History

Founded by John Patrick in New York City in 2012 and based in Detroit since 2015, ABOVE THE FOLD has advised on 70+ public and private projects totaling billions in construction value across six continents, spanning both urban and natural contexts.

Working as agent, manager and publicist, the agency represents a diverse roster of talent and firms and unites a broad range of disciplines and constituents, from consultants and clients to the media, organizations, institutions, and events.

Across milestones, the agency’s strategic insights, methodologies, and services have advanced the profiles, practices, and portfolios of numerous emerging and established architects, landscape architects, urban designers, interior designers, image makers, and visionaries.

Arts & Culture, Hospitality, Public Space, Reuse & Repair, Sustainability (Scenic Garden/Jardín Escénico © Arturo Arrieta)

Master Planning, Offices & Headquarters, Tall Buildings, Mass Timber, Net-Zero (Atlassian Central © EC3)

Design Team Curation

An idea approach, service, and term coined by John Patrick over the last decade, “design team curation” is an integral part of the agency’s work challenging the status quo and helping clients and communities access and unlock the benefits of contemporary design.

Beginning with True North (2017/2018) and recently expanding to The Shepherd and Little Village (2024) and Building in a Building (2025), ABOVE THE FOLD’s design team curation has contributed to creating some of Detroit’s most recognized projects completed in the first quarter of the 21st century.

Spurring tens of millions of dollars in neighborhood investment on the east and west sides of Detroit, ABOVE THE FOLD’s roster is currently working on 5+ projects in Michigan — from a small indoor-outdoor café to a 20,000+SF building on 33 acres — set to be unveiled in 2026.

Master Planning, Live/Work Housing, Public Space, Neighborhood Development (True North © Rafael Gamo)

Master Planning, Mixed-Use, Arts & Culture, Offices & Headquarters, Public Space (Confidential)

Impact

  • Creating qualitative and quantitative results for talent, firms, clients, communities, and cities with lasting impact and value

  • Establishing a new model for talent and firms to increase their visibility and marketability through creative direction, business development, public relations, and account management

  • Providing clients and consultants access to a roster of talent and firms for public and private RFQs/RFPs/Competitions and selection processes

  • Producing 9x to over 100x return on investments for talent and firms with numerous repeat clients generating additional revenue over many years

  • Working with talent and firms and on projects located in several U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Colombia, France, Israel, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, and Switzerland, among others

  • Representing a firm secure their first project outside of North America

  • Representing two firms secure projects in South America

  • Representing 5+ firms secure their first projects in Detroit and the Midwest

  • Representing a firm secure their first ground-up building in New York City

  • Representing a firm secure their first cultural projects in New York City

  • Representing a firm secure their first project in Australia

  • Representing a firm secure $100+ million in arts & culture projects

  • Increasing an architecture firm’s revenue by 300% while securing career-elevating press, awards, and speaking engagements

  • Orchestrating an architecture firm’s revenue-generating expansion into landscape design with major shortlists and wins in the U.S. and abroad

  • Educating clients, such as the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Detroit Institute of Arts, about competitive processes for selecting design teams

  • Prioritizing public relations campaigns in connection with arts and culture, education, mass timber expertise, and other precedent-setting projects

  • Leading and/or collaborating on dozens of public relations campaigns for precedent-setting projects ranging from retail spaces, private houses, museums, university buildings, tall buildings, and master plans, to books, exhibitions, installations, and special announcements

  • Representing talent, firms, and projects recognized by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, World Architecture Festival, Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP), The Architect’s Newspaper, Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, Fast Company, Interior Design and TIME, among many others

  • Initiating and advising on Shigeru Ban’s ‘Paper Log House’ being acquired for a modern art museum’s permanent collection for the first time

  • Strategizing, organizing, fundraising, and promoting speaking engagements, books, events, exhibitions, and other special projects

  • Volunteering on Detroit’s Neighborhood Advisory Council for the $150+ million adaptive reuse of the iconic Fisher Body Plant 21 into new housing

  • Readapting a derelict commercial building into a light-filled workspace, among other investments in Detroit