Competition>> Rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina

In light of the affects of Katrina and seeing the need to form a strategy for replacing the estimated 300,000 homes that were lost in the storm, Tulane University’s School of Architecture and Architectural Record sponsored a two-tiered competition for professionals and students. More than 500 entries were submitted.

The competitions addressed the need for New Orleans to consider a variety of long-term housing solutions in an effort to inhabit once again the ravaged urban fabric. The first competition was aimed at generating ideas for a high density development in the immediate downtown area situated on a city block. The contest asked for a 160-unit development that also included retail and other public space. One of the jurors is considered the leading developer looking to rebuild on the actual competition site. The second contest, only open to students, was an exploratory exercise intended to develop a new housing prototype for New Orleans taking into consideration lessons learned from Katrina as well as the leftover conditions of the city’s fabric. Five of the entries were given noted citations.

Sources:

archrecord.construction.com/news/katrina/competition.asp
archrecord.construction.com/news/katrina/intro.asp
archinect.com/news/article.php?id=38784_0_24_15_M2
inhabitat.com/blog/2006/04/04/newer-orleans/

[Image provided by archrecord.construction.com]