A quiet suburb on the Mississippi River’s West Bank, Algiers Point is a mix of homey pubs, small art galleries and quaint Creole cottages. This historic neighborhood shouts its individuality through its architecture, with wood houses lathed and carved in a variety of Victorian embellishment. Shotgun houses predominate the landscape with a quaint image enriched by eclectic origins. Structures of this type originated in West Africa, were then introduced to Haiti, and eventually made their way to New Orleans through Haitian and West African refugees, immigrants, and slaves.
Acknowledging the historic value of New Orleans shotgun houses, the design approach aims to maintain core elements of this style while allowing for modern gestures to harmonize with the context.

The client for this project intends to reside in this property, as well as to rent a portion of it. With the long and narrow lot allowing only for a single shotgun house, the property is divided depth wise by an internal porch, forming a studio in the front and a larger 2 bedrooms house in the back. In an alternative scenario, the front studio could be used as a working space and the back could be the owner’s main residency.

The front facade speaks a French colonial language with tall half radius top windows and a gable roof. The windows along the sides and doors at either end, combined with high ceilings, allow for efficient ventilation and airflow.

Behind the symmetrical roof line on the front elevation, the extrusion is shaped as if sculpted by a wind flow that caved in towards the center deck/porch. The house foundation is raised off the ground, which allows for airflow below the home and also protects against flooding and suits the softer earth below.

The simple design of the house revisits and celebrates the vernacular architecture, while introducing subtle modernity. It also serves as an exploration of “new historic” architecture.