I first went to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2007, a little after the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina, on a field trip with my architecture unit of the time. The vibrancy of the city and the continuing resolution of the people stood out from the ruins with their Mardi Gras celebrations. It has been a long time coming, but finally they are beginning to see some positive changes to the built environment, with the help of the Make It Right Foundation, set up by Brad Pitt in 2006. This house, in the Lower 9th ward, is by Los Angeles-based architect Frank Gehry, normally known for his outlandish designs such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao. This time, however, he has toned it down a bit, designing a 1,780 square foot duplex reminiscent of the traditional shotgun houses of New Orleans.
