J-House
Date: Projected completion in 2014
Project type: Residential
Structural engineers: Buro Happold NY, Nathaniel Stanton, Erik Verboon

After 4 years in design, 3 different locations, 2 permits and a zoning variance from the city of New Orleans, the construction on the J-House started on January 24, 2011.

More information is available on the AEDS blog.

The J‐House uses a historically standard New Orleans housing lot: 30x150 feet. The original site for the J‐House is located in a designated flood zone as is common with many housing sites throughout the Southern Louisiana region. Recent FEMA studies have concluded that a vast range of New Orleans housing sites are currently 9‐feet under sea level. The original site for the J‐House is no different.

Avoiding current political and sociological debates inherent with building houses to ‘new’ codes adopted after the historic storms of Katrina and Rita, as well as within areas clearly destined to be under water, the J‐House was approached as an opportunity to study the possibilities, as opposed to restrictions, for building high above ground in a restricted lot size. As a housing lot located in a flood zone, the design was bound by elevation requirements; the resulting design is 10’ off of the ground.

The basic design is two 10x20x90 feet tubes. Each tube is rotated 90 degrees from one end to the other. The resulting combination of the two tubes allows for structural support with a minimum foot print for the foundations. The twisting and combination of tubes generates a space under the house that allows for views through the site. On the roof level the twisting generates a diagonal skylight.

While this house was a type of study of place, constraints and possibilities, the housing surrounds in which it lies were not ignored. The J‐House was inspired by the shot‐gun house typology; a housing stock that typifies a New Orleans home.

The proposed house is made out of steel structure that is prefabricated and assembled on site. The exterior skin is a rainscreen of charred cedar planks.

In 2009, this project received a Project category Design Excellence Award (Award of Merit) from the AIA (American Institute of Architects) New Orleans Chapter.