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.

What does DAA mean to you?

Hear from Real Students

We are so grateful for our beautiful community of students, adult crewmates, families, neighbors, and countless stakeholders.

Fireclay Tile Meets Detroit Prep

We had the chance to donate tile to Detroit Prep's new home. With a little help from our DCOF-passing Non-Slip Tiles and Foundations Collection, Detroit Prep's students can now enjoy beautiful, durable tile in its entryways and bathrooms.

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

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!

Fireclay Gives

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.

Take A School Tour

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.

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.