School's in Session Detroit Achievement Academy
Meet the Coolest School in Detroit
Welcome to DAA
School’s in session, and it’s ready to change the world! Detroit Achievement Academy (DAA) is a free K-8 public charter school guided by core values of action, inclusivity and equity, excellence, and reflection—principles that resonate with us at Fireclay.
With an emphasis on creating beautifully designed, joyful spaces with students top of mind, you can see why this is the coolest school in Detroit.
Go Behind the Scenes at DAA
We sat down with founder Kyle Smitley and designer Cali Green of A Green Haus to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of remodeling and expanding their old school building into a beautifully designed space for students and staff to celebrate learning.
Discover DAA's New Expansion
Our friends at DAA recently completed a new expansion, with truly breathtaking tile moments to inspire young minds as they receive a world-class education.
We caught up with Kyle to hear how the expansion went and learn the inspiration behind all the amazing tile designs.
Hear from Real Students
Fireclay Gives
Fireclay Tile Meets Detroit Prep
After outfitting Detroit Prep through tile donations, we were thrilled to partner with its sister school, Detroit Achievement Academy. Through our Fireclay Gives program, we’ve donated a total of over 14,000 SqFt of beautiful, durable tile to Detroit Prep and Detroit Achievement Academy.
We couldn't be more honored to help create a safe, joyful, and inspiring environment for the next generation's leaders, activists, educators, and world-changers.
Fireclay Gives Back
At Fireclay, we measure our success not just in square feet but by the impact we are making on the world around us—that’s what we call Made for Good.
We believe safe, beautiful, and creative spaces can help change lives. If you're on a mission to design for good, we want to hear about it!
You Can Give Back, Too!
Feeling inspired to support Detroit Achievement Academy? You can make a tangible difference in this special school by providing classroom and school supplies from their Amazon Wishlist. Big or small, any donation helps!
Take A School Tour
Pearl + Puget Sound Bathroom
Even the most functional of spaces deserve the best design essentials at Detroit Achievement Academy. This showstopping bathroom uses two sizes of our budget-friendly Essentials Tile to great effect, topping a wainscot of 3x9 Ceramic Tile in moody Puget Sound Gloss (that color variation!) with sheeted 3x3 in Pearl Gloss.
Confetti Drinking Fountain Wall
Art is integrated into all subject areas at Detroit Achievement Academy–and the school’s interior design as well, exemplified by this playful drinking fountain wall featuring a confetti arrangement of 3x6 Ceramic Tile in Tusk, Tumbleweed, Red Rock, Sunflower, Chateau, Sea Glass, Morning Thaw and Dawn.
6-8th Grade San Gabriel Bathroom
Detroit Achievement Academy wants to shake things up a bit, from its top-notch curriculum to the playful design filling every room in the charter school. Wrapping around the 6-8th grade bathrooms, a wainscot of Glazed Thin Brick in San Gabriel exudes earthy turquoise color variation complemented by inspirational framed prints.
Chateau & Tusk Grade 1-3 Bathroom
Every space is thoughtfully designed with students top of mind at Detroit Achievement Academy, including each bathroom. A multi-sized neutral wainscot of 4x4 Ceramic Tile in Tusk and 2x8 Ceramic Tile in Chateau wraps inside and out of the grade 1-3 bathroom, topped off by colorful artwork to inspire young minds.
Servery Wall in Elk & Sierra Nevada
Providing a world-class education means feeding hungry minds and tummies–preferably in an inspiring setting. Detroit Achievement Academy manages all three with its progressive educational approach and beautiful servery wall adorned with Norman Glazed Thin Brick in stacked lines of horizontal Elk and vertical Sierra Nevada.
Gardenia & White Wash Drinking Fountain wall
Meet you at the water fountain. Detroit Achievement Academy’s focus on developing and nurturing the whole child doesn’t end at the classroom, with standout design throughout the school like this playful wall of 2x6 Ceramic Tile in Gardenia interspersed with one row of White Wash.
3x6 Flagstone Drinking Fountain Wall
With a grand vision for what education can look like and an aesthetic to match, Detroit Achievement Academy houses bright young minds inside its beautiful walls. This sophisticated drinking fountain wall exudes a subtle glow from the matte sheen of 3x6 Ceramic Tile in blue-green Flagstone.
Tumbleweed & Sorbet Bathroom
Step inside this bright kindergarten bathroom at Detroit Achievement Academy and you’ll feel a zest for learning thanks to the Large Diamond Tile floor in Sorbet (created with leftover tile from its sister school Detroit Prep!) combined with 6x6 and 3x9 Ceramic Tile wainscot in Tumbleweed.
Hexagon Tumbleweed & Sorbet Bathroom
Detroit Achievement Academy’s school building is joyful, bright, and filled with memories–and handmade tile. This sweet bathroom is adorned with walls of 3x9 Ceramic Tile in Tumbleweed and a playful 6” Hexagon Tile in Tumbleweed & Sorbet floor.
3x3 Hunter Green Backsplash
Charter school Detroit Achievement Academy gets top marks in resourcefulness for using leftover tile from its sister school Detroit Prep to clad two mirroring backsplashes with 3x3 Sheeted Tile in Hunter Green.
Sea Glass Drinking Fountain Nook
With handmade tile in every nook and cranny, Detroit Achievement Academy’s signature interior design as is impressive as its innovative learning expeditions. This sweet water fountain corner is minty fresh with 6x12 Ceramic Tile in Sea Glass (leftover from its sister school Detroit Prep)!
Meet Us At the Water Cooler
Detroit Achievement Academy believes that all students deserve to be in spaces filled with thoughtful design–even when stopping for a sip at the drinking fountains. This feature wall is clad with a playful pattern of Norman Thin Glazed Brick in bold blue Appalachian, complete with framed art pieces to inspire young minds as they quench their thirst.
Mothers Room
Every space in Detroit Achievement Academy is intended to feel calming and homey, and in the dedicated Mothers Room that intention rings true thanks to soothing wainscoting of Glazed Thin Brick in Arches and Sedona and a floor of 6x6 Ceramic Tile in whisper-pink Dawn.
Staff Room
With homey seating areas and soothing colors, the staff room in Detroit Achievement Academy was designed to feel as special and joyful as the student-filled rooms. A charming backsplash of Large Diamond Ceramic Tile in cool blue Morning Thaw anchors the lounge’s kitchen.
Fun Fact: This project was completed by using leftover tile from their sister school, Detroit Prep-- We love a good reduce, reuse, recycle moment!
Staff Bathroom
With a color story inspired by Michigan sunsets, Detroit Achievement Academy clad their ADA-compliant staff bathroom with Thin Glazed Brick in dusky Badlands accented by a border of Sedona along the top and 6” Hexagon Tile in light pink, slip-resistant Dawn on the floor to tie in the natural beauty of the local landscape.
Great Smoky Bathrooms
Making it a priority to have bright and colorful spaces throughout the entire building, Detroit Achievement Academy used a cool blue combination of Norman Thin Glazed Brick in Great Smoky along the walls and 6x12 Ceramic Tile in slip-resistant Morning Thaw across the floors to infuse joy into the 4th and 5th-grade bathrooms.
Sunset-Inspired Bathroom
Colors inspired by Michigan sunsets adorn Detroit Achievement Academy’s admin bathroom, with 6x6 Ceramic Tile in light pink Dawn across the floor and wainscoting of Glazed Thin Brick in lilac Badlands trimmed by a border of Sedona.
