© Chad Chenier Photography / Make It Right
The home is a unique and bold addition to a project which has dramatically changed the face of a neighborhood left devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As a canal levee breached less than three blocks from what is now the site of the Frank Gehry home, the neighborhood was inundated by a twenty-five-foot storm surge, which left the area standing in up to eighteen feet of flood water. Over 1,800 people died as a result of the storm, with thousands more left with homes badly damaged or destroyed. As levees and infrastructure have been rebuilt, Make it Right’s project has been a vital component in the rebuilding efforts in the area. Where just a few years ago empty lots remained, Make it Right’s sustainable housing has helped to enable many families return to the neighborhood.
The prototype home cost in the region of $300,000 to construct, but Make it Right hopes that any future versions of the Frank Gehry-designed two-family home can meet the Foundation’s budgetary aim of $200,000 for a duplex. Other non-prototype single-family home designs which have been constructed in the neighborhood by Make it Right have been built for around $150,000. At present there are no plans to build future versions of the home — that remains in the hands of returning Lower 9th Ward residents participating in the program. Homeowners have a number of plans to choose from, based on their own individual needs and budgets.
All Images © Chad Chenier Photography / Make It Right
@PinappleRose just because something is free doesn’t make it good.. This is pretty bad because I could take the same lemons and make lemonade out of them.
Even when it is Free people want to criticize, be it size, shape, color even down to whats on the floor ! Go Figure..Humans !
I know it’s Frank Ghery, but this really isn’t good work. Pink and purple might be edgy, but other than an overly expensive roof deck that compromises the budget, it’s a very bland house.
If a lesser known architect had designed this, it would be ignored. This should be too.