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High Density on the High Ground

The design by Eight Inc. Studio incorporates sustainable solutions, without forgetting the culture and traditions of New Orleans.

Following the alarm at the devastation of New Orleans after it was hit by hurricane Katrina last October, many have come together to promote rebuilding the city in a way that is both fast and at the same time more conscious. Almost a year on, the competition organised by the American monthly Architectural Record in collaboration with the Tulane University School of Architecture, has identified a number of solutions that for the most part take a pragmatic approach.

The winners of the professional section for example, the practice Eight Inc. (based in San Francisco although five members of the team are ex residents of New Orleans) designed an eight storey building on a modular grid that assembles 160 prefabricated units and mixes residential and commercial use. The design incorporates sustainable solutions, without forgetting the culture and traditions of New Orleans. At street level, for example, the line along the building – that offers a view of the river for each apartment – is deliberately irregular: shops and institutional areas alternate with small courtyards and public squares, enabling a relationship to be created with the surroundings.

Eight Inc.’s scheme was chosen from 544 candidates who took part in the competition and will be presented in September, alongside the other finalists and runners up, inside the US pavilion at the Venice Biennale. E.S.

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