at large.

In the Lindale Gardens community, in northeast Detroit near State Fair Road and I-75, a group and a concept has evolved to meet these challenges, b.h.d.: Bleeding Heart Design. b.h.d. has a goal to use “human-centered design methods to inspire people to become more altruistic by using public art, design and architecture as a conduit for social change.”

    

Images of the same storefront transformed in the Lindale Gardens neighborhood by b.h.d.

The above installation was created to influence community residents to think more altruistically; to consider others’ needs as well as their own as the go about their daily lives. It is a good example of the type of projects executed by b.h.d.

Titled: The We Need Wall, the meaning of the word “We” is left up to interpretation. Those that witness actually see the expressed needs of individuals and their community. The hope is that people who see this wall, and particularly those who interact with it, will begin to think more selflessly.

The stated purpose of b.h.d. is to evoke positive emotions and thoughts from those who live near or randomly encounter the group’s design projects. By stimulating such reactions, it is hoped that negative or malicious behaviors will be demoted and self-evaluation of an individual’s role in society will be promoted. In other words, b.h.d. exercises a design philosophy that actively advocates a “pay it forward” atmosphere in participating comunities.

    

b.h.d. created a community meeting place out of an abandoned field.    (photo by Fares Ksebati)

The organization has larger plans as well. The “Bleeding Heart Nexus” includes such concepts as a time bank and a network of individuals who are committed to common goals of community care and attention. The BHN would connect people, organizations, businesses and institutions while laying bare the interdependence between them all.

To learn more about the work of b.h.d. and the evolving plans of the BHN please visit bleedingheartdesign.org and follow @BHD_Detroit.