Frank Gehry Helps 'Make It Right' in New Orleans

Becky Harris That is one crazy looking neighborhood, and I dig it. Great story!

Cathy Lara The green angled roofline totally caught my eye in the distance! Hope the new homeowners can move in soon and squeeze in a few bbqs before summer's over.

amitt11 No one is doubting Gehry's genius, but quite honestly, I think these designs are butt ugly.

ploefff The house makes me think of a Transformer mid transformation. It looks wierd - and not in a charming weird. On paper it sounds fantastic - bright colours, energy efficient, lots of light and a covered rooftop terrace but it looks like my first apartment that hadn't been renovated since the 80'ies and an unfinished one at that. I think Gehry has been pulling Pitt's leg with this one.

davesmac The bridge in the background marks the location of the main levy that broke during Hurricane Katrina. You can see the levy in one of the photos. That's how close they are to the devastation that happened to New Orleans. The city is still being rebuilt. I would suggest everyone visit New Orleans so they can understand what had and still is happening to the city & it's residence. Notice the other structures in the area. This house fits into the neighborhood. Kudos to Brad Pitt for lending a helping hand when so many have forgotten New Orleans.

Lucianna Samu - Color and Design Love the Benjamin Moore colors they choose. Not so sure using such different colors on the from and the back is a great choice. Just a bit Schizophrentic.

Casart Coverings I live in New Orleans and the attitude of the residents is very carefree, fun-loving, accepting and a bit avant- garde. This structure certainly makes a statement. I just haven't decided exactly what that is.

breeezyboy What an eyesore. What was he going for, sharecropper chic?

Healing Spaces THIS IS THE COOLEST! LOVE IT! Another reason to admire Mr. Pitt who is really doing something wonderful for people! Admire him and this architect! SUPER HOUSE! GREAT COLORS TOO! Love to see more photos of this place ... inside! How about floor plans?

Lau Lec Could I ask for your feedback regarding fiber cement siding? Siding is rather unusual in Europe - except in Scandinavia-, but is increasingly used to hide external wall insulation. I was offered to install fiber cement siding on my house and while I esthetically like the result, I am concerned about the durability of this option. I know this is a technique widely used in the US. Any comments? Thanks!!!

smhunt is it just me or does any one else think those solar panels would rip off instantly and become dangerous projectiles in even a mild hurricane?

xenasmom There's a lot to like about this house. Love the interior. Love the two-sided paint. But I have to say, I would not want to live downwind of those solar panels. Maybe it's just the pic, but they look like they'd take flight come the first big thunderstorm. I'd want them secured to a real roof.

tashayoda A roof deck over living space in this climate? Really Frank, you have got to be kidding. I see roof leaks in the near future. The wind speed design here is 130 mph, and I see absolutely no hurricane clips or ties of any kind on the "shade canopy". The whole canopy and expensive solar panels will be blown across Lake Pontchartrain when the first tropical storm passes through.

mcgrathinnola That is one location that a levee broke, not THE main levee. The 17th st canal levee was a super major breakage along with the London breakage that pushed the waters into the larger part of the city completely destroying bigger neighborhoods This is the lower 9th ward that sits next to St Bernard Parish, a parish that was 100% destroyed. Then the Mr.Go Waterway added to the St. Bernard Parish and eastern New Orleans destruction. But thank you to Mr. Pitt and others who have and continue to give of themselves to help us rebuild back our special little jewel on the banks of the Mississippi.

addisonsteel AMITT11, I am doubting Gehry's genius... Why doesn't he understand you can't put a fridge against a wall and get full use of its doors... You can't put a large pizza box in that fridge configuration. Basic design flaw...needs to be away from the wall at least a foot Mr. G. for the door to fully open. I made that mistake once.

ksm99 The one thing that is glaringly missing in this design is screens. I don't see screens on windows, and the porches would be much more useful if there were screen enclosures. New Orleans is a "buggy" place and the residents would be able to enjoy the outdoors much more if there were screens.

sbnoren I find this house design to be brilliant! Basic, liveable, efficient, and the most creative use of solar panels I have ever seen! Southerners love shade!
Folks, could I raise your consciousness about schizophrenia? Having 2 sons with the illness makes me bristle when someone uses it to describe a sense of disjointedness. It is an illness that will drastically limit your life, and I know that is not something that anyone means to make fun of. We use the word without thinking. Thanks, and God bless.

n2landarch Excuse me but as a designer I find Mr. Gehry's blatant disregard for obvious design criteria, like the simple fact that the City of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are ground zero targets for hurricanes, to be absolutely amazing. When I look at the photos other than the fact that this structure in no way represents the character, history, or regional style of New Orleans and the South, I just cannot get beyond the wind sails that crown this structure that "scream look at me" as an ode to the Architect's ego. It's "green sustainability", although admirable in concept, simply gone wrong in this design application.

I agree with the Tashayoda statement below that says..."The whole canopy and expensive solar panels will be blown across Lake Pontchartrain when the first tropical storm passes through". An Architect should have more professional regard for public safety than what appears to have been shown in the design of this structure. As xenasmom also says..."I would not want to live downwind of those solar panels. Maybe it's just the pic, but they look like they'd take flight come the first big thunderstorm". That about says it, other than what were they thinking?

jukesgrrl Obviously many Houzz readers might not appreciate these aesthetics, or approve of the residents decision to rebuild rather than move, but frankly I'm glad that wealthy people from outside New Orleans didn't impose their opinions on the locals. If this is what people from that neighborhood like and want, so be it. It's not wasteful of resources and it's modest in its footprint and price. The residents have been through so much, if it's their decision to remain in the ward in a house that falls outside popular taste, they should get what they want.

Morgan Daniels I think that upon looking at the pics more than once... they used good sturdy timbers, many thoughtful add ons, and they look nice and colorful. I say we focus on the positive. I also know that a decking with panels like that can withstand Alaskan winters, so I'm sure it'll handle theirs. I congratulate the builder, designer, and Mr. Pitt for thinking things thru and letting their creativity out. Nobody is the herald of 'normal'... and people are all different.

cc_729 I have a question for americans, why do they keep building flimsy houses in a hurricane zone? I'm in Europe, and I just don't get this.

arteshouse I'm so proud of the incredible work that is being done for the beautiful people of New Orleans. Bravo to all.

TONI PALMER Not very interesting architectural detail to the front. Looks exactly like the back. But maybe they were going for affordability with the exterior detailing to pay for the other energy efficiencies they built in. Wonder if they will do more of these and help a few more families?

Dawn Rogers I live near new orleans and this design is very plain, where are the cool design elements???????????? From a big designer I am not thrilled at all.

Design Diva LLC It is obvious no thought was given to the kitchen layout. The concept of the house is great though.

ana474 Really I am not a fan of the home, but kudos for trying! I think many are missing the point here, if this is someone that had a mold ridden damaged home I would rather have that then live in a home environment that is slowly killing me. In the end if it is a home that makes me healthy instead of sick better this home, right?

architectae hi.may you say that whats material^s roof of trace?
thank you

scarbowcow Ugly, ugly, ugly - indoors and out. It says that the front-and-back design of the duplex was for maximum privacy between the two homes... right under a picture that shows the two rooftop terraces are completely open to one another and everything you do on one will be seen and heard by the people having their rooftop party (or sunbathe or hanging out laundry, etc.) on the other one! No privacy at ALL in the space where people are most likely to go to get fresh air, eat al fresco, have a party, hang out with friends, etc. Lovely to be sitting down to a meal or having a private moment with the spouse on the roof and have the neighbors arrive and ask you to pass the mustard or the massage oil. No thanks.

SPACIFY INC, This is a pretty home. Wonderful image and ideas..

alannaclay I don't like the pink and purple

jron291 no offense but, the wind totally owns the solar panels - any bets on how long they survive?

Coastal Designs Thank you Brad Pitt and Frank Gehry. Sometimes it takes people with star power to get anything done. Kudos to them both, for the effort. Bringing housing to an area so devastated is a great thing. That said, I believe both of them are working outside their areas of expertise. I have read Brad is an architectural enthusiast and Frank has many architectural accomplishments. Note I said "accomplishments". To design something and have it built is possible of many people. To design something that appears to satisfy the client, the neighborhood, and look great is another entirely. Speaking as a design professional with over 35 years experience designing & building in coastal areas, there appears to several things missed. To be in a hurricane area, the first problem is not understanding the solar panel roof needs proper anchorage, it appears quite inadequate. I hope the structural connectors are hidden because I can't see any. The first windstorm not even of a Cat 1 hurricane strength will probably blow it off. Another problem is with the roof decks. They will probably leak. The decking may have a hidden drainage system below it but it appears water (and wind-blown debris) will be trapped on the roof (solid wall handrails don't hep) and could cause leaks to the living spaces below. Unsightly electrical boxes and "flood" lights spoil the deck appearance, they look like afterthoughts. Using an in-swing front entry door is normal for most homes in the area, but an out-swing door might provide more protection in a heavy windstorm. Then again, an out-swing storm door with a screen is still possible. Speaking of the "front door", it's not easy to tell until you get very close to the front porch exactly where the front door is. A front door needs to stand out and be obvious. As far as the designs themselves, I'm more of a traditional design person. Modern Design has it's place in the world. However, from my experience, most "modern" designs appear to date faster than traditional designs. I think the neighborhood could have extended its community value by incorporating traditional, and local, architectural values. New Orleans has some historically significant designs that could have been respected. Personally, the homes need more architectural impact, more detail and color. The Steamboat House is a little too plain for my taste, not ugly as some people say, but just missing something. In other photos I've seem online, there are no roof overhangs, no shading potential. A solid wall handrail may not have been a wise choice either, it blocks nice breezes so needed on Lower 9th Ward porches. However, the design does seems to grow on you the more you look at it. The residents probably feel very privileged and happy to have it. I'm happy for them! With their celebrity draw, these designs will be more popular because people will seek them out, because they stand out. In the end, it's probably a good thing.

jaceebrown In addition to the comments about the solar panels, they had well over 8 feet of water in this area. Why rebuild 4 ft off the ground? Sure, we all hope this type of thing never happens again. But why chance it? And New Orleans has a rich architectural history, and perhaps I'm missing it, but I don't see any references to it at all here. This house could be anywhere. Sure, it's a Gehry, I get that. But aren't architects supposed to consider the environment of a structure before their ego?

Coastal Designs I agree with jaceebrown, I thought it was a given to build above the flood elevations. I assume, as we are required to do in North Carolina, to build according to the FEMA Flood Guidelines, i.e., to build your house above the flood levels - no amount of "architectural heritage" nor "architectural star power" should be allowed to sidestep this.

mcgrathinnola Fema flood guidelines are followed.....8ft + flood happened because of faulty Federal levees that collapsed due to lousy construction and Federal poorly built navigational canals ..not a natural flood occurance. My home had 11ft, due to collapsing concrete walls(NEVER before flooded in this area ever with any of our hurricanes) Fema flood guidline is not 11ft...100 year flood theory

jaceebrown @Mcgrathinnola, I wholeheartedly agree with you that the flood didn't happen because of the storm...there's no doubt that it was due to human error. And while I know they've made a lot of improvements to our levees, I still don't fully trust them. My neighborhood was fortunate to have been spared during Katrina, but if we hadn't been, I would have definitely rebuilt above the level my home flooded. But maybe I'm overly cautious. Or in less polite terms, paranoid, haha. :)

mcgrathinnola @jacebrown...yes, yes to paranoia, hard to trust the same folks who screwed it up in the first place. But here's the deal, elevate, yes, but if I had to go 11ft + to rebuild and another EVENT happens.....rebuild, renew, revive not an option! ;)

mccutcheon1 The house isn't designed with only disaster in mind. The house is not raised to keep a Katrina out. It is raised to let air in underneath to keep the first floor dry. It doesn't have screens because it has solar a/c. Yes, the panels could come off, but so could a cheap regular roof. It is two different colors because it is a duplex, not "schizophrenic" to repeat the insensitive term. And it is a gift house. Should the new owners look it in the mouth?

Lumos Solar In regards to our Lumos Solar LSX Panels on this project, check out the video from NOLA below. PS. Our panels are still in perfect condition! If anyone has specific questions on how durable, lasting and tested our panels truly are - feel free to contact us!

"Make It Right, actor Brad Pitt's modernistic post-Katrina housing development in the Lower 9th Ward, survived the first blasts of Hurricane Isaac, with no apparent damage to the 86 houses. Watch as Cesar Rodriguez, Make It Right's construction services manager, describes the sturdiness of the structures in this Aug. 29, 2012"

Check out the Video: http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2012/08/make_it_right_survives_the_nig.html