Comments on: Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Homes Now Under Construction

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:45:33 +0000

Mary Ann….i work for the st bernard project and we are expanding into your area so please go on their website or to their office and they will help you out. We rebuild your home by the help of staff and volunteers. We are a non-profit so everything is donated…please fill out an application. Also they have a mental and wellness clinic that you can go to for free. Please check it out. If you have any questions feel free to email me at caitlin.foley@stbernardproject.org

By: Mary Ann Mercadel

Mary Ann Mercadel — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:47:00 +0000

I’am a native from the lower ninth ward, I lived at 1737 Lamanche St., and would love very much to come back home. I do not have the funds to return and hope that I can get anyone to help me to return home. Please help me I’am very depress all the time.

Sincerely,
Mary Ann Mercadel

By: stacey

stacey — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:05:37 +0000

Thanks for the help, Brad. Really any help is a wonderful thing. But I have to say, these houses are not the character of New Orleans or the 9th ward. I think the architects could have come up with something better suited to the flavor of NOLA! Please keep up the good work

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:14:56 +0000

i have been the lower 9th ward back in march on a mission trip to louisiana with my college and saw the brad pitt houses and they r the most beautiful houses that was ever made. Brad Pitt truly has a heart for people.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:14:48 +0000

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:07:48 +0000

i also would like more info on to come down and help rebuilding. thanks

By: dean haley

dean haley — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:39:48 +0000

would like more infromation on comeing down to work rebuildig new orleans.

thanks

By: Nicholas Roseland

Nicholas Roseland — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:03:26 +0000

Brad Pitt, members of the Make It Right Foundation, and those associated with the projects should be commended for all they’re doing in rebuilding New Orleans. As an architect who grew up in and around New Orleans (1964 to 1986, LSU graduate 1984), I do have two issues with several of the designs offered in the “Make It Right” project:

1.) New Orleans boasts a variety of architectural types and styles, many as unique as the city itself. I feel many of the designs offered, missed the mark, not reflecting the character of the city’s architecture. Rather than intermingling with the neighborhoods, many of these homes scream “look at me”. We can still design sustainable and affordable homes without losing sight of an area’s architectural heritage.

2.) More importantly, and what I feel is the primary issue, is how to avoid having homes flood the next time a levee fails*. New houses built within the New Orleans area levee systems should be required to have the floor system, for the lowest habitable floor, built above the potential flood waters resulting from a levee breach.

* The saturated levees failed as a result of a category three hurricane. It’s inevitable that stronger hurricanes will cross the path of New Orleans and test the weakest links of the levee systems. Katrina should serve as a wakeup call. To think that it could not happen again is denial. The citizens of New Orleans should not rely solely on the levee systems for the protection of their homes. This should be evident when the mindset of many officials is “Acceptable risks must be weighed” when determining the level of levee protection needed versus funds to be spent on upgrading the levee systems.

During my last visit to tour the devastation in New Orleans, I saw new homes being built that were elevated around 4 to 6 feet above grade. The irony was they were being built next door to abandoned houses with flood water stains at 8 to 10 feet above grade. I saw many homes with floodwater stains almost at the eaves. In most cases, 5 feet above grade is not enough. You can’t continue to build the same way and expect different results.

I did find a good solution during this visit. It was a newly constructed house, elevated on pilings with the lowest habitable floor system located above the flood water elevation. The ground floor was open to the sides and rear. The ground floor front elevation had a well detailed false façade, constructed of flood resistant materials that provided privacy and an attractive curb appeal. This design provided a good solution to the potential floodwaters and blended in well with the neighborhood.

I support the effort to design with the environment in mind, but in New Orleans floodwaters should be the primary environmental concern. I know this is an expensive proposition, but you can pay now or you can pay later. The problem with later is, it will cost a lot more than just money. More importantly, it will cost lives.

Nicholas Roseland, AIA
Architect Roseland, P.L.
Vero Beach, FL

By: steven

steven — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:25:37 +0000

At least Pitt & Co. are doing something. People down here are resilient and people all over New Orleans with damaged houses are repairing them. The 9th Ward should be no different. The modern architecture does not appeal to me. I would just love to see simple raised shotguns. I applaud anyone that steps up and lends a helping hand; celebrity or not. Most appreciative of any progress being made to this city.

By: Jason Leonard

Jason Leonard — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:06:10 +0000

I think it is great that these celebritys are willing to step off the red carpet and realy get there hands darty to help people who want there help. I think the 9th ward may turn out to be a nice place. I drove throught there a few times before katrina and could not believe that people
in america lived in war zone like this, (magnola projects). There are many people in south louisiana that live in in areas that flood very
easly. So when we see a hurican coming our way
we evacuate.