by Murrye Bernard Assoc. AIA LEED AP
Event: Make It Right: From Concept to Community
Location: Center for Architecture, 10.08.09
Speakers: Tom Darden — Executive Director, Make It Right; Sarah Howell, AIA — Project Architect, Make It Right
Organizer: Center for Architecture as part of Architecture Week 2009
Sponsors: Kohler; Kramer Levin; Solco
Make It Right house under construction.
Courtesy Make It Right
Some things just happen slower in the South. While this may be acceptable when it comes to southern drawls or crawfish boils, the pace of rebuilding New Orleans following the disaster of Hurricane Katrina is not, especially in the Lower Ninth Ward. Shocked by the devastation in the area and appalled by lack of federal support, actor Brad Pitt, along with William McDonough + Partners, Cherokee Gives Back Foundation, and Graft Architects, created the Make It Right Foundation to rebuild the neighborhood with homes that are green, safe, healthy, and affordable. For its efforts, the foundation received the 2009 Center for Architecture Foundation Award. Tom Darden, executive director, and Sarah Howell, AIA, project architect, discussed their accomplishments and goals for the future of Make It Right.
Fourteen firms — both locals and luminaries including MVRDV, Gehry Partners, and Morphosis — developed prototypes for single family and duplex homes. The architects held community meetings and design charrettes, abiding by guidelines set forth by Make It Right. Darden explained that the homes had to feature sustainable materials and systems; provide ADA access when necessary; be elevated above Katrina water levels; and provide rooftop access so that in the event of another disaster, residents would not become trapped in their attics — a cause of many fatalities in the wake of the hurricane.
Families choose from the 27 available prototypes depending on their needs and lifestyles. Many designers drew inspiration from traditional New Orleans architecture and incorporated contextual details like gabled roofs and front porches, a vital part of New Orleans culture. However, most of the designs are decidedly modern, requiring building techniques with which local contractors weren’t familiar. Howell deciphers these construction details and serves as a liaison between the contractors and the families that will inhabit the homes. “The construction site is like a laboratory,” she explained.
Working with University of New Orleans College of Engineering students, Make It Right has determined ways to build stronger walls and foundations at a lower cost. This inventiveness and willingness to explore cost-saving options has enabled them to build the architects’ designs without compromising their integrity. “Efficiency and affordability are closely linked,” Howell believes.
The cost-savings continue after residents inhabit the homes. Passive and active sustainable features such as solar panels, tankless water heaters, and LED lighting have resulted in a 10-volt average decrease in energy costs. Darden’s own electric bill was over $200 during the same month some residents’ bills were under $40.
Make It Right has pledged to build 150 homes, and Darden hopes to complete 50 by December 2009. Aside from the homes, the foundation has built playgrounds and installed pervious streetscapes and landscaping in the neighborhood, as well, all in the hope of rebuilding a sense of community.
Though 90% of Lower Ninth Ward residents were homeowners before Katrina, they are slowly and hesitantly returning. Make it Right’s safely designed homes offer peace of mind with an affordable price tag, at around $150,000, or $130/square foot. In a video short produced by the foundation, a new resident sums it up best: “This house affords us a new way of living.”
To watch a short video about Make It Right, shown at the Heritage Ball, go to the Podcasts website.
Murrye Bernard, a Louisiana native, is a freelance architectural writer in NYC and a contributing editor to e-Oculus.