GROUND FLOOR PLAN

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

1/8” = 1’

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

LONG SECTION BB’

SHORT SECTION AA’

1/8” = 1’

steel roof

walls = steel frame

+ wood siding

floor = corrugated steel deck

+ polished concrete

+ nothing/wood/carpet

tensile steel cross-bracing

I-beams

I-section steel trusses

solar panels

public space of private property

the house on pillotis allows for an infinite public plan

the pin house engages that public plan to the house and the street

piano nobile

kitchen, living and large covered porch : gathering space

secular spaces

the second floor houses the most private spaces of the house:

the three rooms of the house’s dwellers

A VERTICAL GRADIENT

from accessible, civic public space

to secular, exclusive, secret quarters

A steel frame is proposed, com-

prised of easily assembled

steel trusses supporting steel

joists and beams. This light

system is complemented by its

wood envelope.

Steel was chosen because of its

flexibility, weight, cost effec-

tiveness, and durability. The

trusses are connected to con-

crete piles at a pin joint. The

house is anchored to place, and

simultaneously appears boyant,

floating like a moored boat.

The ground space is used as a

garage and a lounge. The inte-

rior void of the house allows

sun to penetrate and it is cool

and shadow during the day. It

is a great place to hang a ham-

mack or make a barbecue and in-

vite the neighboors.

The lighness of the house’s

structure endorses an explora-

tion in height. With the prob-

lem of the residual ground

space, the house’s program is

distributed on three floors com-

posing a smooth deviation from

bottom to up: the ground is

fully public - the neighboors

feel welcome to come, the first

storey houses the daily spaces

of the house - porch, kitchen

and living room - and the sec-

ond

floor, more difficult to ac-

cess anddistant from the street

is left for western santuaries

- bedrooms.

STRUCTURAL

MATRIX

STRUCTURAL MATRIX

pin-joint

embedded in concrete

WEST

ELEVATION

WEST ELEVATION

1/8”=1’

1/8”=1’

NORTH

ELEVATION

NORTH ELEVATION

EAST

ELEVATION

EAST ELEVATION

1/8”=1’

1/8”=1’

SOUTHELEVATION

SOUTH ELEVATION

LEEDstrategies

LEED strategies

·All

plumbing

fixtures

are

required

to

use

minimal

amounts

of

water,

such

as

low

flush

toilets.

· All plumbing fixtures are required to use minimal amounts of water, such as low flush toilets.

Site

development

Site development

Waterefficiency

Water efficiency

Energyefficiency

Energy efficiency

Materialselection

Material selection

Indoorenvironmental

quality

Indoor environmental quality

Innovation

indesign

Innovation in design

·The

house

occupies

acompact

footprint

of

1500sqft,

allowing

it

to

fit

on

any

of

the

proposed

site.The

specific

dimensions

of

the

plan,

23ft

x· The house occupies a compact footprint of 1500sqft, allowing it to fit on any of the proposed site. The specific dimensions of the plan, 23ft x

50ft

were

chosen

to

maximized

interior

floorspace,

while

minimizing

the

exterior

envelope.

Thus

reducing

costs,

and

materials,

and

energy,

while

50ft were chosen to maximized interior floorspace, while minimizing the exterior envelope. Thus reducing costs, and materials, and energy, while

still

providing

2300

sqft

of

living

space.

still providing 2300 sqft of living space.

·It

is

possible

to

put

two

houses

on

certain

sites,

thus

increasing

urban

density.

Or,

the

surrounding

area

can

provide

additional

greenspace.

· It is possible to put two houses on certain sites, thus increasing urban density. Or, the surrounding area can provide additional greenspace.

·Permeable

pavers

are

used

for

the

carport

underneath

the

house

and

the

remaining

area

is

left

as

grass

or

gravel,

as

desired,

allowing

water

to

· Permeable pavers are used for the carport underneath the house and the remaining area is left as grass or gravel, as desired, allowing water to

penetrate

intothe

soil.

penetrate into the soil.

·Inside

the

house,

afew

simple

materials

are

used.

Most

of

the

interior

finishings

are

constructed

of

wood

and

some

tile

flooring,

materials

cho-

· Inside the house, a few simple materials are used. Most of the interior finishings are constructed of wood and some tile flooring, materials cho-

sen

for

their

recyclability

and

sustainability.

sen for their recyclability and sustainability.

·A

central

atrium

and

strategically

placed

windows

allow

for

· A central atrium and strategically placed windows allow for na

tura

lve

ntil

atio

nna

tura

l ve

ntil

atio

nin

every

in every room.

·Energy

efficient

appliances

are

recommended.

· Energy efficient appliances are recommended.

·Paints

and

carpets,

if

desired,

must

be

low

VOC.

· Paints and carpets, if desired, must be low VOC.

·Rainwater

is

chanelled

off

of

the

roof

either

to

the

central

trellis

with

vines,

for

rainwater

collection,

or

for

the

garden

in

the

backyard.

· Rainwater is chanelled off of the roof either to the central trellis with vines, for rainwater collection, or for the garden in the backyard.

·All

windows

are

equiped

with

louvers

to

provide

shading

and

reduce

the

need

for

air-conditioning.

· All windows are equiped with louvers to provide shading and reduce the need for air-conditioning.

·The

space

underneath

the

house

is

currently

proposed

as

acarport,

but

in

amore

urban

context

could

contain

aretail

space,

or

be

an

extension

· The space underneath the house is currently proposed as a carport, but in a more urban context could contain a retail space, or be an extension

of

the

public

sphere.

of the public sphere.

·The

angle

of

the

roof

truss

is

optimized

for

asouthern

orientation

is

solar

panels

are

to

be

installed.

· The angle of the roof truss is optimized for a southern orientation is solar panels are to be installed.

·The

shape

of

the

truss

allows

for

hot

air

to

flow

upward,

along

the

roof,

and

create

anatural

convection

current

to

cool

and

ventilate.

· The shape of the truss allows for hot air to flow upward, along the roof, and create a natural convection current to cool and ventilate.

·A

steel

frame

was

selected

for

its

strength

and

durability,

creating

ahouse

with

along

lifetime.

· A steel frame was selected for its strength and durability, creating a house with a long lifetime.

·The

steel

frame

can

be

prefabricated,

decreasing

costs

and

environmental

impact

when

building

multiple

units.

The

repetitive

truss

also

allows

· The steel frame can be prefabricated, decreasing costs and environmental impact when building multiple units. The repetitive truss also allows

for

avariation

in

the

size

of

house

and

the

easy

addition

of

modules.

for a variation in the size of house and the easy addition of modules.

·Constructed

with

pin-joints,

the

steel

frame

can

be

dismantled

and

relocated

or

reused

if

necessary.

· Constructed with pin-joints, the steel frame can be dismantled and relocated or reused if necessary.

·The

buildingis

proposed

as

aflexible

system;

one

that

is

both

visually,

structurally

rooted

in

the

fabric

of

New

Orleans,

but

also

asystem

· The building is proposed as a flexible system; one that is both visually, structurally rooted in the fabric of New Orleans, but also a system

that

floats

above

the

flood

line

and

can

be

lifted

up,

boyant,

and

moved

elsewhere.

that

floats above the flood line and can be lifted up, boyant, and moved elsewhere.

Valerie Lechene and Erin Towsley are currently in their year studying architecture at McGill University in Montreal. They met in

first year architecture and

quickly realized that they had more in common then a love for architecture. They both grew up in families that travelled the world, being displaced every

few years on a new adventure. Through this, they sought to form their identity out of a collage of different cultures and were left questioning the meaning

of a ‘cultural identity’ in their lives. So, when the opportunity came to work together on a project situated in New Orleans, a city whose physical identity

had been demolished but whose cultural identity is so powerful that it has the ability to rally support across America and draw its inhabitants back, it was

natural that they were both captivated by the project. Both have been continuously exploring the ‘attachment to place’ in their personal lives and in their

architecture and in this project sought to express that exploration in a structure that was simultaneously boyant and anchored.

Originally from France, Valerie has spent her life living in differents

countries from China to the United States. At 18, she decided to move to

Montreal on her own, while her family was living in Washington, D.C. Dur-

ing the school year she helps to manage the architecture cafe, a student

run cafe at McGill in order to help fund her love for travelling in the

summers. This past summer, she escaped to Italy to explore the archi-

tecture of Rome and Venice. When she’s not travelling and painting wa-

tercolours, she prefers to be riding horses in the country, but a close

second is discovering the endlessly unpredictable streets of Montreal.

Valerie has one more year of undergraduate studies left before she in-

tends to pursue her masters at McGill University.

personal resumes

After graduating from high school, Erin moved to the Rockie Mountains to

work as a tour guide and ski instructor. Inspired by the amount of de-

velopment and construction that was impacting the region, she decided to

leave the beautiful west coast for a while to pursue a degree in archi-

tecture. Since, growing up her parents totted her along to live in coun-

tries like Sudan and Scotland, she was inclined to find a city with a mix

of different cultures. After working with Valerie managing the architec-

ture cafe, both decided to spend their earnings travelling Europe and

settled on Italy as an ideal destination. Next year she intends to work

in Montreal in an architecture firm before returing to complete her mas-

ters in architecture the following year with Valerie!