The entire master plan of Columbia Parc involved inspired teamwo…
The entire master plan of Columbia Parc involved inspired teamwork on the part of the lead developer, the design team, area foundations, and the housing authority.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
The goal of these affordable senior residences was to offer qual…
The goal of these affordable senior residences was to offer quality aesthetics in an affordable context.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
Finishes are updated but classic, and they don't telegraph affor…
Finishes are updated but classic, and they don't telegraph affordable.
JHP Architecture/Urban Design
The site plan
JHP Architecture/Urban Design
Floor plan
JHP Architecture/Urban Design
Floor plan
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
The project has been touted for many reasons. Among them is awar…
The project has been touted for many reasons. Among them is awareness of context, with design elements borrowed from old New Orleans.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
The site is part of the acreage of the St. Bernard Housing Proje…
The site is part of the acreage of the St. Bernard Housing Project, which was damanged by Hurricane Katrina.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
The project is the first LEED-Platinum senior project in Louisia…
The project is the first LEED-Platinum senior project in Louisiana, and one of just 10 in the United States.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
Because of the city's flood and hurricane history, buildings wer…
Because of the city's flood and hurricane history, buildings were constructed four feet above ground
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
The project contains one- and two-bedroom units.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
Inviting community spaces are an essential feature of the resid…
Inviting community spaces are an essential feature of the residences, encouraging the social interaction that's key for this age group–and for any cohort.
Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
Award of Merit – Affordable or Workforce Housing
Entrant/Architect: JHP Architecture/Urban Design, Dallas
| Builder: Block Builders, Baton Rouge, La.
| Developer: St. Bernard Redevelopment LLC, New Orleans
| Engineer: JEC Engineering, Metairie, La.
| Solar Design: Make it Right Solar, New Orleans
| Landscape Architecture: Studio Outside, Dallas
| Landscape Installation: Massengale, Baton Rouge
| Interior Design: Holt Interiors, Atlanta;
| Photographer: Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources
The master plan development of Columbia Parc in New Orleans was a Herculean effort by lead developer Columbia Residential, the Bayou District Foundation, and Housing Authority of New Orleans to bring together 700 homes, schools, retail, commercial, recreation, and a YMCA on a 52-acre site. When the St. Bernard Housing project, part of the acreage, was damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the city council decided to demolish rather than fix the 1940s barracks-style structure.
“We wanted to do something that wouldn’t feel so institutional,” says architect John Schrader, principal at JHP. Each building was constructed 4 feet above ground due to the city’s hurricane and flood history. One three-story building houses 111 one- and two-bedroom units; the other consists of duplexes with nine one-story, one- and two-bedroom flats. The $20 million development has been touted for many reasons: quality aesthetics, affordability, amenities, and awareness of context, using design elements borrowed from iconic New Orleans buildings. Community spaces encourage the social interaction that’s essential for a senior cohort–outdoor spaces, a fitness center, theater, communal kitchen, dining, and dance hall, business center, and crafts room. The building leased up within four months and has a wait list. “People definitely respond to good design,” says Columbia president and COO Jim Grauley. The building’s high energy efficiency helped the project come in under budget; Columbia Residential returned the unused funds to the city housing authority. –B.B.
Getting it Done
The Residences became the first LEED-Platinum Senior housing development in Louisiana– among the first 10 nationwide. Federal funds allowed for high-efficiency HVAC, solar paneled roofs, EnergyStar appliances and light fixtures, ceiling fans, programmable thermostats, and foam insulation on exterior walls.
Barbara Ballinger (www.barbaraballinger.com) is a
freelance writer, author, and speaker who focuses on real estate, design, and family
business. Her most recent book is The Kitchen
Bible: Designing Your Perfect Culinary Space (Images
Publishing, 2014).
