Dichotomy Student Journal

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Dichotomy Student Journal

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Dichotomy is a student-run academic journal from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture and Community Development

Dichotomy, a student published journal, strives to be a critical link between UDM students and the discourses on design, architecture, urbanism, and community development. Like the institution, Dichotomy focuses on social justice and critical thought concerning intellectual, spiritual, ethical, and social development both in and outside of Detroit. The aim of Dichotomy is to disseminate these relevant investigations conducted by students, faculty, and professionals. The theme of this issue is UGLY. This theme is intended to engage a dialogue on this social and cultural aesthetic. Therefore, works that may contribute to this issue should demonstrate or comment on how ugly and beautiful are understood through design, architecture, urbanism, or community development. The term UGLY is often associated with any project that veers from the realm of easy and accepted solutions. In reality it is the skin of an investigation that challenges our perceptions and form and architecture. Dichotomy 19 seeks to understand this complexity through the conversation of its own social and cultural aesthetic. Submissions should reflect upon how the line between beautiful and UGLY is blurred by original understandings of design, architecture, urbanism, or community development. Abstract Deadline: December 1st, 2012.

10/15/2026

ATTENTION STUDENTS !!

Another reminder that the Dichotomy 30 Student Competition is due in ONE WEEK, on Thursday, October 23rd. Submit your project/content and 200-word narrative through the submission form, which can be found on the student competition tab on our website.

Winners will have their submissions featured side by side with international renown thinkers, community advocates, designers, and artists in Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively or individually to submit an original piece of work.

Winners will receive a free printed copy of Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE and a $50 +$30 visa gift card in celebration of our 30th edition!

For more information, visit our website at the link in our bio or scan the QR code above.

10/11/2026

This week we are highlighting another amazing contributor to Dichotomy 29: ECHO, Leyuan Li.

Leyuan Li’s article, “Echoing Chinatown” intends to provoke new forms of interpretation, reimagination, and stimulation that echo the past, present, and future of Denver’s Chinatown. He materializes the extent of historical erasure by compiling information from historical documents and photographs, retrieving oral histories from descendant communities, and juxtaposing layers of collected archives. This process promotes deep listening and engages the speculative tools of storytelling to unearth stories and memories impaired by archival silence.

If you’re interested in reading Leyuan Li’s article, find ECHO on our website at the link in our bio!

Image credits -
Slide 2, 4: Arch 4111 students in Li’s studio in the fall of 2023 at the University of Colorado Denver.
Slide 3: Trevor Motzko, Brandon Wunder, and Jackson Pedrazzi.
Slide 5: Julia Schmidt and Brandon Wunder.
Slide 6: Jesse Kuroiwa.

10/10/2026

Dichotomy Day is coming up in one month! Here’s a little recap of the past few Dichotomy Days we’ve had.

Dichotomy Day is a celebration of the journal during which we exhibit previous Dichotomy issues and selected articles, as well as the reveal of the new Dichotomy theme and the winner of the student competition. There will be food, drinks, a themed activity, and lots of excitement!

We hope to see you at the next Dichotomy Day to see the Dichotomy 31 theme reveal!

10/05/2026

This week we are highlighting another amazing contributor to Dichotomy 29: ECHO, Rhonda Greene, and her poem “Echo Chamber.”

Rhonda is Executive Director of Heritage Works, a Detroit-based cultural-arts organization with a mission to promote youth and community development through cultural traditions, arts, and education. In addition to writing, Rhonda loves dance and drum. “In many African traditions, rhythm and movement are languages — percussive and kinetic orality,” she says. “There’s something so poetic about the drums.” When writing, often the rhythm of a line or poem emerges for her before the words do.

To read Rhonda Greene’s meaningful poem and more from this theme, take a look at ECHO on our website at the link in our bio!

10/02/2026

ATTENTION STUDENTS !!

This is a reminder that the Dichotomy 30 Student Competition is due this month on October 23rd. Submit your project/content and 200-word narrative through the submission form, which can be found on the student competition tab on our website.

Winners will have their submissions featured side by side with international renown thinkers, community advocates, designers, and artists in Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively or individually to submit an original piece of work.

Winners will receive a free printed copy of Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE and a $50 visa gift card in celebration of our 30th edition!

For more information, visit our website at the link in our bio or scan the QR code above.

09/26/2026

Meet the 2026-2027 Dichotomy team!!

We are beyond excited to bring you this year’s Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE. 💛

We hope you are enjoying Dichotomy 29: ECHO! Stay tuned for more updates and exciting news from us.

09/21/2026

With our upcoming search for the Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE featured artist, we would like to highlight the Dichotomy 29: ECHO featured artist, Tryst Red!

Tryst Red is an installation and lens-based artist and educator. She creates immersive environments by combining video projection, photography, mirror reflection, and sculptural processes. Her practice questions the reliability of recollection, blurring the line between embodied experiences and imagined scenarios.

Explore Tryst Red’s work in Dichotomy 29: ECHO at the link in our bio!

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming our featured artist for Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE, please contact us at [email protected].

09/17/2026

Attention SACD students!

We are currently looking for any students interested in becoming a part of the Dichotomy team as a student volunteer. Dichotomy provides an excellent opportunity to engage in a real-world project and develop valuable skills, such as project management, graphic design, marketing, event organizing, peer reviewing, and more!

If you are interested in joining the Dichotomy team as a student volunteer, please join us Mondays at 12:30 - 1pm in the Dichotomy office! Our office is located right outside the computer lab.

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]. We look forward to meeting with you!

09/13/2026

This week we are highlighting another incredible contributor to Dichotomy 29: ECHO, Dan Kinkead.

Dan Kinkead’s article, titled “Perception, Meaning and Change in the Urban Environment,” is an intriguing explanation of how the accumulation of our past and present urban environments are formed and adapted. He aims to illustrate how the built environment echoes our past, present, and potential futures through the consideration of multiple urban redevelopment initiatives. Each case study reflects the contributions of urban adaptation to how our cities and buildings are perceived, revealing echoes of layered identities and meanings.

To read the rest of Dan’s article and more from this theme, find ECHO on our website at the link in our bio!

09/11/2026

The Dichotomy Student Journal invites the University of Detroit Mercy SACD Students to submit for the Dichotomy 30 Student Competition!

Winners will have their submissions featured side by side with international renown thinkers, community advocates, designers, and artists in Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively or individually to submit an original piece of work.

Winners will receive a free printed copy of Dichotomy 30: ELEVATE and a $50 visa gift card in celebration of our 30th edition!

For more information, visit our website at the link in our bio or scan the QR code.

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Detroit, MI
48221

Website

https://www.dichotomyjournal.com/

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