Frank Gehry Helps 'Make It Right' in New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina survivors get a colorful, environmentally friendly duplex, courtesy of a starchitect and a star
Thanks to Brad Pitt's star power and Frank Gehry's belief in Pitt's Make It Right foundation, Louisiana now houses one of only 22 Gehry residences in the United States. Construction of the Gehry duplex was completed late last week in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Gehry and the team at Gehry Partners designed an impressive environmentally friendly and sustainable home with the Katrina survivors' needs in mind. In a press release Gehry says, "I wanted to make a house that I would like to live in and one that responded to the history, vernacular and climate of New Orleans. I really believe in what Brad is doing for the community and was honored to be included" in the project.
Gehry and the team at Gehry Partners designed an impressive environmentally friendly and sustainable home with the Katrina survivors' needs in mind. In a press release Gehry says, "I wanted to make a house that I would like to live in and one that responded to the history, vernacular and climate of New Orleans. I really believe in what Brad is doing for the community and was honored to be included" in the project.
On the back exterior of the duplex, the homeowner went with Lily Lavender.
In a video, Make It Right's research, design and development manager, Jordan Pollard, says the paint colors are also "definitely in line with Brad's taste; he really likes bright colors."
In a video, Make It Right's research, design and development manager, Jordan Pollard, says the paint colors are also "definitely in line with Brad's taste; he really likes bright colors."
The front-and-back duplex is designed to allow for maximum privacy between the homes. Here, frameless solar modules produce solar energy and double as a waterproof canopy and shade on the rooftop terraces. "The panels are laminated to glass so you can see some diffused light coming through the panels," says Pollard.
Solar panels: frameless solar modules, Lumos LSX
Solar panels: frameless solar modules, Lumos LSX
The home is built to weather the next storm, literally, with nontoxic materials, and it's powered by solar energy and geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Energy-efficient windows help keep the home cool during the summer and warm during the winter. "Frank made sure that there were a lot of windows in the homes. Natural daylight floods the space, and views of the surrounding area are accessible to the homeowners," says Pollard.
Wall paint: Manor Blue 1627, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Manor Blue 1627, Benjamin Moore
The bedroom floors are made from postindustrial recycled content and use 50 percent less newly harvested wood than conventional alternatives. "I love the colors that the homeowner chose. I could not have done it better," says Gehry.
Wall paint: Glowing Apricot 165, Benjamin Moore
More info: Make It Right foundation
Wall paint: Glowing Apricot 165, Benjamin Moore
More info: Make It Right foundation
Exterior siding material: fiber cement, Nichiha