| description |
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The project seeks to connect a devastated
site harmed by flooding following Hurricane Katrina (known as Ujamaa square) with its surrounding community (the Treme
neighborhood of New Orleans). Based upon a community design charrette conducted in March
2006, the program called for master planning the site to include a child-care center,
and environmental center for neighbors to test toxic soil, and remediation gardens meant to demonstrate
how locals can reduce toxins in their own land through planting techniques. The project
reaches out to all of Ujamaa Square and the community. Elevated pathways keep the public from
coming into direct contact with polluted soil, yet allow for interaction with the remediation
gardens and public occupation of the land. These pathways are designed to be moved so that the
planting areas can be changed once contamination levels in the soil are reduced. Keeping
with the theme of making connections, the proposed environmental center redevelops the shells
of existing historic shotgun houses that are then connected through a simple series of
sliding wall panels of glass and louvers, allowing for connections between inside and outside spaces
and increasing the responsiveness of the spaces to passive design effects. These buildings
are also surrounded by the elevated pathways, creating safe play areas for the children. |
