Single Family Homes

In keeping with Make It Right's overarching priority to work in cooperation with former residents of the Lower 9th Ward, the approach to new home design began directly with the homeowners themselves. Because local cultural influences gave rise to the pre-Katrina architecture so emblematic of the area, preserving that identity remains vital in reclaiming the spirit of the neighborhood. MIR's goal is to join the history of this tradition with creative new architectural solutions mindful of environmental and personal safety concerns in order to encourage both the evolution of aesthetic distinctiveness and the conscientious awareness of natural surroundings.

The architects were given a typology study that included traditional New Orleans housing types such as the Shotgun, the Camelback and the Creole Cottage along with current ideas and recommendations for the target area in the Lower 9th Ward. The MIR team produced a set of guidelines for the houses that set metrics for the final design to insure that the specific goals of the MIR organizations were met. The team is also using Cradle to Cradle thinking to guide and inspire design and materials selection for new homes in the Lower 9th Ward.

Once a family has selected a design, local firm John C. Williams Architects, tailors the design to meet their needs. As Executive Architects for the project, John Williams and his team produce construction documents and oversee the construction of every house. They work with the homeowners, the design architects, and the general contractors to achieve the most comfortable, sustainable, and affordable homes for the Make It Right families.

The four main guiding principles for the designs are:

• Safety
• Affordability
• Sustainability
• High design quality

Click on the links below to view the designs.