LiveGreenNOW

By Jessica Dore

Recently in New Orleans’ historic Treme, on the corner of Uruslines and North Rocheblave, local artist and urban planner Robert Tannen unveiled the designs and small-scale model of the Gehry-Tannen Modgun, a project he designed in collaboration with world renowned architect Frank Gehry and green building advocacy group Global Green USA. Geared toward creating a house design that is affordable, sustainable, and compatible with most neighborhoods in New Orleans, including historic districts, the Modgun addresses sustainability, affordability and preservation of traditional local architectural styles and facilitate the re-population of the city’s neighborhoods which still remain, nearly four years after Hurricane Katrina, plagued by blighted and vacant properties.

Tannen originally designed the Modgun in the days immediately following the storm as an approach that would allow builders or homeowners to build one room at a time, adding each as funds became available, and offering a sustainable housing form for post-disaster housing as an alternative to trailers or Katrina Cottages which are not safe in storms. The first full-scale Modgun, which was built by Tannen, Chris Meehan and Joel Ross, was presented at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art during Tannen’s 50 year retrospective exhibition in August 2008; a full scale module has been on display since then at the Uptown property of Adam Marcus and Valerie Besthoff.

Having worked with Gehry on several projects over the past 25 years, including the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi Mississippi and a group of decommissioned U.S. military sites for future ecotourism facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone, Tannen hoped that the integration of Gehry’s unique perspective would yield an even more feasible, affordable, architecturally creative and ecologically efficient design.

“We are proud to be involved in the efforts to help rebuild homes in the heart of New Orleans. Working with Bob’s original idea for modular housing, we developed a design that provides sustainable design elements and a contemporary solution to the traditional shotgun house that will allow it to be integrated into many neighborhoods,” said Frank Gehry.

The Modgun design, while based on traditional elements of the 19th century African Caribbean design built for the long, narrow New Orleans lots, is geared toward exploring new ways of building with respect to Gulf Coast culture and climate through the use of modular and prefab construction techniques. Its roof line, reflective of a typical shotgun roof, is perched at an angle lifted off the top of the house which offers natural cooling while still paying homage to vernacular New Orleans design. The small-scale model is now on view at Tannen’s gallery, Studio 527, at 527 Julia Street.

“This project helps fulfill Global Green’s original vision of inspiring the green rebuilding of the Crescent City and creating green affordable housing in neighborhoods throughout New Orleans,” said Global Green President Matt Petersen. “Practical, affordable, compelling, sustainable homes that save money, improve health and reduce global warming emissions must become the standard practice for home construction not just in New Orleans but in cities across the country,” said Peterson.

The first model home will be built on Ursuline Avenue and then offered to a family in need of housing from the area. An inspiring example giving (re)birth to other blighted and available sites in the city, as well as historic neighborhoods.  Click here  for a sneak peak: Modgun Gehry-Tannen Renderings

Our guest writer, Jessica Dore, is a writer living and working in New Orleans.  Born and raised in Massachusetts, our Caribbean climate and lifestyle charmed her to move down back in May 2005. After a brief Katrina-induced hiatus, she returned in early 2006 to work toward promoting and celebrating health, environmental awareness and sustainabilitiy in the Big Easy.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Green House, Smart Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.