HOUSING COMPLEX

How do you design knowing things will change? Set in New Orleans, this housing complex holds over fifteen units ranging from one to four bedrooms. After identifying the site and analyzing the surrounding buildings, local vernacular architectural features such as large overhangs, courtyards, and balconies were incorporated to craft a modern space with a nod to New Orleans’ rich heritage. The courtyard-centric design has been built along with a café on the ground level to facilitate and encourage use of the courtyard as a public performance space. The main circulation resides inside the courtyard and every apartment has a view of it as well. Constant opportunities for exposure will help break the ice with residence to help form a community within the development. The greatest accomplishment made in this design is that none of the plans are identical. Despite being more costly, this ensures that despite all the shared spaces, each resident’s experience will be unique.