MVRDV New Orleans L9W

Escape Houses - MVRDV

The Bent House - MVRDV Architects   Firm: MVRDV Architects Website: www.mvrdv.nl Location: New Orleans, LA, USA Type: Residential MVRDV: escape houses @  L9W NO THE L9W CONTRADICTION The attempt to rebuild the ninth lower ward in New Orleans, just there where the levies broke , is one of a highly courageous level. Since the height and quality of the levies as the connection with surrounding levies is not sufficient to reduce the risk of flooding, living there means living in danger. Of course the primary task is to repair the levies to such a level that they guarantee for this safety. But how long can the population wait for that? Wouldn’t they lose even more, namely the ground value, due to that? So: why not start? With that message every building activity becomes political. Why not stressing that? Why not show this contradiction explicitely? THE ADAPTED SHOTGUN By accepting the tradtional shotgun house, with its streched volume, its painted wood, its porches, the former neighbourhood can be restored. It adds to the speciality and the recognition of New Orleans. By adapting this house towards the potential flooding, it gives this special typology a way to survive even in the hardest storms or floods. By designing that explicitely the houses will show that transition to a wider audience. It becomes a message! ESCAPE HOUSES Till now a series of protoypes have been developed. They together can create a neighbourhood, that combines a collective language with a diversified interpretation. It enlarges the diversity as it strenghtens the collectivity... This results in five escape houses which are lifted in a different way. In each lifting act a shady place is created underneath the house. This area can be used as a ‚shadow garden’ and a carport. It allows for a cooling buffer for the natural ventilation of the house. The Floating House - MVRDV Architects    THE FLOATING HOUSE (THE BOAT) This house is inspired by recent Dutch housing developments and will be developed parrallel to Morphoses’ floating house. By positioning the shotgun house on top of a concrete barge, the house can float in case of floods. It gives the house a distinct concrete soccle. Doing so the house can be entered at ground level. In the concrete barge the buffer basins for water can be created. It has pockets for the natural ventilation. The house is attached to piles, that keep the house in its position while rising with the water level. The front porch can function as a garage so that the car will float with the house..... The House on the Ramp - MVRDV Architects   THE HOUSE ON THE RAMP By positioning the shot gun house on top of a wall with a ramp that is equiped for handicapped access on top, the whole house is above potential waterlevel. It gives a beautiful delicate balancing impression. There is one great big shadow space below the house. The ramp structure is enclosed to create garden storage. The House on the Lift - MVRDV Architects   THE HOUSE ON THE LIFT This house is one of the markstones of the operation. By positioning the shotgun house as high as possible on top of a lift with a stair, the whole house is above potential waterlevel and it becomes a house with a view! By lifting the house to this height the whole lot can be used as a garden. The Tilted House - MVRDV Architects   THE TILTED HOUSE By tilting the shotgun house on one end, the house slopes from the back to the street, reaching its escape position. This creates for the interior a theatre like setting of platforms with the rooms, combining intimacy with overview. One enters the house from the back. There is a rear porch close to ground level to enter the garden from the living room. The front porch is at its highest point, creating a great view at street side. The Bent House - MVRDV Architects THE BENT HOUSE By bending the shot gun house in two directions up, a carport at the front and a shadow garden at the rear side is created. For the interior this bending act means that a escape to both the front porch and the rear porch is created. Both the bedrooms and the living room are above water level. It creates an internal collective ‚valley’ of platforms with rooms, that reveals itself while entering. The lower part collects the water storage. The Bent House - MVRDV Architects   DESIGN: MVRDV Rotterdam Winy Maas, Jacob van RIjs and Nathalie de Vries with Stefan de Koning, Stefan Witteman, Robert Grimm.