ST. ROCH AVENUE HOUSES

LOCATION: Gentilly, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

PROGRAM: (3) private residences

CLIENT(S): SBP (formerly St. Bernard Project)

SIZE: 1400 SF each

STATUS: Complete

PROJECT TEAM: GOAT (Architecture)

The St. Roch Avenue Shotgun House is an affordable single-family housing prototype. To date, three homes have been constructed in New Orleans by SBP with teams of volunteers.

The houses were designed to continue the evolution of the city’s residential architecture while responding to the concerns of neighborhood residents regarding context, familiarity, and affordability. The resulting three homes, built on the same block in the Milneburg neighborhood of Gentilly, established a case study in how modern architecture can meet the challenges of neighborhood revitalization with sensitivity. By relating to the scale, rhythm and texture of the traditional New Orleans neighborhood, the St. Roch Avenue Shotgun is reminiscent of a traditional New Orleans home. By incorporating modern materials and construction methods, vaulting interior spaces, adjusting the historic shotgun layout, and adding some contemporary flair, it functions like a modern home. The St. Roch Avenue Shotgun exemplifies a new chapter in New Orleans’ rich architectural story. Today, the completed houses are home to three happy, growing families.

GOAT team: Peter Spera III, Colin VanWingen