Housing for NOLA with good intentions, bad design

Tulane architectural students are having a design competition for new housing in New Orleans, and the reality show is on the Sundance Channel (I haven’t seen it). There are a lot of bugs in the project, according to this Chicago writer.

One of the sweetest, little houses in Lakeside was designed by my husband--has 3 bedrooms (lst floor master), 2 full baths, kitchen, dining and living areas (great room) and a nice front porch. It has a HVAC system, and parking for 2 cars (a requirement here, even with small lots). I think its footprint is about 22 x 30, probably about 1,000 sq. ft. It looks to me to be perfect for a small scale, traditional NOLA neighborhood. The problem with student design is they want something different, something to make their mark in the world; the residents probably just want to go home!

From the story:

“Architecture School” is compelling on a number of levels. It depicts high-flown architectural concepts coming into contact with the practical realities of building a low-cost house. Instructor Byron Mouton tries to get the students to watch out for clichés and lazy thinking, with limited success. And the students and the instructors seem more enamored of their forward-thinking designs than the local residents.

“Ugly” is the verdict of one resident who lives near an existing Tulane-built home. Many residents want traditional re-creations of the narrow “shotgun” houses that they’ve always known, but the idealistic students naturally want to do something more adventurous.

Then there’s the matter of finding someone to live in these houses. One woman who applies for a home loan at Neighborhood Housing Services, the New Orleans non-profit that is paying for the construction of the Tulane houses, has $18.23 in her savings account.