 | |
OPERATION COMEBACK WILL GIVE NEW LIFE TO AN OLD HOUSE IN NEW ORLEANS
WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference, in collaboration with the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans and Louisiana architect David Dillard, AIA, will restore a double shotgun house in New Orleans's historic Holy Cross neighborhood. The project will demonstrate how the city's damaged buildings can be preserved and brought back to life despite the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.
Over the years, alterations to the house, built around 1870, have resulted in the loss of most of its historic features, including its wood windows and front porch columns. During Hurricane Katrina, a fallen 60-ton pecan tree nearly destroyed it when the tree split the roof in half and rested on it for a year.
The goal of the renovation project, dubbed Operation Comeback, is to return the building to top condition, using new systems consistent with contemporary codes. The structure will be restored to a single-family residence comprising two bedrooms and two baths. The original design of the building will be preserved to the greatest extent possible. As a result, all existing chimneys, flooring, weatherboards, door and window casings, window sashes, and other materials will be repaired and re-used whenever feasible. All changes to the floor plan are designed to create a gracious two-bedroom, two-bath single-family home that takes advantage of the large lot on which it is situated.
The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference will make the house a demonstration project for its fall 2007 event in New Orleans, October 17-20. There will be seminars, workshops, and tours of the house to discuss lessons learned from the restoration project. Operation Comeback will exemplify how a historic house and neighborhood can be devastated but not broken and emerge with a restored past, as well as vision for the future. Bus shuttles will bring show-goers out to the demonstration house throughout the four-day event.
For more on the house and the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference, visit www.traditionalbuildingshow.com.
# # #
|
|
