RFP 2017 Selected Projects

Thanks to generous support from Johnson Controls Incorporated, Small Center and Tulane School of Architecture faculty and students can provide pro-bono design and planning services to these two New Orleans nonprofit and community-based organizations during the 2017–18 school year.

This year, our jury had a truly difficult time selecting only two projects. We’d like to thank Reneé Blanche, Maxwell Ciardullo, Carmen James, Dasjon Jordan, Fred Karnas, Tiffany Lin, Kristin Gisleson Palmer, and Sharbreon Plummer for sharing their time and insights with us in making this decision.

visioning / planning

Our visioning/planning project partner, Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative (JPNSI), is a Community Land Trust (CLT) and housing rights organization committed to creating sustainable, democratic, and economically just neighborhoods and communities in New Orleans. Using the CLT model of affordability and neighborhood revitalization, JPNSI is committed to the development of affordable housing and the promotion of just and equitable community development that centers the needs of residents most vulnerable to housing discrimination, displacement, and neighborhood planning exclusion.

Small Center will work with JPNSI in Fall 2017 to develop a design plan for the community center and cooperative housing project, Nowe Miasto. JPNSI is seeking to convert Nowe Miasto – an already existing 3-story, 10,500 sq. ft industrial warehouse – into a mixed-use project combining community space, offices, and housing units. As part of Jane Place’s work in Mid-City, the creation of more permanently affordable housing at Nowe Miasto is imperative to stop the displacement of long-time residents; additionally, the revamped community and art spaces in Nowe Miasto will further anchor the warehouse as a gathering spot, building on its 18-year history of arts, activism, and community in Mid-City.

design / build

Our Design/Build collaborator, Mamou Fruit & Tea, is a sustainable urban agritourism organization that transforms blighted urban lots into home scale food systems, working to increase food access for residents of Pontilly. Founded by southern Louisiana native Katina Bias, Mamou uses farming as a catalyst for redevelopment, community building, and promotion of storm water mitigation through urban agriculture.

This project supports the second phase of Katina’s plan by designing and constructing a multi-purpose pavilion and edible herb wall in Pontilly. Mamou anticipates that the pavilion will serve as an anchor for the surrounding community, providing services for both local residents and visitors, and allowing guests to gain a more authentic understanding of local culture. Katina understands how community health is intimately tied to food justice and security, and envisions that the herb wall will allow senior citizen residents to use spices and herbs in their cooking as a healthy alternative to salt.

We’re excited to get to work this fall semester, and we hope to see all of you at Small Center to celebrate these projects with us!