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Brad Pitt's sweet 14
14 new duplex designs from a slew of top architects are announced as part of NOLA rebuilding effort, Make it Right.
Tue, Jul 07 2009 at 11:47 AM
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The Make It Right Foundation — Brad Pitt’s massive effort to bring affordable, storm-safe, sustainable housing to NOLA’s Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Lower 9th Ward — has unveiled 14 new duplex designs from a global roster of top architecture firms.
As I reported in January, the first six houses — out of a planned 150 — have been completed. Since then, more have been erected and are sheltering once-displaced NOLA residents. These 14 fresh duplex designs follow Make It Right's mission to transform the Lower 9th Ward into “a neighborhood comprised of safe and healthy homes that are inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking, with an emphasis on a high quality of design, while preserving the spirit of the community's culture.” The homes also address issues unique to multi-family dwellings and NOLA including flexibility, affordability, landscaping as a design and energy element, and integration with the street.
I’ve picked out my top five favorites designs below with links to the architects responsible. The remaining nine follow. After taking a look, what are your top picks?
Constructs (Ghana)
Billes Architecture (US)
Atelier Hitoshi Abe (Japan)
Gehry Partners, LLP (US)
Bildit Design (US)/ BNIM (US)
buildingstudio (US)/Elemental (Chile)
GRAFT (Germany)/Pugh+ Scarpa (US)
Photos: Make It Right
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I think all nay says should give the man a little credit and trust that he did his research. I think the experts know what they're doing. There's probably not a most cost efficient solution for protecting the people from flooding.
I have been living in New Orleans my entire life and these designs are ridiculous.
First of all these designs are way too modern and ridiculous looking to fit into the scenery in the 9th ward. Secondly, people in the 9th ward will not be living in huge houses. I mean c'mon lets be honest. The 9th ward is one of the poorest parts (and most violent parts) of New Orleans and they want to throw in these huge modern looking houses. I may seem negative about the whole situation but this is just dumb.
Enter your comments heresond negative,also you are what is dumb,and maybe jealous
Celebrities need to stop getting their hands involved in things they know nothing about like "thinking"
I've only been to NOLA once but the best part of it, for me, was the architecture. Why put these horribly modern designs in such a decidedly non-modern area? It looks like a bunch of designers trying to out-wierd each other, and they've succeeded. It's great to build homes there, but why not make them fit in with the homes that weren't destroyed?
To help with resisting the hurricane winds, there needs to be some designs taking advantage of circular structures. Naturally a round home will hold up against high winds much better than the flat walls that are shown in the designs above. I don't know why the designers aren't taking this truth into consideration.
Yurts would be a great house design for this area!
because they are architects, not engineers. Slightly to their defense, circular structures are harder to manufacture but I fully agree with your statement.
For what it would cost to make any one of these designs a reality and hurricane resistant you could build 10 houses that would be storm resistant and functional.
These people have been drinking the Katrina flood water!
I couldn't agree more with you statements or sentiment. NOLA must contine to grow and evolve like any other place and not be so myopic in its think - esp. about architecture and design.
everyone who says modern design doesn't belong in new orleans because it doesn't fit with the vernacular that exists needs to take a drive to laurel and arabella streets. it isn't raised but it's a gorgeous expression of how designs can be true and progressive at the same time.
The fact that your building is required to be built on on stilts 10' above ground should tell you that you its a bad idea to build there.
It's not for the average poor family, it's obvious at this point. Why? Because Brad Pitt is in the story.
This is silly. For the cost of a single one of these homes to be built, you could probably build four average homes.
Quality sustainable design is a much better investment.
So basically your saying that god forbid the 9th ward gets flooded again, it would be better for people to drown in the flood waters then walk up a few stairs? That makes no sense...
I agree with some of the other comments here: while stylish, these houses seem very out of character for the area. It seems as though sometimes designers design to please themselves rather than the inhabitants and I wonder if they even gave much thought as to who was going to be living there and where they were to be built.
Pitt may look good fly-fishing and cradle-to-cradle thinking makes sense, but these are crazy!!
These houses all look so modern and a little weird. Why can't he just build normal looking houses, instead of Jetsons houses?
As a founding member of Furnishing For Hope, I have been to the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish to help the residents furnish their homes. While the homes are stylish, they are not practical for the area. Forget the stigma associated with the Lower 9th ward, the homes are out of place with the other homes in the area that are being rebuilt by other organizations. A true waste of resources.
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