The beauty of Creole is its familiar identity, and how the community comfortably associates with vernacular forms. What the flood wrenched does not want to be replaced by forced design, but instead redeemed with a vigor and strength drawn from the determination of the homeowners who still desire to dwell in the Broadmoor Neighborhood. Sensitivity to context may help the fragile memories, rather than obnoxious design that constantly reminds the homeowners of their loss. Some valued characteristics of the homes in Louisiana are the friendly porch, the spacious kitchen, and warm daylight.
While these are addressed easily in the project, the new approach is to address more challenging issue of grounding the home raised seven feet off grade. Rather than plugging in an electric lift that a flood can render useless, an experiential path elevates the elderly residents to their home, which delivers them through a series of arrivals; to the garden, to the porch, to the home. Beyond the initial portion of the path, a set of stairs delivers able-bodied homeowners into the house through the formal front entry. The stairs wrap around a massive block that serves to ground the porch and bring the earth up to the seven-foot elevation by setting vegetation within it. To deliver more fragile bodies into the home, a lively ramp wraps around to the back of the home. The seven-foot wall contains a trough for urban gardening and conceals the ramp. Trees are allowed to penetrate through the back patio so that their fruit may be accessed and enjoyed by the residents.
Design strategies to make the home feel easy to use, a place that is desirable to stay, include subtle details such as the kitchen having adjustable counters, the chair railing being used as grab bar, a surrounding garden which is an activity as much as the landscape. Most of all, the drive behind the decisions were the comfort of the occupants, and how they could feel free in their home in the event they are not able to leave often, as most elderly are unable to do.
Designing on a small footprint meant views had to be maximized and spaces needed to feel open and light. Everywhere should be an experience, corridors were kept to a minimum, and spaces are flexible in use. In the main portion of the home, the roof is lifted to allow additional light and give a feeling of lightness to the ceiling. Storm shutters slide along tracks embedded into the cladding as to not impede onto walkway.
To be environmentally conscious, runoff water from the gutter is directed to the planters underneath the patio at back where fruit trees grow. The intertwining troughs for a garden provide residents with the opportunity to grow their own herbs and vegetables, as well as the mass amount of plants offsetting possible heat island effects from the large amount of concrete surrounding the home. In situ concrete used for the first run and landing of the ramp uses recycled concrete aggregates to promote keeping waste out of landfills and reclaimed lumber is used for the flooring. Passive cooling reduces energy use with cross ventilation, a centralized hvac system is more efficient as it operates within the conditioned space, and windows with thermal breaks are less disruptive to the level of efficiency trying to be achieved.
As cost is a key issue of this project, efforts were made to utilize building strategies that reduce materials and on-site labor. Aerated autoclaved concrete, a lightweight and inexpensive structural material, is used for most all of the structure below the seven-foot flood plane. Its simplicity and ease of installation by arriving premade on site in panels 24 x XX for the flooring and ramp, then in 8 x 8 x 24 blocks for footings and pillars, reduces time wasted in waiting for the foundation to dry and the chance of weather interrupting the process. AAC is recyclable as well as termite and mold resistant. Another innovative construction method is in the panelized wall system, where the structural panels are the structure and insulation in one piece. They form an airtight envelope for better control of the interior space. The estimated cost including general construction is $90,130.75 for the 815 square foot home. Additional upfront costs due to utilizing new products have been ensured to offset operational costs.
Location
- Accessibility
- Agriculture/Food
- Context - Urban
- Culturally Sensitive
- Disaster Mitigation - Flood-resistant
- Disaster Mitigation - Hurricane-resistant
- Green Design/ Practices
- Materials - Environmentally Sensitive
- Materials - Reused/Recycled
- Materials - Traditional
- Residential – 2 BR
- Student Work
- United States
Comments
Very nice blending of contemporary details and vernacular form. Streetfront interaction very well done and the incorporation of outdoor rooms, universal design elements and arms-length urban agriculture was highly creative and sensitively crafted. Homeowner education could have been described better and LEED scorecard appeared to be somewhat incomplete. Although a $90k home in LA is by no means affordable, keeping the project well under the maximum budget was thoughful and appropriate. Excellent overall solution.
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Overall:
This project pays close attention to the details and requirements of the program. It is a sensible solution with cost saving construction strategies that augment the house without a detrimental effect on the design aesthetic. The research into the appropriate use of materials is evident here. The incorporation of edible plants into the site provides both a source of food and a sense of belonging and purpose to the new occupants. Rather than being open and accessible to the street, the porch instead is secluded by the ramp, which is too prominent at the front without being really celebrated. Overall - well done.