French & Michigan started as a small, nameless design studio at a house located in the Southtown neighborhood of San Antonio. The house is situated in what was known to the local art community as the Compound. Sitting around a living room table, Director Billy Lambert led a team of architecture students and graduates on design projects consisting of various renovations and new buildings. 

In 2012, the studio moved into a Spanish Mission style building on the corner of French Street and Michigan Avenue in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, which was owned by a longtime client. F&M’s client had the designers work on small renovations to the structure before deciding to rent the space out to the studio, which subsequently became French & Michigan.

In fall 2013, the studio expanded to open French & Michigan Gallery. Led by Curator Céleste Wackenhut, French & Michigan Gallery began representing artists, bringing in an inventory of artwork, presenting exhibitions, and publishing catalogues. 

In 2014, the design studio moved back to Southtown to a 4,000 sq ft building known as Mario’s Automotive. The structure allowed F&M to expand its operations further and open a workshop making custom fabrications and a furniture collection. 

In 2017, Celeste Wackenhut converted French & Michigan Gallery to a nonprofit model and received its 501(c)3 status. The nonprofit, legally named F&M Projects, is dedicated to the research of contemporary art and design and its publication program.

Today, French & Michigan functions as a hybrid business and nonprofit with a design studio, fabrication workshop, and arts publishing program. The original location at the Compound served as an architecture residency for graduate students between 2015-2020.