Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

After a relatively quick but bumpy construction process David and Jeanette Desporte were able to move into their home on April 7, 2008. Mr. Desporte’s health had been declining rapidly over the past month and had spent the last three weeks at a hospital in New Orleans. Our construction crew and Architecture for Humanity staff went into over drive to get the house complete for David to come home to. After a long struggle David was released to come home for the last time. David passed away early April 9th.

So much of what we do down here is about the amazing people living, working, and recovering in this community. The homeowners, volunteers, family members, and professionals we work with are not here to build a house. They are here to build a home that provides that base essential to a community. This program is more than houses and architects it is families and lives and that is what we hope we have helped.

David was an amazing person. He was a rocker to the end recording songs in his hospital room even to the day before he died. Through out the struggles he and his family went through after Katrina his only goal was to make sure his wife had a home of her own before he left her. In the cycle of recovery here a home is destroyed, a family left behind, a house is built and a family is put together again. Though David only had a few days in his house his family was together again. The house was filled with family and friends coming in and out, sleeping next to him, and caring for each other. Less one member the family is still there today in a home built to hold their memories, thoughts, and dreams.

Thank you to everyone who made David’s wish possible and putting this family back together.

This project demonstrates how the demands of accessibility and the new FEMA construction standards can be integrated into the design of new homes in the traditional neighborhood setting of East Biloxi. It meets the challenge of serving a residence at a base flood elevation of 8 feet and 12 feet above grade by creating a series of ramped spaces that gently take one up and through the site to the main living level above. The first ramp, designed in the form a landscaped berm, rises 4.5 feet above grade and defines the front yard as a sloped garden.

The house is shaped by movement to the elevated living space. A ramp moves through the center of the house, creating a dynamic and accessible path up to an outdoor terrace. A screened stair moves up into the house’s living space and is transformed into an elevated screened porch. The screened stair/porch ventilates through a clerestory screen opening and can be opened into the house with interior windows, providing fresh air movement. The ramp and stair activate an open ground level porch. The floor of the raised terrace is made of steel grating to allow both rain and filtered sunlight onto the ground for a shade garden. The kitchen, living room and bedroom open out onto the terrace. The L shaped roof collects rain water which is stored in an elevated cistern to provide gardening water.

DESIGNER:
Maurice D. Cox is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia, School of Architecture. He recently completed eight years on the Charlottesville City Council and served as Mayor of Charlottesville from 2002-2004. In 1996, he co-founded the architectural practice of RBGC Architecture, Research and Urbanism with partners Craig Barton, Giovanna Galfione and Marthe Rowen in Charlottesville, Virginia. RBGC has become renowned for their ability to incorporate active citizen participation into the design of communities.

We are grateful to Oprah's Angel Network and the following sponsors for making this program possible: