Guest Blogger: Fernando Bales

Fernando Bales was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and grew up in Minnesota. Bales received his undergraduate degree in architecture from North Dakota State University in 2010 and his masters degree in architecture from Cranbrook Academy of Art  in 2013.  He has participated in many studios, both abroad and across the United States.  His latest built work, a shade structure, was completed in 2012 in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He has also worked for Graypants Studio in Seattle, Wash. Bales is currently an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technology University in the department of architecture.  


I have chosen to stay in Michigan, and make Pontiac home. People keep asking why. 

Having roots in many places, I was born in Mexico, raised in Minnesota and studied for my undergraduate education in North Dakota. I have lived in Seattle and Barcelona as a full-time resident and have explored Europe and Japan. I then found myself in Michigan as a graduate student at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills. Having recently graduated with my masters in architecture, I had the option to go anywhere.

During my second year of study at Cranbrook, I purchased an extremely affordable property in Pontiac.  Seeing the property at auction, this abandoned, dilapidated convenience store located at 527 Colorado Avenue had a certain awkward appeal to me. Doing my research and continuously visiting the site, I decided to make an investment here in Pontiac. While working on the building and recognizing its extreme need for rehabilitation to be a functioning space, I understood what I was committing to. I was not just a student anymore, but a neighbor, and a new community member that could no longer be isolated and guarded by the facade that is academia. 

Beginning with the old fence on the property, which became part of my Cranbrook thesis, I started to get a sense of the surrounding community. Neighbors were always out, constantly asking why I'm investing in something that has been forgotten for so long. Many were pleased to see something, anything, happening to the old corner shop that had become such an eyesore. The fence will be the first act of beautification in over 20 years.

A neighborhood kid came up to me with his little brother and asked what was going to become of the place. I explained to him that as an architect and artist I will be converting it into a studio. Immediately, they asked if it was going to be a recording studio, which was not the first time that question came about. 

One of the boys began to tell me he was bullied frequently at school and how he dealt with it.  I recognized a nine-year-old child asked me if I taught fighting, when in fact all he needed was an outlet for his passions: drawing and rapping. I recognized that the scope of the project had to expand to find a balance between the community need and my own vision.

This corner shop will become a place where on the weekends they and anyone else interested in the practice of making will be invited to use the workspace. After telling them this their eyes lit up. My role is not to be a savior but simply to share what I am passionate about.

My hope is to have the space up and running by the end of this summer. I plan to have a full running woodshop with as many tools as I can afford. A small CNC machine will be available to continue my own work and to expose others to the realm of digital fabrication. A laser cutter, a small letter press and silk screening machine are in the works as well. The adjoining lot back will be used for actual construction and production of larger scale works. Bike repair and basic bicycle tools will also be available as I want to share my love for cycling as well. I want to have the amenities available to bring in guest teachers and craftspeople to run their own workshops or classes in all these fields of making. My agenda is flexible and I want to be able to host a variety of events, whether it involves music, dance, installation, and any type of experimental work. 

I did not come to Michigan planning to stay but its seemingly stressed climate has afforded me the opportunity in my mid-twenties to be a property owner, professor, architect and instigator earlier than I planned. I had to think twice about leaving. My role is not to be a savior but simply to share what I am passionate about.

Through the purchase of 527 Colorado, I've recognized potential in the neglected, the potential in that which is viewed through the periphery. My building, my community, Pontiac and myself all have potential. We need the time, support and investment for these small steps to propel us forward. 

As this is an ongoing project, I have set up a website for those interested in following the progress and to stay updated on when the space will be open. The amount of funding needed to complete the project can be overwhelming, so if you are able to donate, please do. I'm grateful for those who have already supported and am confident in the direction of this endeavour.


Fernando Bales
f.p.bales@gmail.com