Architecture can catalyze a neighborhood or change the way we think about our community. It can be inspiring, iconic, or even controversial. So which buildings rate as game-changers in Metro Detroit? We asked a quartet of prominent local architects to select twelve buildings worth paying attention to.

The restaurant scene in Oakland County is on an unprecedented upswing, with a flurry of new restaurant openings since the start of 2012 that shows no sign of slowing. But what sets these restaurants apart from the crowd is a whole new interior design precedence: restaurateurs are now paying as much attention to design and décor as they do to the menus and staff, and Oakland County is paving the way for a whole new restaurant design aesthetic in metro Detroit.