Gehry-designed duplex is located in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and features four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The 1780 square feet home also has a rooftop terrace and six covered porch areas. The exterior of the home has been done up in vibrant pink and purple, as per the requirements of the residents.
The architecture of the home differs from the traditional architectural style of the New Orleans. Bathrooms on both levels and staircases are stacked with the great room concept for living, dining and kitchen being introduced in the design for construction efficiency. The home also embraces several sustainable practices, such as the waterproof solar panels canopy, which in addition to sheltering two 510 square feet terraces on the roof, also produces green power to run the house.
The exterior cladding has been created using fibre cement boards and have different colour scheme to give unique identity to each home. The paints used have low VOC content. The wood used in the homes have been sourced from sustainable sources and the material used in the counter-top in the kitchen constitute 75% of recycled materials.
The homes have several features, which makes them capable of withstanding hurricanes. The windows of the homes have custom-fitted Kevlar sheets which enables them to withstand even a hurricane. The homes also have been built two to three feet above the ground, which prevents street-level flooding.
The foundation is aiming to build 150 houses for people affected by the Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The foundation has engaged the services of 21 architects to design new, affordable homes for hurricane victims. All Make It Right’s homes are built to LEED Platinum certification standards.
