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architecture for humanity This Biloxi Model Home book was created using Blurb BookSmart™, the free bookmaking software for Mac and PC. Blurb enables everyone to create real, bookstore-quality books, featuring photographs and text. biloxi model home program Getting started is easy. Download the BookSmart software, get creative, and add your photos, artwork, and text. Blurb will print and ship your book in less than 10 business days. Blurb offers multiple book sizes and page counts, in softcover and hardcover, with dust jacket or ImageWrap. It's all up to you. Get pricing and book details at www.blurb.com. Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the power of books: making, reading, sharing, and selling them. Blurb is pleased to support this book project by Architecture for Humanity to commemorate the Biloxi Model Home program. Architecture for Humanity would like to thank all of the families, architects, engineers, and construction professionals of the Biloxi Model Home Program. This book is dedicated to them and table of contents to all of the residents of East Biloxi Mississippi, whose love for their community made this work possible. Page 06 ............ Biloxi Model Home Program We also dedicate this book to our client David Desporte and to all Page 24 ............ Home Studies those who lost their lives during the storm. Page 60 ............ Design Details Page 82 ............ Conclusions foreward In August of 2005, the coast was struck by Hurricane Katrina, the largest honestly say that without the help of Architecture for Humanity, East Biloxi In September 2005, Oprah Winfrey did a show live from the Gulf Coast just and rehabilitate 70 additional homes that had been seriously damaged. But natural disaster ever known to the United States. Two months before the would be a much more dismal place. We have been able to rehabilitate days after Hurricane Katrina had destroyed the area. People across the their proposal went much farther than that: We could see they were also storm, I was elected to the Biloxi City Council. Immediately after the storm, over 600 homes in the area with the help of our building and financial country and around the world saw the devastation and desperate condi- rebuilding hope in a community that in many ways had been discounted for I formed what is now called the Hope Coordination Center to help the area partners. The Hope Coordination Center, the Gulf Coast Community tions facing those fortunate enough to survive the storm. Oprah made a years prior to the storm. known as East Biloxi. East Biloxi is the poorest section of Biloxi and was Design Studio, and Architecture for Humanity have produced a model for promise to never forget the families displaced by Hurricane Katrina and completely decimated by the storm. Three thousand homes were com- rebuilding after the storm that is now spreading across the Gulf Coast. committed $10 million of her own money to build homes and help rebuild It's been three years since Hurricane Katrina came ashore. In that time pletely destroyed by the storm and the remaining homes were completely lives. And then she invited her viewers to join the effort by contributing more than 600 severely damaged homes have been rebuilt, thousands of inundated by flood waters.These were horrible times. Bill Stallworth, East Biloxi their dollars to Oprah's Angel Network. Donations at all levels came pour- hurricane survivors living in East Biloxi have been helped, and seven model Coordination, Relief and ing in, totaling more than $15 million. homes now stand as a testament to sustainable design and innovation in However, as I have said many times, the storm was an opportunity for God Redevelopment Agency, July 2008 the wake of unimaginable devastation. to show his great mercy and bring about changes in the area that were As the Angel Network looked for ways to make best use of these funds, we sorely needed. East Biloxi received help from hundreds of organizations. Bill Stallworth is a Biloxi city council- made frequent trips to the Gulf Coast and met with many community lead- Oprah's Angel Network is very proud to be involved in these efforts and Through what I call a divine appointment, I met Kate Stohr, co founder of man and the executive director of the ers and volunteer organizations that were struggling to begin their rebuild- in the unique partnerships that went into creating them. By supporting Architecture for Humanity. We found common ground and formed a part- East Biloxi Coordination, Relief, and ing efforts amongst all the loss and despair. Nearly every area we visited Architecture for Humanity, the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, the nership that has lasted to this day. Through Kate's contacts, we were able Redevelopment Agency, also known as was still reeling from the devastation, and hope was in short supply. Hope Coordination Center, and the countless volunteer groups working in to obtain a grant from Oprah's Angel Network. The collaboration of these the Hope Coordination Center. the area, an entire community has been given a voice in how their homes partners and others has facilitated the rebuilding of hundreds of homes in In October, 2005 we drove down Division Street in East Biloxi to meet with and neighborhoods should be rebuilt. East Biloxi is proof that when resi- the area. As a part of the grant received from the Oprah's Angel Network, Architecture for Humanity and the newly formed East Biloxi Coordination, dents and organizations work together, communities have the opportunity Architecture for Humanity and the Hope Coordination Center were able to Relief, and Redevelopment Agency. At the time they were working out of a to come back--sometimes stronger than they were before the storm. look at the many challenges that were facing us. Our biggest obstacles church that had been flooded by the storm and was serving as a makeshift recovery operations center. Color coded maps of East Biloxi were up on Gregg Sherkin, Oprah's Angel Network, were 1) new height elevations from government regulators, and 2) the chal- the walls, phones were ringing constantly and there was steady flow of July 2008 lenge of building homes safer, more efficiently, and yet affordably. Vietnamese, African American, Caucasian and Latina/Latino people---all Gregg Sherkin is a Program Officer for Architecture for Humanity rose to the occasion with the Biloxi Model Home residents of the community---coming and going and getting questions Oprah's Angel Network leading projects Program. The program rebuilt seven new homes at various height eleva- answered about how they could begin to rebuild. There was an organized throughout the Gulf Coast and South tions, and investigated new building design techniques that would make optimism to this chaos that was unlike anything else we had seen in other Africa. homes stronger and more efficient. Architecture for Humanity also gave hurricane impacted areas. It was apparent that something special was a small grant to The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio of Mississippi in the works that was firmly based in the belief that East Biloxi could be State University to help create a design studio within our housing recovery rebuilt. center. In the weeks and months that followed we kept in close contact with Kate There were so many lessons learned from this experiment. Utilizing the Stohr, Sherry-Lea Bloodworth, David Perkes and Bill Stallworth as they new design techniques from the program, the Center has rebuilt 35 homes developed and formalized plans to rebuild in East Biloxi. Their proposal and currently has about 35 others in various stages of construction. I can requested $3.3 million of Angel Network funds to build six model homes 5 "This is someThing all archiTecTs should experience. iT opens your eyes To undersTanding whaT The need is: a ThoughTful house ThaT inspires and doesn'T break The bank." —program direcTor michael groTe introduction the biloxi model home program Facing Page: Program Two years, seven homes, and thousands of client Jeanette desporte Architecture for Humanity is a 501(c)3 charitable organization new reasons to hope and her daughter on that seeks architectural solutions the porch of her new Architecture for Humanity established the Biloxi Model Home Program in to humanitarian crisis and brings home. the home's most the fall of 2006 as a pilot program to assist residents of East Biloxi in meet- design services to communities notable feature is a ing the challenge of rebuilding their city. East Biloxi was one of the hardest in need. We believe that where wheelchair ramp which resources and expertise are Photo credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio hit areas of the Gulf Coast—over 90% of the neighborhood's housing stock travels up through the was damaged or destroyed. scarce, innovative, sustainable center of the home. Top: and collaborative design can Program partners and In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many East Biloxi residents feared that make a difference. By tapping a new building codes required by the city of Biloxi would dramatically volunteers in spring network of professionals willing to increase the cost of rebuilding by forcing them to elevate their homes, 2006, shortly af ter lend their time and their talents ultimately making it impossible for them to return home. The Biloxi Model efforts began. Bottom: to helping those who would not Home Program addressed these concerns by inviting architects from in fall 2007, Mississippi otherwise be able to afford their around the nation to design and build sustainable, hurricane-resistant, Governor Haley Barbour, services, we support community affordable homes that met new construction standards and height eleva- center, in red polo shirt, development, help communities tions required by the city. This forced the program to face full-on the dif- visited East Biloxi's Hope rebuild after disaster and provide ficult challenges of funding, designing, and constructing an elevated home. coordination center. pro bono design services to Architecture for Humanity's efforts with the Biloxi Model Home Program community partners around took a long-term view of recovery for the neighborhood of East Biloxi by the world. through the power refining building techniques and improving methods for elevating homes of professional design, we build in hurricane-prone communities. The goal of the program was not only to safer, more sustainable and highly provide design services and financial assistance for the construction of innovative structures--structures homes, but also to test the latest in materials research, disaster mitigation, that become assets to their and sustainable building techniques. The program was a chance to set communities and ongoing symbols high standards for new construction in the area and establish a set of best of the ability of people to come practices that can be used going forward. together to envision a better Photo credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio future. our vision is one of a world The pilot program was unique in that it offered families the opportunity to where designers innovate globally work one-on-one with architects and design professionals. It approached to build housing, schools, clinics rebuilding through standardizing design processes, methods, and partner- and other essential infrastructure ship strategies—as opposed to standardizing a single design. locally. We believe that this can Photo credit: Leslie Schwarts It was our belief that by setting high standards of design and construction be achieved not by replicating we could not only help families come home, but rebuild equity in the com- a design that was successful munity by building back better. in one situation in another, but by encouraging locally-inspired designs and by enabling these solutions to be shared and freely adapted by all. Architecture for Humanity has 47 chapters in six countries. Timeline to be placed below this line. 9 about east biloxi The neighborhood of East Biloxi has a rich and varied history beginning with its settlement in 1699 as part of French Louisiana. Many of East Biloxi's 12,000 pre-Katrina residents had long-standing ties to the community and lived in family homes that had been passed down from generation to genera- tion. For the most part, families who had inherited their properties owned the homes outright. Because they did not hold a mortgage on the property, many did not carry flood insurance, a requirement of mortgages on proper- ties in flood zones. Many older Biloxi residents remember the effects of Hurricane Camille, which devastated this area in 1969. Hurricane Katrina was weaker than Camille at landfall, but was a larger and slower-moving Credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio storm, leading to a higher storm surge. Unfortunately, many of Biloxi's residents who experienced Camille believed Katrina to be less of a threat. Path of Hurricane Katrina, August 2005 East Biloxi has always been home to a variety of groups and cultures that make the community of East Biloxi uniqe. The neighborhood contains almost all of the city of Biloxi's landmarks, museums, and tourist attractions, including the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, the historic downtown civic center, and Mary Mahoney's restaurant, where one can see the flood levels from hurricanes Betsy and Camille marked on the walls. East Biloxi's residents are employed in three main areas: the military, shrimping, and tourism. Most of the tourism jobs are through the local casino industry. The state of Mississippi has the third-highest gaming revenues in the country, behind only Nevada and New Jersey. The vast Credit: Google Maps, Inset: Wikipedia majority of the gaming revenue earned by the state comes from casinos located along the waterfront in East Biloxi, yet families in the surrounding neighborhoods struggle. East Biloxi residents suffer from a higher poverty rate than any other area in the city of Biloxi. Twenty-two percent of the households living in the flood- plain on the Biloxi peninsula have incomes less than 150% of the federal Credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio poverty line, and most families live on less than $26,000 per year. East Biloxi has dealt with issues of crime and drug activity in the past and even before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the neighborhood suffered from a lack of affordable housing and employment opportunities. In short, as in many other areas along the Gulf Coast, the effects of Hurricane Katrina in East Biloxi exaggerated already difficult social and economic conditions. Photo credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio Timeline to be placed below this line. 11 after the hurricane Harrison County Mississippi was one of the hardest hit areas on the Gulf Coast, and East Biloxi was one of the hardest hit areas of Harrison County. "it was all destroyed, not just The storm took 53 lives. In East Biloxi, 3000 homes were destroyed and my property, everything in 4000 more homes were severely damaged. Businesses, schools, churches, this area. it didn't miss no and other infrastructure were also destroyed as a result of the storm. one. we didn't get help right In East Biloxi and throughout the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina had away; nobody could get to a greater impact on African-Americans, children, the elderly, and the us. when you take away the disabled than on other populations. African Americans made up about 44% bridges, we're just an island. of all Katrina victims region-wide, and nearly half of all persons age 65 or it didn't seem like it would older living in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina reported a disability. be possible to be cut off from The damage patterns observed in East Biloxi were typical of other hur- the rest of the world the way ricanes, including damage caused by high winds, coastal flooding from it was—i mean, helicopters storm surge, high-velocity water flows, damaging waves, and intense or something. it didn't seem rainfall. The storm surge waters that flooded East Biloxi were forceful but Phot credit: Architecture for Humanity quickly receded, unlike New Orleans where levee system failures trapped like it should happen in water like a bowl. america the way it happened. Credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio they left us out, i'm telling Much of the neighborhood's housing stock had been built long before a you... right after, it was the building code was adopted by the city. Many homes had been battered by previous storms and were poorly maintained. Older construction methods one time it didn't matter how left homes exposed to uplift forces from surging waters, which twisted much money you had. don't them up off their foundations or in many cases swept them away entirely. get me wrong, it wasn't very Homes that maintained their structural integrity through the surge suffered long until money started water damage and causing mold growth after the waters receded. making a dif ference again. After the storm, families managed the best they could, moving in with but i n t hose t h r ee or fou r extended family or staying away entirely until they could receive help. By days, no one was better than August 2008, approximately 75% of the 2200 standing homes in East Biloxi the next." client richard Tyler had been repaired and are occupied. And on the neighborhood's 2500 vacant lots, an estimated 100 to 200 new homes have been built, includ- Facing page and right: over 50% of East ing the seven homes of the Biloxi Model Home Program. Recovery efforts "months later, it looked like Biloxi's homes were a complete loss, as Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff continue, now three years after the storm. t he s t or m h a d ju s t c om e were many local churches and the i-90 bridge that connected the East Biloxi t h r ough , except for t he peninsula with nearby ocean Springs. casinos and restaurants... Photo credit: Wikipedia Above: A survey of damaged homes in You could see the force of the neighborhood nine months af ter the storm surge everywhere. the storm. note the devastation in the You could tell there was an easternmost sections of East Biloxi absence of a lot of the normal (marked in blue). things that make up a small city." architect marlon black well Timeline to be placed below this line. 13 a unique collaboration Biloxi Model Home on Gulf coast provided housing for Architecture for Humanity Program partners volunteers. the mission of the Hope Warnke Community Consulting, Coordination Center is to support designs and implements practical the individuals, families, small solutions to assist nonprofit businesses, and neighborhoods organizations in achieving their of East Biloxi, Mississippi as missions and addressing the they rebuild their community in challenges confronting the the wake of Hurricane Katrina. communities they serve. Warnke the center provided case community consultants assisted management and other support to the Hope coordination center and the Biloxi Model Home Program. its partners by structuring the $3 million community loan fund that ECD, one of the nation's leading helped finance the Biloxi Model community development Home Program and the repair and Financial institutions, provides reconstruction of more than 100 financial products and services other homes in the community. in the Arkansas, Louisiana and Photo cedit: Architecture for Humanity and Leslie Schwartz Mississippi and tennessee. Ecd provided financial counseling to One of the brightest spots in the post-Katrina landscape of East Biloxi is With funding from individuals donations—$25 to $75 each—Architecture For the better part of the first two years after the storm, the Hope participating families. the East Biloxi Coordination Relief and Redevelopment Agency (EBCRRA), for Humanity provided seed funding establish a partnership between Coordination Center borrowed space from a church and its staff worked on now known as the Hope Coordination Center. Established by Biloxi city the Hope Coordination Center and the Gulf Coast Community Design folding chairs. In April 2007, it moved into permanent space designed by councilman Bill Stallworth days after Hurricane Katrina, the center began Studio. Architecture for Humanity also reached out to Warnke Community Gulf Coast Community Design Studio. Gulf Coast Community Design its work by distributing relief supplies. At the same time, Architecture Consultants to work with the center to support its growth and develop a Studio is an outreach of for Humanity began canvassing the areas seeking community groups model for financing the reconstruction that lay ahead. In addition to housing staff of Architecture for Humanity and GCCDS, the Mississippi State university and local architects with which to partner. In East Biloxi, Architecture for center quickly became a second home to many other groups working School of Architecture, Art + Humanity found both. Together, the four groups worked to secure long-term funding that would in the area. These groups included faith-based volunteer organizations, design and uses professional not only support the Biloxi Model Home Program discussed here but also university groups, Vietnamese support groups, community development faculty and staff to provide design Sherry-Lea Bloodworth, a volunteer, happened upon the Hope the repair of dozens more partially damaged homes. organizations and many others. services to communities impacted Coordination Center days after the storm as she helped families evacuate. by Hurricane Katrina. GccdS Two months later, the the agency was distributing supplies,and had begun Today the Hope Coordination Center stands out as a successful model for The Biloxi Model Home Program is just one result of this unique collabora- tion. It owes its success to the partners listed to the right and to many partnered closely on the Biloxi organizing volunteer groups by blocks to clear storm debris. This was a post-disaster recovery along the Gulf Coast. It has worked with volunteer more who offered assistance and support. Model Home Program, identif ying highly innovative approach that was already showing results. groups and other partners to undertake a wide range of community renewal efforts from bringing neighbors and volunteers together to remove sites, sharing information in At Bloodworth's suggestion, Architecture for Humanity came to visit debris after the storm, to identifying vacant properties, to clearing and addition to collaborating to design East Biloxi in October 2005 and invited David Perkes of Mississippi State revitalizing neighborhood parks. two of the homes. University School of Architecture, Art + Design to join us. Perkes was working to establish an extension of the university's community design The Hope Coordination Center is not a standalone organization, but a Left to right: the Hope coordination center houses the East Biloxi Hands On Gulf Coast is a studio on the Gulf Coast to be closer to the recovery effort. meeting point where key players in the rebuilding effort in East Biloxi, coordination relief and redevelopment Agency (EBcrrA), Gulf coast volunteer agency that provides from governmental groups to volunteer organizations to nonprofits meet community design Studio (GccdS) and Architecture for Humanity; opportunities for Gulf coast At the time, roads remained impassable, bridges had collapsed, gas sta- and come together. With in-house case management and construction EBcrrA caseworkers at their desks; Architecture for Humanity Biloxi tions were closed, and Internet connectivity was non-existent. Volunteers management staff, the center acts as a clearinghouse for financial aid and residents and people from Model Home program manager Michael Grote in the design studio; a around the world to participate slept in tents or in their cars. Working toilets, much less a working office or counseling, architectural design and engineering services and support blackboard designed by GccdS honors volunteer groups that helped with in the rebuilding effort. Hands a recovery center, seemed a long way off. Nevertheless, this first meeting from volunteer groups, all under one roof. recovery. led to a rewarding collaboration that has lasted to this day. 15 earlY efforts Shortly after the storm, Bill Stallworth and the Hope Coordination Center "there were lots of people coming around the neighborhood worked quickly to establish a grid system of East Biloxi's neighborhoods, [after the storm]. You don't know if it's legit, if people were assigning a target area on the grid to each of the many relief organizations really trying to help... i said we wanted to rebuild but we that poured into the area wanting to help. This was a critical early step were waiting for stuff to come through, and she said she because it allowed the relief groups to work quickly within the community would put me on the list. then someone from architecture with a minimum of confusion and overlap. The grid system was also a huge help to caseworkers at the Hope Coordination Center because they knew for humanity called. after four or five people came out and which relief group to turn to when families visited the center asking for help. talked to us, it was clear it was legit." client andre robinson Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Another critical early step was undertaken by volunteers from Hands On Gulf Coast. Hands On Gulf Coast quickly realized that the many volunteer groups partnership with Sustainable South Bronx to provide safety training for vol- working in the community of East Biloxi were having difficulty recognizing unteers participating in rehabs. During the initial surveying, mapping, debris local landmarks and finding their way around the city. The group took time removal, and demolding from January through September 2006, no serious out from other relief efforts to put up temporary street signs throughout East injuries were recorded among East Biloxi volunteer groups. Biloxi. This small effort sped the recovery process enormously, allowing vol- In the summer of 2006, as volunteer groups were wrapping up debris unteers to identify properties, set up meeting locations, and in general, get removal and demolding, Architecture for Humanity helped establish around the city faster to help more people. Meanwhile, through the winter of construction management operations at the Hope Coordination Center. That 2006, volunteer efforts to clear debris and demold houses in preparation for summer Architecture for Humanity Biloxi Model Home Program director rehabbing were in full swing. Michael Grote also established a Building 101 training program to prepare In January 2006, the GCCDS undertook a property survey to ascertain local volunteer leaders for further rehab and rebuilding efforts. Grote's design services. If we encountered obstacles, we would not have to ownership and occupancy and began community planning efforts to identify program, jokingly called Mike's Building Fun Time, covered the basics of backtrack to the earlier selection stage of the program and begin the design priorities for rebuilding. Architecture for Humanity then brought 60 volun- housing construction, how homes stand up, the basics of mechanical, elec- process while other homes were already in construction. Having alternates teers to East Biloxi during spring break in March of 2006, and together with trical, and plumbing systems, and why building practices are standardized also left the program open to building more homes if more funding became the GCCDS, canvassed every single property in the target area of East Biloxi ("Don't do this or the house will fall down kinds of things," says Grote). The available. Of the eight families selected as either participants or alternates, to determine each property's damage level and the homeowners interest in classes began in late summer 2006 and are still being taught into 2008. The one family dropped out, and a total of seven homes ended up relieving rebuilding. original six-part class series was trimmed to two hour-long sessions, and funding from a variety of sources. Program tools, including forms, evaluation Grote estimates he's trained hundreds of volunteers this way. guidelines, and selection procedures were developed and shared with the Through the winter and spring of 2006, while volunteer groups began rehab- Hope Coordination Center, the GCCDS, and other groups engaged in the bing homes, Architecture for Humanity explored funding options looking Meanwhile, the partners worked together to develop a holistic approach rebuilding effort. ahead to new construction. Architecture for Humanity also arranged to send to rebuilding that would include not only the rehabilitation of the area's a trainer certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in partially damaged housing stock, but also a program to help build affordably at elevation. After six months of development, we were funded by Oprah's Angel Network in June of 2006. Work began on the Biloxi Model Home Program shortly thereafter--nearly a year after the storm hit ground. We spent the summer of 2006 identifying prospective families and surveying possible home rebuilding sites in East Biloxi. Caseworkers at the Hope Coordination Center created a pool of potential clients from door-to-door surveys within the community. The family selection process for the program Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity staff was rigorous and helped to establish standards for providing services based on need. More than 100 lots where initially investigated for property owner Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity information, lot status before the storm, primary residence, and ability to contact the property owner. Households were ranked by need. A review panel of community members and representatives of each partnering organi- zation selected five families and two alternates to participate in the program in a blind review process to ensure fairness and prevent favoritism. Facing page: An early hand-drawn grid of East Biloxi divides the neighborhood into target areas for different nonprofit groups, as We debated whether or not to choose alternates and develop designs for volunteers perform an initial damage survey. Above: Biloxi Model these families without funding in place to build their homes. In the end Home Program director Michael Grote leads a Building 101 class. we erred on the side of hope. At a minimum, these families would receive Right: Volunteers gear up for neighborhood rehabilitation projects. 17 rebuilding requirements and challenges In the aftermath of the storm, families faced many obstacles to rehabbing and rebuilding their homes. Many professionals and groups were eager to The National Flood Insurance Program help families along the Gulf Coast rebuild their homes and several large- FEMA introduced the National Flood Insurance Program in the late 1960's, scale urban planning studies were initiated. These planning initiatives, and the program now includes nearly 20,000 communities across the however, did not address the questions that residents themselves faced United States and its territories. This program is aimed at reducing the when they returned to their destroyed properties and began to untangle escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents the complex rebuilding requirements established by FEMA for assessing caused by floods by requiring communities to implement sound floodplain the viability of a structure and for determining the elevation requirement for management plans, enabling property owners to purchase flood insurance, new structures. and by creating construction standards to mitigate the effects of flooding. Families faced three basic questions: In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many funders required families to partici- 1. Is it safe to rebuild on my lot? pate in the National Flood Insurance Program to receive financial aid. This 2. How will the new building codes and flood elevations affect me? meant that they needed to meet the building requirements of the program, 3. If I rebuild, what can I afford to rebuild? which in turn meant elevating their homes. The single biggest hurdle to rebuilding East Biloxi was money. Federal and state reimbursements were applied slowly and erratically and involved complicated rules and applications. A significant proportion of homeown- ers in Biloxi were under insured or uninsured against what the insurance calls "water-driven" (versus wind-driven) damage. Furthermore, many homeowners discovered that due to spiking property values, labor costs, and the price of materials, insurance policies purchased before the storm did not cover the full cost of the damage to their homes. Even with the variety of public and private financing assistance programs available, thousands of families faced a gap between what they could afford and the cost of construction. Credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio Equally daunting for families wanting to rebuild were the new flood eleva- tions proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the City of Biloxi. FEMA requires homeowners in flood zones to rebuild elevated homes to prevent damage in future storms, and also as a zone for requiring participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. After Hurricane Katrina, FEMA proposed new Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFE) for the City of Biloxi which were considerably higher than the Credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio original 1984 Base Flood Elevations (BFE) for Biloxi. Under the new ABFE regulations, the entire neighborhood of East Biloxi was now designated a flood zone, meaning that all rebuilt homes would need to be elevated. How high a home needed to be elevated depended on where the home fell on the ABFE map. Every foot of additional elevation meant additional costs. All of the Biloxi model homes were built to the more stringent ABFE levels to ensure that our families would meet requirements for inclusion in the National Flood Insurance Program. Given the obstacles to rebuilding and the inherent risk associated with building in a community vulnerable to hurricanes, many questioned whether or not it made sense to support residents efforts to rebuild on their properties. Yet absent a relocation program, East Biloxi's residents Left: A diagram developed by the GccdS helps homeowners understand how the amount of damage to their home had little choice but to stay. Relocating homeowners from their community, and the home's location will impact their rebuilding efforts. Above: A map developed by the GccdS illustrates how their neighborhood, and their homes would be a fatal blow to an already- high new homes in East Biloxi must be elevated to meet new Advisory Base Flood Elevation levels. rebuilt homes in reeling community. East Biloxi needed to elevate from 3 to 15 feet to meet new requirements. 19 financing a rebuild East Biloxi families seeking help to rebuild their homes faced many financial hurdles which prevented them from accessing aid despite the bil- lions of dollars of financial assistance flowing into the area. Many funders, GRANTS Timetable Amount Purpose Comments Source seeking to minimize their risk and maximize their impact, restricted their Federal Emergency funding to "unmet needs" or provided grants of materials rather than cash. Covers emergency Funds provide limited support and are Management This meant that families could access certain types of financial aid only if rental housing costs typically used for relocation expenses, EMERGENCY Weeks after the Approx $5000 and immediate home mortgage payments, food, shelter, clothing, Agency, Enterprise they had already begun to rebuild. The refrain: "No, no, you give first..." storm per family Corporation of the GRANT repairs (roofs, mold personal necessities and less often put In response to this financial Catch-22, Architecture for Humanity enlisted Delta, other non- infestation) towards repairs. the help of Warnke Community Consultants and Enterprise Corporation of profits the Delta to create a program that would enable families to begin rebuild- Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity ing while they applied for other financial aid. The solution was a revolving community loan fund. Revolving loan funds are pools of money lent or Homeowners unsure of which materials to granted to community members for economic development. They are gen- buy to rebuild need professional advice. Ma- erally managed at the local level. As the loans are repaid, or "recaptured," MATERIALS Allows families to terials were obtained through a sponsoring they are made available for new loans to community members. Typically Months after the nonprofit group, which purchased materials revolving loan funds are used to support small business development in GRANT and storm through to Varied, up to purchase materials Salvation Army, Faith approx $10,000 needed to rehab and on behalf of the family complicating the pro- based groups developing countries where access to capital is limited. In this case, we VOLUNTEER present cess. Materials grant lends itself to volunteer adapted the model to support the rebuilding effort in East Biloxi. rebuild their homes. LABOR labor pool rather than free market construc- Here's how it worked: Families received a loan, however, there was no tion services as typically general contractors interest charged on the loan and families were not required to make loan purchase materials. payments. Instead, a lien was placed on the property. If homeowners sold their home within five years, the loan would be recaptured at the time of And program documents used to establish the revolving loan fund were the sale. Each year that homeowners remained in the house thereafter a shared freely to support larger rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast. portion of the loan would be forgiven. If they stayed in the home for ten Homeowners apply through case managers years or more, the entire loan would be forgiven. The approach was not hurdle-free. Federal financial aid programs adminis- UNMET to qualify. Aid comes in the form of grants or tered by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) took up to two years Helps families who and in some cases longer to make its way to families. Most families in East NEEDS End of year one low/no interest loans. Funds were intended Red Cross and These "forgivable loans," also called "recoverable grants," covered the had begun to entire cost of construction. In this way the loans allowed families to begin Biloxi did not qualify for phase 1 of the MDA's Homeowner Grant Program. GRANT and year two after Appox $10,000 rebuild finish needed to bridge the gap after families had begun other nonprofit Although more families qualified for phase 2 of the program, which had and GAP the storm construction with funds received from state organizations rebuilding while they applied for financial assistance from other sources work. fewer restrictions, families waited a long time for their applications to be and federal sources, but most families (see chart, right). And because the funding was structured as a loan FINANCING recieved government aid after the fact. instead of a grant, families were still eligible for other types of assis- processed. Statewide, as of mid-July 2008, nearly 70% of families in the tance. Later, as money was released to families from private and federal state's Homeowner Grant Program are still waiting for their phase 2 funds. assistance programs, loan funds could be recaptured and returned to These delays had serious implications for our program. As construction the revolving fund. A program participation agreement stipulated that if costs escalated, it took longer to recapitalize the loan fund. This slowed When families are rebuilding their homes, a family received financial aid from another source, the family would be our work and forced us to find other sources of funding to subsidize the they must have the majority of the needed required to turn those funds over to the program to help repay the original construction of the homes. Also, because the various grant programs of FEDERAL funds in hand to begin construction. As loan. Persuading families that the "loan" was more like a grant took some DISASTER the MDA were directed to homeowners only, and because homeowners a result, although these federal and state thought. Case managers stopped calling it a "forgivable loan," and called Federally earmarked it a "no-pay" loan instead. This simple turn of phrase better helped families had to meet a number of requirements to qualify, organizations such as the RECOVERY Two years after Between grants represented a significant portion of funds administered Hope Coordination Center were forced to approach the rebuilding effort the storm through Covers part of the the construction budget, processing delays understand how the loan affected them. household by household rather than block by block. FUNDS $30,000 and by Missisippi (Mississippi to cost of rebuilding of more than a year dramatically slowed the $60,000 Development The revolving loan fund was seeded with a $3 million grant from Oprah's present recovery effort. To qualify for phase one, When homeowners did receive further financial aid, from either the MDA or Homeowner Authority Angel Network. Part of the fund supported new construction, including the families needed to live in the flood zone, from private sources, many were understandably reluctant to use the funds Assistance Model Homes; the rest funded rehab of partially damaged homes. demonstrate owner occupancy, and carry to repay the lien on their homes to recapitalize the revolving loan fund. In Program) part, this was because families feared they would not have funds to pur- homeowner insurance. These requirements Financial assistance was coupled with design services and construction chase appliances or furniture. When possible we responded by releasing a disqualified most East Biloxi applicants. management to support the homeowner throughout the rebuilding process and enable them to take advantage of materials grants and volunteer labor. portion of the funds to provide a furniture grant to the families. 21 the biloxi model home fair Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity To jump start the Biloxi Model Home Program, Architecture for Humanity Chung Nguyen of MC 2 Architects "it was like an architectural f lea market. we were invited a number of established local and national firms to create proposals Participating architecture firms Houston, TX hustled into a tent, this big disaster tent, and for homes that met the new challenges of disaster mitigation in the post- Brett Zamore Design set up at tables, and the public and the families Katrina environment. In August 2006 these firms participated in a Model PHATT Collaborative Houston, TX all came. we were really having to sing for our Home Fair held at the Salvation Army tent in East Biloxi. The event was Miami, FL buildingstudio supper, answering questions aout the wind, how's open to the public and also served as a vehicle for participating families to ROCKHILL and ASSOCIATES it going to stand up... we made it fun. we joked, meet and talk with the architects one-on-one. Memphis, TN Lecompton, KS 'okay, now, this is called the porchdog house. if For many in East Biloxi, both clients of the program and the general Guild Hardy Architects, PA you pick this one, it comes with a porch dog.' and STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS public, the Model Home Fair was the first opportunity to see what new Biloxi, MS they'd laugh and go back to us, 'i got two of those Chicago, IL elevated homes in their community might look like with new building already!' so it was fun- it showed them we knew a Gulf Coast Community Design Studio codes and elevation requirements in effect. Architects displayed their proposed designs for typical East Biloxi sites and a model of each home. Jackson, MS little bit about the culture." marlon blackwell Participating families were told to ask lots of questions and later rank the the model home fair invited all local residents to view new designs for Huff + Gooden Architects elevated homes. Far left: Architect Marlon Blackwell reviews his design design teams with which they wished to work. The seven participating Charleston, SC "we were hawking our wares, hoping somebody families did not identify themselves to the architects as future clients, so for the Porchdog house with future client richard tyler and his son would pick us... the thing that impressed me the architects pitched their solutions to and answered questions from a JBHM Architects, PA Zarek. Left, top: Partipating architects gather af ter the fair. Far right: was how candid people were. i don't think i'd wide range of community members, not just the seven families. There were Biloxi and Jackson, MS architect Maurice cox of cP+d Workshop reviews his design concept. experienced that before." ray huff no formal presentations, a deliberate choice intended to put clients and architects on an equal footing. Architects talked with potential clients and Marlon Blackwell Architect community members one-on-one in the hope of creating a richer experi- Fayetteville, AR ence for all involved. CP+D Workshop Charlottesville, VA 23 "people say, 'whaT kind of house is This?' and i Tell Them, 'This is a good house—a good, sTurdy house. iT's a miracle; iT's a blessing. ThaT's whaT iT is." — clienT karen parker HoME StudiES the biloxi model homes Credit: Marlon Blackwell Architect Credit: Huff & Gooden Architects Credit: Studio Gang Architects Credit: Brett Zamore Design Credit: CP+D Workshop Credit: MC 2 Architects Credit: MC 2 Architects Parker Home Nguyen Home Tran Home Desporte Home Odom Home Robinson Home Tyler Home Brett Zamore Design Chung Nguyen, MC 2 Architects Chung Nguyen, MC 2 Architects CP+D Workshop Studio Gang Architects Huff & Gooden Architects Marlon Blackwell Architect Houston, TX Houston, TX Houston, TX Charlottesville, VA Chiacago, IL Charleston, SC Fayetteville, AR 4 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1415 sq. ft. 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath, 2046 sq. ft. 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1750 sq. ft. 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1400 sq. ft. Gulf Coast Community Design 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1600 sq. ft. 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1500 sq. ft. Studio, Biloxi, MS ABFE: 18 Feet (7 feet above grade) ABFE: 19 feet (10 feet above grade) ABFE: 19 feet (10 feet above grade) ABFE: 19 Feet (10 feet above grade) ABFE: 18 Feet (5 feet above grade) ABFE: 19 Feet (10 feet above grade) 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1400 sq. ft. Foundation: Treated wood columns Foundation: Concrete pier on Foundation: Treated wood columns Foundation: Driven pile Foundation: Treated wood driven pile Foundation: Steel frame on on concrete piers on continuous spread footing with wood columns on concrete piers on spread footing ABFE: 20 Feet (13 feet above grade) concrete foundation footing Structure: 2x wood framing, engi- Structure: 2x6 wood framed Structure: 2x6 wood framing, 2x6 Structure: 2x6 stud framing neered wood floor system Foundation: Treated wood driven pile Structure: Wood framing on steel Structure: 2x6 wood infill framing tounge and groove decking and between columns, roof trusses, Materials: HardiePlank siding, frame, wood floor trusses Materials: HardiePlank siding, Structure: 2x Wood Framing, clerestory polycarbonate windows, between columns, roof trusses finish floor diagonally laid, roof 2x6 tongue and groove decking EnergyStar windows, bamboo prefab wood trusses soy-based spray foam insulation, Materials: Galvalume metal siding, trusses Materials: HardiePlank siding, Materials: HardiePlank siding, flooring, soy-based spray foam aluminum windows, bamboo floor- EnergyStar windows, soy-based insulation, galvalume panel roof Materials: HardiePlank siding, bamboo flooring, galvalume panel Materials: HardiePlank siding, 2x6 EnergyStar windows, 2x6 tongue ing, Galvalume metal roof & siding spray foam insulation, bamboo EnergyStar windows, soy-based roof T&G finish floor, aluminum windows, and groove finish floor flooring, metal hurricane shutter Zoning: RS–5 single family spray foam insulation, engineered Zoning: RS–5 single family 30 yr architectural shingles system, steel frame Zoning: RS–5 single family Zoning: B–2 community business residential wood flooring residential residential Zoning: RS–5 single family Lot Dimensions: 50' frontage Lot Dimensions: 50' frontage Lot Dimensions: 67' frontage x Zoning: RS–5 single family Zoning: RS–5 single family Lot Dimensions: 105' frontage x residential x 113' deep x 112' deep 135' deep residential residential 100' deep Lot Dimensions: 100' frontage x Setbacks: 25' front, 5' east, 12.5' Setbacks: 20' front, 5' side, 25' rear Setbacks: 20' front, 5' side, 25' rear Lot Dimensions: 57' frontage x Lot Dimensions: 50' frontage Setbacks: 20' front, 5' side, 25' rear 210' deep west, 10' rear 45' deep x 124' deep Setbacks: 20' front, 5' side, 25' rear Notable For: Creative integration of Notable For: Hurricane-resistant Setbacks: 20' front, 5' side, 25' rear Notable For: Adaptable, modular Notable For: Maximizing space on wheelchair accessibility throughout, Setbacks: 20' front, 5' side, 25' rear clerestory windows that allow system; potential for in-law expan- Notable For: Design focused upon a small lot; $65/sq ft. construction including a ramp system, passive ample day lighting to main living Notable For: Porch concept flexibly cooling, rainwater harvesting, Notable For: Pinecone inspira- sion; minimal cutting of standard existing oak tree canopy as a social costs; large, wrap around porch for areas. The home also has a driven integrating privacy and publicity integration of house and landscape tion, connection between indoors wood members; minimal waste. gathering space and an outdoor socializing with neighbors inspired pile foundation with 2"x6" wood between house and street; steel and out, passive cooling using kitchen. by homeowner's self-built FEMA stud framing and shallow sloped frame construction and steel siding, Cost: $177,500; $125 per sq. ft. Cost: $186,000; $133 per sq. ft. breezeways, screened porches and trailer deck system. metal roof. shutter design; two-story living area Cost: $169,100; $83 per sq. ft. windows for cross ventilation Cost: $125,500; $72 per sq. ft. Cost: $173,100; $108 per sq. ft. Cost: $197,350; $132 per sq. ft. Cost: $158,200 ; $113 per sq. ft. 27 architectural problem solving Rethinking design response in a post- Building code and regulatory Reweaving the social fabric These sites addressed the two most common elevation scenarios in East Biloxi following Hurricane Katrina. Katrina context considerations How would elevating a home 12 feet off the ground affect the neighbor- Site A: Lot size is 50' x 170' oriented on an east/west axis in the longer direction. hood streetscape, its vital porch culture, and the crucial interconnect- Street fronts the eastern lot lineZoned RS-5 by the city of Biloxi Architecture for Humanity focused not only on rebuilding, but also on Regulations in Biloxi were in flux, as new flood research and coastal con- edness of East Biloxi blocks? How would new designs make homes Setbacks: 20' front, 5' sides, 25' rear rethinking the way we design buildings. Typically, architects begin design- struction research constantly reworked outdated regulations. Throughout accessible for the wheelchair-bound? The elderly? What about affordability, Zoned AE by National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA ing in response to the needs of a specific client and a chosen site. In an East Biloxi, these new codes required that homes be built stronger and and ease of maintenance over time? What about changes in family size, or Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is 6' above grade (The elevation of the first habitable effort to increase the scalability and applicability of the design proposals, safer than ever before. All new homes had to be elevated from flooding, in the addition of an in-law unit? Designers were challenged to be sensitive to floor may be no less than 6' above grade.) Architecture for Humanity inverted this typical design scenario. With the some areas up over 12 feet off the ground. New designs were forced to Typically, sites with a BFE near 6' are in neighborhoods with existing homes that these social factors as part of the design criteria. Architects and families survived Hurricane Katrina but sustained severe damage. help of local building officials and team members on the ground, the address the complexities of shear, uplift, weathering, erosion, ventilation, worked together to translate design constraints into design opportunities, organization developed a median of criteria around which to design. Two window protection, and accessibility. New FEMA regulations reclassi- and in turn, each of these homes emerges with creativity, collaboration, Site B: Lot size is 50' x 170' oriented on an east/west axis in the longer direction. sample sites were chosen along with three possible family scenarios fied East Biloxi's properties as either Coastal (V) or Inland (A). Coastal V and a lasting social, contextual ingenuity. Street fronts the eastern lot line. sampled from demographic surveys conducted after the storm. In addition, properties, subject to flooding and waves, were forced to meet additional Zoned RS-5 by the city of Biloxi each home design was restricted to less than 1600 square feet, with total engineering criteria. Properties in the A category were still subject to Setbacks: 20' front, 5' sides, 25' rear construction costs less than $110,000. This challenge to designers meant severe flooding, but not coastal wave forces. This required that many Zoned AE by National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA that homes had to be affordable, safe, and most of all, adaptable and homes be designed to not only withstand hurricane winds of 140mph, but Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is 12' above grade (The elevation of the first habitable responsive to social and contextual specificities of a unidentified future also hurricane wave forces. floor may be no less than 12' above grade.) client and site. Each architectural firm that participated in the model home Typically, sites with a BFE at 12' exist in neighborhoods that have experienced near Designs were also required to address the complex tropical coastal climate complete destruction as a result of Hurricane Katrina. fair had to propose a design for each of the two sites and clearly demon- strate how their designs thoughtfully adapted to each of the three family of East Biloxi. The home designs had to balance the vital necessities of Typical Client Scenarios: scenarios. After being selected by a family, architects had the opportunity shade, fresh ventilation, quality daylighting, moisture, and extreme weather An elderly female/male resident living alone to rework the design in collaboration with their client. This unique design protection for decades to come. A married couple with four children delivery model produced affordable, sustainable, and reproducable-- An extended family with two or more unmarried adults and two children designs--even as they catered to the needs of individual households. Regulatory criteria: National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Special Flood Haz- In addition to the challenge of contextual sensitivity and adaptability, all ard Area (SFHA), Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) and Advisory Base Flood Elevations Below: Site A and Site B, two typical building sites in East Biloxi. these (ABFEs), FEMA V-zone or A-zone (coastal or inland flooding scenarios), International designs faced a strict host of regulatory, environmental, and financial photos were given to participating architects in the early stages of the Building Code 2003, ICC Energy Code 2003, SSTD 10-99 Hurricane Building Code, constraints, and most importantly, the sensitivity of re-designing homes program to use as they developed their design concept. 1999, including specifications for bracing, strapping, and nail patterns. that embraced existing cultural and neighborhood values. Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff PA R K E R H O m E IN THE ARCHITECT'S WORDS The Parker family Karen Parker is a single mother of six. Her oldest two daughters are in HAzARD mITIGATION FEATuRES: The home is engineered to withstand school at nearby universities, while her youngest four are busy with their hurricane force winds up to 140 mph. Two rows of 6x6 wood columns middle school and high school sports teams. Karen has worked in the field which are anchored to concrete piers 24-inches above grade are of early childhood education at Keesler Air Base for over 20 years. Karen placed at 8-foot intervals along the outer length of the structures and was renting a house in East Biloxi and was in the process of moving into run vertically through the entire structure of the house up to the roof. her late grandfather's home and transferring the deed into her name when The exterior of the home is streamlined to afford protection from the home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. This unfortunate accident of storm winds. There are no roof overhangs protecting from possible timing made her ineligible for state financial aid as she could not prove she uplift. Roof trusses, designed for the unique steep roof pitch, also was an owner occupant of the house when Katrina struck. protect the home from interior pressure and uplift. Windows are modestly sized to allow for plywood blinds. The design The Blox is a long, narrow, rectilinear wood-frame structure inspired by two Southern prototypes: the shotgun and the dogtrot. Constructed from stan- AFFORDABILITy: At a cost of $137 per ft 2, the Parker home's dard wood members and common construction materials with a minimum affordability lies in the simplicity of wood frame construction and of cutting, the Blox is a flexible kit of parts that can be customized easily the modest finishes. The simple diagram of its section allows for a to the particular needs of a family. Just as a train can be assembled by adding or removing individual cars, a Blox house "the actual process was challenging—you learn so much. can be planned by choosing just the right elements to meet the space needs of it's full-on; they involve you. i learned how they constructed its residents. The basic Blox module is it and why, from the foundation to the roof." karen parker 16-feet wide and is elevated above flood- hazard levels on two rows of wood piers, placed at 12-foot intervals along the repetitive construction process from start to finish. The home is outer length. The main module contains designed around modest, off-the-shelf materials: two types of roof the kitchen, dining, and living areas, plus trusses, three types of standard sized windows, two door sizes and bedrooms for Karen and her younger standard cabinets. As an option for long term affordability, the studio sons, while across a covered walkway unit has the potential to convert to a rental for additional income. in the studio unit are two bedrooms for Credit: Brett Zamore Design; Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Parker's daughters. SuSTAINABILITy: Roof trusses and floor beams are prefabricated The narrow and linear aspect of the off-site and then shipped to the site, minimizing waste. Galvanized Blox House and its component porches roofing was selected for its longevity and also to reflect the harsh allow the Parker family to experience a heat of the summer. Windows promote cross-ventilation and allow more direct relationship to their natural the homeowner to regulate light and circulation. The underside of the surroundings. Even with the height- home is insulated with soy-based foam insulation, providing insulation above-grade requirements, outdoor and a vapor barrier against the sub-floor. Prefab cabinets do not living spaces on porches and regularly spaced windows along the length of corridors afford constant views to private gardens, play areas, and public contain formaldehyde, and the bathroom tile is LEED-certified. streets. The simplicity of the house in its shape is reminiscent of the many typolo- gies of homes that line the Gulf coast. Its modern modesty fits right in to the East Biloxi landscape. "karen's main concern during the design process was the parker The construction process narrowness of the home: 16 feet. she didn't want to feel Parker Home Specs home This house was the first to go into construction after the storm. We opted Architect: Brett zamore Design for volunteer labor to save time and money, but the use of volunteers did not come without challenges. Scheduling was a major hurdle—contractors as if she was living in a fema trailer. living in a space Houston, TX. plan find it difficult to oversee volunteer schedules, and the labor force avail- ability and skill level changes week to week. The level of sophistication of many the of the designs also proved to be a challenge to the use of that was 10 feet wide for over two years had been painful. i promised her this wouldn't be the case." brett Zamore Brett zamore began his training as an undergrad at yale university volunteer labor. Coordinating a timeline for donated construction materials (1994) and received his masters was also difficult. METAL ROOF of Architecture at Rice university FELT UNDERLAYMENT School of Architecture (1999). Brett has worked for the renowned offices What we learned 1/2" COOL-PLY DECKING BATTED INSULATION of michael maltzan Architecture in The slope of the roof and the related interior vaulted ceiling added a MANUFACTURED SCISSOR TRUSS Los Angeles, California and Carlos premium to the cost of construction. We chose a screw-down metal roof 5/8" GYPSUM BOARD Jimenez Studio in Houston, Texas. In to get the most from the premium paid to roof at the required slope, an 2003, Brett established Brett zamore atypical 16 over 12 pitch. The interior 12 over 12 slope and 13-foot ceilings Design. Work can be viewed at www. created a dramatic and important vaulted space in the main living spaces, brettzamoredesign.com but also meant a higher cost for installing the interior drywall. Some interior GALVANIZED ALUMINUM GUTTER spaces called for 8' doors--a custom-made item that we paid a premium 6" HARDIE PLANK SIDING O/ Engineer: Carlos A. Gutierrez, PE of for. Slight changes to the pitch of the roof and and the addition of tran- 5/8" BUILDING FELT O/ CSF-PE Service Consulting Engineers, soms over standard-sized doors could make the design more affordable PLYWOOD SHEATHING O/ BATTED INSULATION www.csfengineers.com while maintaining ceiling height for cooling the home and the striking visual appeal of tall entrances and ceilings. 2X6 STUD WALL 1/2" GYPSUM BOARD Contractors: Volunteer labor BIOBASED SPRAY FOAM INSULATION Landscape designer: Brett zamore 6X6 THROUGH COLUMN Design 2/4 PRESSURE TREATED SOLE PLATE 2 2X12 GIRDER TJI FLOOR JOIST ABFE: 18 feet (7 feet above grade) 3 2X12 STRINGERS @ PERIMETER Hard cost: $135,920 BAMBOO FLOOR O/ money/materials grants: $41,577.59 FELT UNDERLAYMENT O/ 1 1/8" PLYWOOD SUB FLOOR Total costs: $177,498; $125 per sq. ft. SONO TUBE FOUNDATION True cost: $145,000; $102 per sq. ft. Photo credit: Leslie Schwartz Credit: Brett Zamore Design Credit: Nicole Joslin Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity NGuyEN HOmE IN THE ARCHITECT'S WORDS The Nguyen family Upon returning home after the hurricane evacuation, Cong Nguyen, a mITIGATION FEATuRES: The two homes designed by Chung Nguyen shrimp boat mechanic, found that his house had floated 50 feet away and of mC2 Architects, the Nguyen home and the Tran home, are more into to the middle of their street. In their new home, the Nguyen family resistant to hurricanes than traditional wood frame houses. They are most desired space to grow and room to breathe. Cong and his wife, Oanh engineered to withstand 140 mph winds and are raised 9-feet above Luong, have four teenage children: three boys, Danh, Phu, and Qui; and grade to meet FEmA regulations. metal clips and hurricane straps one girl, Bach Yen. For two and a half years after the storm, Cong and his are specified at every truss, column, and wall to resist uplift during family cooked meals outside in a makeshift kitchen because the FEMA strong winds, and the homes' plywood sheathing is nailed using the trailer the family had was too small and got too hot. nail pattern recommended by FEmA regulations. The design The new Nguyen Residence is a shifted, double bungalow arranged to embrace the existing oak tree located in the center "we were the only vietnamese architects in the group. of the property. It was under this tree the families needed our help understanding the program, that Cong cooked egg rolls and shrimp fried rice for more than 30 team mem- putting their trust in the program. i don't think the bers from Architecture for Humanity and MC2 Architects during their first site visit. vietnamese families in east biloxi expected this kind of The design of the new Nguyen home help. there was definitely a level of comfort that these two puts that beloved oak at the center of a large back porch, outdoor kitchen area, families shared with us." chung nguyen and vegetable garden. The familiy will continue to grow much of their own food on the property. AFFORDABILITy: Both the Nguyen and the Tran homes cost less than $83 per square foot with help from generous donations. The The home is organized into two homes use off-the-shelf members and other materials that are locally sleeping bungalows connected by a available, and streamlines traditional wood framing techniques, living room, dining room, and kitchen. cutting labor costs. The structure of the homes is designed as a The front bungalow houses the master bedroom and master bath, while the modular system that can be installed as a kit of parts. The kit of parts back bungalow contains three bed- members can be mass-produced or repeated. Finally, the homes use rooms and two baths for the children. a 2 x 6 inch tongue and groove sub-floor as the finished floor, saving The kitchen opens both to the dining time and material. Credit: MC 2 Architects; Photo credit: Alan Richardson room and the back porch, which rings the oak tree and is large enough to SuSTAINABILITy: The homes use passive solar design principles be a room in itself. The Nguyens can proven by past vernacular examples. Windows encourage cross simply slide the kitchen doors open and carry the food directly outside. ventilation and minimize the use of air conditioning while offering The family looks forward to enjoying family dinners on the back deck good security. Low-maintenance, durable HardiePlank siding is used underneath the oak tree for years to come. throughout the homes. "the home is designed for cooking outside and eating nguYen The construction process outside. cong's outdoor kitchen has the whole works. Nguyen Home Specs home This was the first project put out to bid with a general contractor. This structural system is similar to that of the Parker home, except it uses a 6' x 6' spread footing for each pedestal. Through soils testing, we learned the soils he can deep fry, he can do everything he wants to do, Architect: mC 2 Architects Houston, TX. Chung Nguyen, Chuong plan here were naturally wet and had a much smaller bearing capacity. As a fix, we poured mud slabs using a 3500 psi pea gravel and slurry mix, then, the next day, set steel reinforcing bars and poured the footings and pedestals. everything he can do inside." chung nguyen Nguyen, Jason Logan, Joe Kellner ASPHALT SHINGLE The Nguyen brothers, Chuong Q.B. 2 LAYERS FELT PAPER The structural system has treated 6 x 6 columns on a 12' x 18' bay which 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING and Chung Q.B., were born in Saigon, continue through to the top plate of the stud wall. This column system is BATTED INSULATION Viet Nam in 1961 and 1962. During 5/8" GYPSUM BOARD CEILING the years following their formal emphasized by the exterior siding treatment, which on the 12' bay side allows for the installation of a 1 x piece of trim at each column. This make 2X10 ROOF FRAMING education, the brothers worked and the infill siding very clean and easy, as there is little to no cutting of the sid- 2X6 FRAMING traveled throughout the u.S., Europe BLOCKING ing material and there are no butt joints. A unique feature to the structural and Asia. In 1997, Chuong and Chung system is the use of 2 x 6 (tongue & groove) floor decking in lieu of 3/4" created their design/build firm mC 2 plywood/osb. Not only is this a stronger material, it can also serve as the Architects in Houston, TX. finished floor. The premium paid to replace plywood/osb for this subfloor is 2X6 DOUBLE TOP PLATE www.mC2Architects.com made up for by not purchasing and installing a finish floor material. BATTED INSULATION 2X6 STUD WALL 1/2" GYPSUM BOARD WALLS Engineer: Carlos A. Gutierrez, PE of What we learned 2X6 TONGUE & GROVE NAILED CSF-PE Service Consulting Engineers, DIAGONALLY SAND & SEAL TO FINISH www.csfengineers.com Chung Nguyen of MC2 Architects has developed a very viable affordable model for construction and did not loose architectural spirit in the process. BATTED INSULATION Two small detail modifications would make the design of this home repli- 2X12 TREATED FLOOR Contractors: House Calls cable in many parts of the Gulf Coast region: 1) a driven pile system, which JOISTS W/JOIST HANGER Construction Co., 228-436-9030 @ 16" OC would have been a more affordable system to deal with the soil conditions and the shallow water table at the home site, and 2) a simple modification Landscape architect: Paul to the order in which we build the main floor beams and girders. HARDIE PLANK SIDING Hendershot Design VAPOR BARRIER www.paulhendershotdesign.com 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING 19 feet (10 feet above grade) 2X6 SOLE PLATE 3 2X10 STRINGERS Hard cost: $119,765 money/materials grants: $49,346 6X6 TREATED THROUGH PILE Total costs: $169,119; $82 per sq. ft. 2 2X8 TREATED DIAGONAL BRACING True cost: $155,500; $76 per sq. ft. Photo credit: Leslie Schwartz Credit: MC 2 Architects 2'6" SONO TUBE FOUNDATION Credit: Nicole Joslin Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity TRAN HOmE The Tran family local building requirements required a lot of collaboration with Architecture for Humanity staffers. "The best thing about Architecture for Humanity is Hiep Tran and his wife Lang Tho Do, both in their mid 60s, immigrated that they were able to cut through the red tape and make the connections to the United States from Vietnam under the Humanitarian Operation with the local government. That was all in place for us, so we could focus Program, helping families of veterans who fought on the American side on what we do best with the design," explains Chung Nguyen. during the Vietnam War. They have lived in Biloxi for over 10 years and had Getting to know the Nguyen and Tran families and helping them home just paid off their mortgage when Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home. was a life-changing process for the architects. "My view of architecture Both Mr. and Mrs. Tran were due to retire in late 2005, but Katrina changed has changed quite a bit since the program," says Chung Nguyen. "It's the those plans; the couple has returned to work in the shrimping industry emotional part of it--you know that you can make a difference. With all of to help pay for new expenses due to the storm. The Trans have grown the lessons that we've learned, we hope that these two homes can serve children in the area who may at times live at home with their parents. as a model for the future development of Biloxi." The design The Tran property is a small corner lot that measures 50' by 100' with a 25' setback in the front and smaller setbacks around the other perimeters, leaving a only small allowable building area. To fit the constraints of the site, the architects designed a single long bungalow made up of two mod- ules. The home's front module contains the living room, dining room and kitchen, while the back sleeping module contains "thank you to architecture for humanity. east biloxi three bedrooms, two baths, and a small utility room. Diagonally-laid tongue-and- residents [need] architecture for humanity to make a better groove floors throughout strengthen the structure and saved on construction costs. life, to make it different in the community." hiep Tran After the storm, Mr. Tran had collected hurricane debris from the surrounding neighborhood to build a large porch alongside his FEMA trailer, which not final doubled the family's space for cooking and other chores. Inspired by Mr. Tran's resourcefulness, the architects designed Credit: MC 2 Architects; Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity a large porch wapping around the entire image southwest corner of the house. The new L-shaped porch faces both Division and Collier streets and is shaded by a large and welcoming magnolia tree that survived the storm. The porch not only provides much-needed shade but will allow the Trans to relax in the breeze and interact with their neighbors. For the architects, the most difficult part of the design process was deal- ing with the shortage of labor. "The casinos get all of the subcontractors, rather than the family housing projects," says Chung Nguyen. Another hurdle to overcome was the distance from the design offices to the construction site. "We wish we were closer to learn from our mistakes and help make the process more efficient. Even so we traveled to Biloxi six or seven times during the construction," says Chung Nguyen. Negotiating "our approach was to use design to solve problems in the long tran The construction process term. fema is not very flexible. when you're small and you Tran Home Specs home The Tran house suffered from major delays due to a handful of factors, including poor, wet soil conditions for driving piles (similar to problems encountered at the nearby Nguyen home) and scheduling issues with the work on this scale, you can be nimble." chung nguyen Architect: mC 2 Architects Houston, TX. Chung Nguyen, Chuong plan contractor. The local contractor, a neighborhood community member who also lost his home in the storm, was contracted to build both the Nguyen and Tran homes. After suffering long delays, we faced the difficult ques- ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF O/ 2 LAYERS FELT PAPER O/ Nguyen, Jason Logan, Joe Kellner 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING The Nguyen brothers, Chuong Q.B. and tion of whether to try to replace this contractor on the project. In the end, Chung Q.B., were born in Saigon, Viet Architecture for Humanity's program manager didn't see a large upside to BATTED INSULATION Nam in 1961 and 1962. During the removing the contractor from the project, instead we stepped in to help 5/8" GYPSUM BOARD CEILING years following their formal education, manage the remaining work and available funds to prevent further delays. the brothers worked and traveled PRE-FAB WOOD TRUSS throughout the u.S., Europe and Asia. In What we learned 2X12 TRIPLE BEAM 1997, Chuong and Chung created their design/build firm mC 2 Architects in The importance of asking more questions at the outset in order to bet- 6X6 TREATED THROUGH PILE Houston, TX. www.mC2Architects.com ter plan for and understand our contractor's schedule was an important lesson, particularly when multiple projects are running concurrently with the same contracting team. The Tran home benefited from lessons learned 2X6 DOUBLE TOP PLATE Engineer: Carlos A. Gutierrez, PE of on the Nguyen project, as the two homes are similar in detailing and overall 2X6 TONGUE & GROVE NAILED CSF-PE Service Consulting Engineers, construction process. The delays experienced had little to do with the DIAGONALLY SAND & SEAL www.csfengineers.com design, and we feel the simplicity of this home has the potential to make for TO FINISH, ACTS A STRUCTURAL BRACING, DECKING AND a very replicable model for affordable housing along the Gulf Coast. FINISHED FLOOR Contractors: House Calls Construction Co., 228-436-9030 BATTED INSULATION 2X12 TREATED FLOOR Landscape architect: Paul Hendershot JOISTS W/JOIST HANGER @ 16" OC Design, www.paulhendershotdesign.com 2X6 STUD WALL ABFE: 19 feet (10 feet above grade) BATTED INSULATION not final 1/2" GYPSUM BOARD WALLS Hard cost: $102,890 money/materials grants: $22,594 HARDIE PLANK SIDING O/ Total costs: $125,484, $72 per sq. ft. image VAPOR BARRIER O/ 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING True cost: $119,650, $68 per sq. ft. 3 2X10 STRINGER Credit: MC 2 Architects Credit: MC 2 Architects 2 2X8 TREATED CROSS BRACING Credit: Nicole Joslin 2'6" SONO TUBE FOUNDATION Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff DESPORTE HOmE IN THE ARCHITECT'S WORDS The Desporte family The Desportes have longstanding ties to East Biloxi. Despite husband HAzARD mITIGATION FEATuRES: The Desporte Ramp-House is David's worsening congestive heart failure, he managed to stay active designed to respond to FEmA's new flood elevations. By raising the playing music for his church and enjoying his many children and grand- living level 10 feet above grade, the occupants are protected from the children in the area. Since the storm, the family has gone through a lot. risk of hurricane flooding and water can move freely under the house, Through it all, David's only concern was to see that his wife Jeanette had safeguarding the structure's integrity. The ramp makes the house the home she deserved. David reached this goal and was able to move into completely handicap-accessible and also constitutes an additional his completed home just two days before he passed away in April of 2008. safe exit route. Jeanette now lives in her home with her daughter and granddaughter. Nearby family members visit often. AFFORDABILITy: The Desporte Ramp-House is a small house on a narrow lot, designed for an elderly couple to age in place. The main The design unit has 1150 ft2 of enclosed heated and cooled space, in order to keep its cost within budget range. Covered and screened porches on This project demonstrates how the demands of wheelchair accessibility and the new FEMA construction standards can be integrated into the three sides will provide 400 ft2 for additional activities at a lesser design of new homes in the traditional neighborhoods of East Biloxi. It meets the challenge of entering a residence at "my home has got to be the most beautiful thing you've ever an elevation of 10 feet by creating a ramp seen! it's weird for my neighborhood, but it's beautiful. that gently takes one up and through the site to the main living level above. CP+D it's long and it has a lot of windows... it's got a washer and Workshop partnered closely with Gulf Coast Community Design Studio to refine dryer and two more bedrooms—and you go up ten feet to the design. get inside!" desporte Jeanette The house is shaped by this movement into the elevated living space. The ramp cost. The short-span wood frame construction can be built with moves up through the center of the traditional methods and local labor. house, an unusual solution that creates a dynamic and accessible path for both able-bodied and wheelchair-bound SuSTAINABILITy: The Desporte Ramp-House is designed with a residents. An adjacent screened stair number of sustainable features which derive from local building meets the elevated screened porch. The traditions, addressing orientation, natural ventilation, and shading screened stair/porch ventilates through from the sun. Deep-set porches protect the interior of the house from Credit: CP + D Workshop; Photo credit: Leslie Schwartz a clerestory screen opening and can direct sun exposure on the east, south and west sides. A screening be opened into the house with interior system of horizontal slats define the porch perimeter and further windows, providing fresh air movement. protects from direct sunlight. The interior ceiling height of 13 feet The ramp and stair activate an open at the north wall allows for the insertion of a series of operable ground level porch underneath the living clerestory windows to provide natural cross ventilation of all spaces. area. The floor of the raised terrace is made of steel grating to allow both In addition to these features, all the materials and components of the rain and filtered sunlight onto the ground for a shade garden. The kitchen, house, from the cement fiber siding to the HVAC units, were proposed living room and bedroom open out onto the terrace. The L shaped roof col- to respond to a wide range of sustainability criteria. lects rain water which is stored in an elevated cistern to provide gardening water. Perhaps, most importantly, a 300 ft2 accessory living area has been integrated into the main home, providing the opportunity for possible rental income at a later time. the architects were giving us ideas...f looring, what desporte The construction process furniture to put in, 'cause you know we lost everything... Desporte Home Specs home The first challenge this house faced came long before the first bit of dirt was CP+D Workshop, Charlottesville, VA, moved. It was a challenge at the Zoning and Planning office. Two major components of the design attempted to challenge current local requirements. they talked about the building and how our electrical bill maurice Cox and Giovanna Gaifione-Cox; plan The first was the use of land up to the property line to build the ramp, which required permanent structure and foundation outside of the zoned building setback. The second was the use of a detached accessory dwelling unit. would be down." Jeanette desporte Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, Jody Rader and David Perkes ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF O/ Both of these issues relate to common questions for homeowners rebuilding 2 LAYERS FELT PAPER O/ maurice D. Cox is an Associate in the area: How does one with limited mobility get into a home 10-feet off 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING Professor of Architecture at the the ground? And can rental income help a family afford the cost of keeping university of Virginia, School of and insuring a home? BATTED INSULATION Architecture. He recently completed 5/8" GYPSUM BOARD CEILING We knew the solutions to these issues would require a leap of faith from eight years on the Charlottesville local officials. After a few rounds of rejections, we found a compromise that PRE-FAB WOOD TRUSS City Council and served as mayor of still addressed these needs. In the end, we were not able to build an acces- 2X12 TRIPLE BEAM Charlottesville from 2002-2004. He sory rental unit and instead integrated this unit into the main home. The final now serves as the Director Design at ramp design featured some smart solutions that were able to preserve most 6X6 TREATED THROUGH PILE the National Endowment for the Arts in of the integrity of the original design. A plan to use a landscaped berm as Washington D.C. part of the ramp was abandoned due to setback requirements and cost. www.communityplanningdesign.com 2X6 DOUBLE TOP PLATE There were other changes to the design of the house made in the planning 2X6 TONGUE & GROVE NAILED phase. Gabion walls were removed, and we decided against using Structural DIAGONALLY SAND & SEAL Engineer: Roger Roepke, PE Black Rock Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the main structure of the floor and roof systems TO FINISH, ACTS A STRUCTURAL Engineering BRACING, DECKING AND because of the cost of SIPs compared to traditional framing. Also, the use FINISHED FLOOR www.blackrockengineering.com of mini-split HVAC units came at a premium too high to afford. Once the design was finalized, we began construction in December 2007. The home BATTED INSULATION Contractors: Cox & Carr Construction was constructed very quickly due to its simple detailing and materials. 2X12 TREATED FLOOR JOISTS W/JOIST HANGER @ 16" OC Landscape Architect: Paul Hendershot Design, www.paulhendershotdesign.com 2X6 STUD WALL BATTED INSULATION ABFE: 19 feet (10 feet above grade) 1/2" GYPSUM BOARD WALLS Hard cost: $144,813 HARDIE PLANK SIDING O/ money/materials grants: $41,211 VAPOR BARRIER O/ 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING Total costs: $186,024, $133 per sq. ft. True cost: $149,200, $107 per sq. ft. 3 2X10 STRINGER Credit: CP+D Workshop Credit: Nicole Joslin 2 2X8 TREATED CROSS BRACING Leslie Schwartz 2'6" SONO TUBE FOUNDATION Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff ODOm HOmE home and a long side porch along the south side of the house that can The Odom family be accessed from each of the three bedrooms. In order to meet budget- Louise Odom and her family had been living in Biloxi for 57 years and in ary constraints, the in-law flat planned for the back of the property was their home for 21 years prior to Katrina. Louise is a single mother. Her removed from the final design and a number of other modifications were 23-year-old daughter, Kishma, studies child development at Jeff Davis made. College. They both help take care of seven-year-old Dajontae, Louise's grand-nephew, who is entering the second grade (His request: a computer for his room in his new home.) Pre-Katrina, nearly every property on their street belonged to Louise's relatives. While many of her cousins and siblings are coming back, Louise is the first to rebuild and hopes to inspire IN THE ARCHITECTS' WORDS more family members to return to their community. During construction, not final image Louise lived first in a FEMA trailer, which made her sick, and later in a Mississippi cottage. HAzARD mITIGATION FEATuRES: The home features a driven wood pile foundation with a stacked floor system. The detail is similar to foundations found in other communities along the Gulf Coast. This The design system is fast, economical, and very strong and has been adopted by The Odom home, because of its high elevation requirements and the original intention to include an in-law flat rental when i was living in the fema trailer, i was struggling. i unit, was one of the most challenging homes in the program. The Gulf Coast was crying every day. i have some friends, and we would Community Design Studio partnered get together and sit out in the dark—there wasn't any lights— with Studio Gang Architects to refine the design, which evolved greatly from and just be company for each other." louise odom the original concept and required new thinking and a new approach. the GCCDS as a typical detail for homes. manufactured trusses were The original design for the Odom family used for some of the longer interior spans that open up the rooms of uses the pine cone as an inspirational the house. organic model and investigates the venti- lation potential of vernacular architectural AFFORDABILITy: The design employs common construction techniques Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanit; Model: Studio Gang Architects elements like breezeways, prefab trusses, and operable shutters. A main breezeway making it comparably affordable at $113 per ft 2 . was designed to bring cool air into the sleeping chambers, and perimeter veran- SuSTAINABILITy: The house is flanked on the south side with a long das (deepest on the south and east) both side veranda which has access from each bedroom. The overhang shade the house and offer indoor-outdoor for the veranda helps shade the south windows during the summer living options. months, keeping the heat gain down while allowing natural light into The prefabricated trusses were designed the house. The front entry of the house is through a screened porch. to provide ample space under the floor for utilities and create interior These outdoor spaces add protection from direct sun and solar height to effectively ventilate the interior spaces through the stack effect. heat gain. The entire home is insulated with soy-based spray foam Operable shutters were designed to be closed along the porch perimeter insulation. We created a conditioned space in the attic, which helps to protect the house during hurricane season and could be opened the mechanical system work less while still controlling the humidity. regularly to capture prevailing breezes and meet the occupants' desires for In addition, we chose ceramic tile and a glueless floating engineered shade and privacy. wood flooring to cover the entire house floor. We also used a low VOC/ low odor paint that is made of acrylic, which means adhesion is not Although the design evolved greatly, the final design respects many of an issue, as it can be with other products. The range and furnace are these elements, including a large screened porch along the front of the natural gas and other kitchen equipment is EnergyStar rated. A design evolution odom home The Pinecone home's original design, shown at left, was innovative in a number of ways, from the geothermal HVAC system to the use of tapered wood piles and prefab trusses. The Pinecone project team from Studio Gang Architects left no stone unturned in their attempt to find a way to incorporate these innovations affordably. One of the biggest obstacles was the 13-foot elevation requirement. "It was almost like building two struc- plan tures," explains architect David Gwinn. "The cost of the home, of course, but also the cost of all the work just getting the house 13 feet in the air." Credit: Gulf Coast Design Studio Structural connections between the foundation and the trusses proved complex to install, and it was challenging to find an affordable solution for keeping exposed trusses from corroding in the harsh, moist salt air. Using stainless steel to make all the structural connections for the floor and parts of the roof was not affordable. The design specified tapered column/pile supports, but it proved infeasible to drive a tapered pile fat end down. The operable louvers and clerestory windows were elegant but also involved a lot of detail work, for example to make a proper seal in the event of a hurricane. And the shutter systems proved too expensive—something that was an obstacle for several of the model home designs. We had difficulty accessing the skilled labor needed to do the work for the geothermal HVAC system, and the system was dif- Credit: Studio Gang Architects ficult to afford for just a single house. The team worked hard to overcome these obstacles, but after several pric- ing sessions, we reluctantly decided the Pinecone was not going to hit our price point. Architecture for Humanity and the GCCDS worked to incorpo- rate many ideals from the original Pinecone house. This process gave us opportunities to integrate lessons learned about structural and foundation systems into the final home's design, shown in two different stages at right. "louise brought such optimism to the table, which was remarkable after seeing the total devastation of her neighborhood. as she showed us around, she kept saying, Credit: Gulf Coast Design Studio 'here's my neighbor's place, i hope they move back in... Credit: Gulf Coast Design Studio i hope my cousin can move back in.' her hope for the future was always very close in our minds as we worked." david gwinn, studio gang architects Photo Credit: Architecture for `Humanity staff What we learned "when the house is done, the first thing i'm going to do is Odom Home Specs The Odom home taught us a great deal about what was and was not have my pastor come over and bless the house. and then affordable, and though some of the obstacles to the original design were not overcome, this creates the opportunity to continue testing new thinking i'm going to cook up a whole lot of food!" louise odom Studio Gang Architects, Chicago, IL: Jeanne Gang, David Gwinn, mark and new approaches on other homes. Schendel, Kara Boyd; Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, David There was respect and admiration from the GCCDS design team for the ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF O/ Perkes and Price Taggart 2 LAYERS FELT PAPER O/ very sensitive gestures of the original design, including a long side veranda 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING and a large screened porch in the front of the house, with a front stair rising through that space that increased the home's connection to the Studio Gang offers design service outdoors. Studio Gang Architects and the GCCDS also made concerted BATTED INSULATION with a commitment to excellence. 5/8" GYPSUM BOARD CEILING efforts to render the underside of the building integrated with and as Jeanne Gang established the practice elegant as the rest of the structure. PRE-FAB WOOD TRUSS in 1998 with a focus on combining Phot Credit: Leslie Shwartz sustainability and good design. Good 2X12 TRIPLE BEAM The final evolution of the Odom home design kept the generous front porch design stems from intelligence, and screened it in. It also preserved one of the side verandas with a deep creativity, good communication, overhang. The use of conventional HVAC over geothermal, the choice of off- 6X6 TREATED THROUGH PILE enthusiasm, and hard work. Studio the-shelf residential windows over storefront or other more expensive units, Gang Architects is recognized and the use of more conventional framing systems all helped to make the 2X6 DOUBLE TOP PLATE for these qualities throughout all end project affordable. phases of architectural design from 2X6 TONGUE & GROVE NAILED The desire to innovate and explore new materials and methods must be DIAGONALLY SAND & SEAL programming and schematic through TO FINISH, ACTS A STRUCTURAL construction. www.studiogang.net balanced with a great deal of flexibility and open-mindedness. In the BRACING, DECKING AND end, success came in choosing to focus on a single innovative aspect to FINISHED FLOOR explore—the integration of the outdoors—and committing to fully executing Engineer: Roger Roepke, PE Black that one aspect, as opposed to losing the budget by attempting several BATTED INSULATION Rock Engineering, challenging ideas at once. www.blackrockengineering.com 2X12 TREATED FLOOR JOISTS W/JOIST HANGER @ 16" OC Contractors: Cox & Carr Construction 2X6 STUD WALL BATTED INSULATION Landscape architect: Paul Hendershot 1/2" GYPSUM BOARD WALLS Design, www.paulhendershotdesign.com ABFE: 20 feet (13 feet above grade) HARDIE PLANK SIDING O/ VAPOR BARRIER O/ 1/2" PLYWOOD SHEATHING Hard cost: $103,479 money/materials grants: $54,575 Phot Credit: Leslie Shwartz 3 2X10 STRINGER Total costs: $158,230, $113 per sq. ft. Credit: Nicole Joslin 2 2X8 TREATED CROSS BRACING True cost: $145,175, $89 per sq. ft. 2'6" SONO TUBE FOUNDATION Photo Credit: Architecture for `Humanity staff ROBINSON HOmE IN THE ARCHITECT'S WORDS The Robinson family Audrey and Andre Robinson have both made a life out of volunteering HAzARD mITIGATION FEATuRES: The Robinson home is engineered to help others. Andre works for FEMA in logistics and has become his to better withstand hurricane force winds. The polycarbonate mother's caretaker as she battles breast cancer. Their home had been clerestory windows that wrap around the house have 200 times in the family for three generations spanning almost 80 years. The home greater impact resistance compared to typical glazing. would have likely survived Hurricane Katrina if an 18 wheeler truck parked nearby had not slammed into the home, destroying it. AFFORDABILITy: Straightforward structural systems using primarily off-the-shelf materials keep costs down to approximately $108 per The design square foot. The Robinson home creates a set of "in-between" zones between the landscape and the building and between the inside and outside. Perimeter vegetation helps connect the home with the surrounding landscape despite the obstacle of the home's elevation. The strategy for the interior spaces was created with flex- "we liked the whole deck atmosphere of the house. we ibility at heart: expansion, contraction, tension, and inclusion. Opportunities wanted to be different. it's not like every other house. it's for interaction are built into the design, kind of like a beach house, but back in the neighborhood." making it easy to be in one space and feel connected to another. In-between zones can be reconfigured and activities can overlap. andre robinson SuSTAINABILITy: The fiber cement panels used for the exterior not final image Large porches along the front and cladding are durable and affordable. Properly insulated metal roofing side of the home allows for singular is another sustainable, affordable component of the design. The activities and moments of respite. The metal roof reduces energy consumption by lowering the cooling porches provide shade and protec- loads. It is a highly durable product, has a high reclamation rate, tion from the heat of the day. And and is recyclable. The polycarbonate clerestory windows are high- views from the porch and through the performance, aesthetically appealing, energy efficient, and allow windows draw the landscape up into for soft natural light. They are also recyclable. The landscape the house. plan assists in solar protection within the house and in absorbing The house features post and beam harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Over a dozen new trees construction with polycarbonate siding. have been placed on site, and the gardens help create a harmonious The roofing is a low-slope metal roof environment inside and out. system on prefabricated roof trusses. Clerestory windows made of impact-resistant glazing and impact- resistant polycarbonate sheeting allow soft natural light to float down into the interior spaces. Credit: Huff & Gooden Architects "it's important that the housing celebrates the potential of robinson The construction process biloxi, that it looks forward to creating a new community. Robinson Home Specs home The Robinson project is a very long narrow house with a sleek roofline. The roof is simple in form but was challenging to build due to its subtle slopes. This project also needed to address sensitive family issues to during the design process, it was very important to us Huff + Gooden, Charleston, SC: Ray Huff, Jaimie Abel, Connie J. Kaplan plan determine whether a 3 bedroom or 2 bedroom home could be built. In the end, the importance of the 3rd bedroom to the family required us to face the budget head-on and and make decisions that would save us the money that it not look like a reaction to the storm, that it not look buttressed or fortified...we didn't want it to be stigmatized Ray Huff and mario Gooden formed Huff + Gooden Architects LLC in we needed to make the house as large as it was. Suggesting a change to the foundation system from poured concrete columns to driven wood piles as a replacement house." ray huff 1997 as a collaborative architecture practice dedicated to the design helped save some of the money needed to make the third bedroom a real- and exploration of architecture ity. The Robinson family also contributed some of their own funds to allow METAL ROOF O/ the third bedroom to remain part of the design. FELT UNDERLAYMENT O/ and its relationships to culture and PLYWOOD SHEATHING knowledge. BIOBASED SPRAY www.huffgooden.com What we learned FOAM INSULATION 2X10 ROOF JOIST The major lessons underscore the importance of a common starting point Engineer: 4SE Inc., www.4seinc.com for issues of affordability. The Robinson design went through a number of DUO-GARD CLEAR STORY WINDOWS edits to streamline the design and bring it into the range of what was pos- sible budget-wise. We exchanged several materials, fixtures, and details Contractors: Cox & Carr Construction for more simple replacements while attempting to preserve the original spirit of the design. Windows were changed from storefront-style windows, Landscape architect: Paul Hendershot which integrated with the clerestory windows above, to more conventional 3 2X10 HEADER Design, www.paulhendershotdesign. residential units at conventional sizes. The roofing material was changed com from a standing seam metal roof to a screw-down corrugated metal panel 4X8 HADRIE PANELS O/ to maintain the budget while keeping the basic design. The final lesson VAPOR BARRIER O/ PLYWOOD SHEATHING was the clerestory windows, which were generously donated to the project ABFE: 18 feet (5 feet above grade) and would not have been affordable otherwise. The desire for unconven- FINISHED FLOOR O/ UNDERLAYMENT O/ tional materials must be tempered with the need for affordability from the PLYWOOD DECKING beginning of the design process. 2X6 WOOD FRAMING Hard cost: $118,758 BIOBASED SPRAY money/materials grants: $54,382 FOAM INSULATION Total costs: $173,140, $108 per sq. ft. 1/2" GYP BOARD True cost: $159,500, $98 per sq. ft. 2X10 FLOOR JOIST 3 2X12 WOOD GIRDER 8X8 DRIVEN PILE Credit: Huff & Gooden Architects Photo credit: Leslie Shwartz Credit: Nicole Joslin Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity T y L ER H O m E its own access from the rear stair. Upstairs, a bunk room has capacity for up The Tyler family to four children and sits adjacent to a space that can serve as a play area, a Richard Tyler has lived in Biloxi his entire life and works as a commercial sitting area, or a small study. and residential painter. Tyler inherited the home he lived in prior to Katrina, The PorchDog shutter systems are unique to this house, and allow the entire a home that survived Camille in 1969. During Katrina, the waters rose high building to be closed off to inclement weather and respond to daily climate in his neighborhood. His home was destroyed by a church floating into the and solar needs. home and knocking it down. He lives with two of his sons, Richard Jr. and Zarek. Zarek, then just 14, swayed his father's decision making in favor of the PorchDog design at the model home fair. IN THE ARCHITECT'S WORDS The design HAzARD mITIGATION FEATuRES: The house presents solid north- and The proposition of raising a home 12 feet above the ground introduces south- facing walls against the coastal wind and operable east and several issues that challenge the traditional notion of the Gulf Coast west façades to the street and rear yard. The west façade's three streetscape and affiliated porch culture. Among these is the very concept of large roll-up shutters can be raised and lowered independently for having a porch that is an extension of the interior space. In addition, the massing of a proportionally tall house speaks more "when i looked at the book the architect had, the houses of isolation than of the construct of a meaningful social space. The PorchDog he'd built, they all looked just so beautiful from the inside. house addresses these challenges while providing the requisite protection from a there's lots of light and it feels so open. outside, it looks potential Category 4 storm surge event. like something from the Jetsons... it's got a porch all the The PorchDog house is a refuge that way around; that's probably my favorite part." richard Tyler still opens itself to the social structure of the city. While the house is raised above the ground and essentially open at the shading and protection, and the East side's operable shutter system ground level, it incorporate a small stoop, protects the glazing with independently sliding louvered panels. The entry stair, enclosed storage volume, a steel structure is designed to absorb the force of a Category 4 storm parking area, and a stair descending from surge event and the floor level has been raised to meet new FEmA the rear deck. The PorchDog house is standards for flooding. Additionally, all materials below the 12-foot designed for any East-West facing site flood line are rot and moisture resistant, durable, and able to be Credit: Marlon Blackwell Architect; Photo credit: Leslie Schwartz regardless of slope and/or vegetation. The repaired if damaged. house presents solid North and South facing walls against the coastal wind and AFFORDABILITy: The house has a structural steel frame and metal operable East and West façades to the skin that aren't normally practical for affordable housing; however, street and rear yard that can be closed in the savings in construction time and life-cycle cost make it a viable threatening weather. The primary interior solution. The small footprint and stacked plan reduces site impact, spaces access two separate porches. On decreases foundation size, and makes it adaptable to a variety of sites. the street side, both the primary master bedroom above and the great room below enjoy controlled exposure to the street. In contrast, a tall rear porch SuSTAINABILITy: The entire house is designed around the use of connects the outside with the dining, sitting and sleeping spaces inside. structural steel and wood stud infill. The structural components, Through simple plan manipulation, the PorchDog house offers a wide range skin, are prefinished, durable, and do not rot or mold. The exterior of living configurations. The room in the southwest corner of the downstairs shutters are reduce glare and solar heat gain, and operable windows plan can be a bedroom, a master bedroom, a home office, or a "granny flat." throughout take advantage of coastal breezes. Soy-based foam Moving the hallway door west of the bathroom to the eastern side of the insulation makes an eco-friendly and air-tight enclosure, and one of bathroom creates a master suite or an entirely separate unit complete with the primary interior finishes is bamboo. "when we met with richard to allow him to make tYler The construction process adjustments to the design, he was very passive. later that Tyler Home Specs home This home lived many lives before the first shovel of dirt was dug. The design of the project required lots of heavy gauge steel, and we spent many months exploring alternative building systems and materials such day, when we went to his home, he relaxed with us. we marlon Blackwell Architect, Fayetteville, AR plan as metal building components and light-gauge metal framing. We finally settled on a concrete footing with driven wood subpiles supporting metal columns. This home suffered from some construction delays due to lead explained that we were down here to streamline it for him and his family. and he said, 'whatever you do is better About the Architect: marlon Blackwell was born in munich, Germany in times for certain specialty materials not typical of affordable housing and due to the difficulty in planning work schedules around lead times. At press than what i have now.'... this is a client who just wants a 1956. He is an architect and tenured time, the target move-in date for Richard and Zarek is October 2008. place to live. it's like, wow, okay." architect marlon blackwell professor at the university of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Work produced from his private What we learned METAL ROOF practice, marlon Blackwell, Architect, has received national and international It proved to be only marginally more expensive to build a two-story struc- ture as opposed to a single story. The house pushes the limit structurally BIO BASED SPRAY recognition through AIA design awards FOAM INSULATION and requires several components for which we pay a premium, including and several architectural publications. the steel foundation, the shutter systems at the front and rear, and large 11-7/8" TJI 150 WOOD www.marlonblackwell.com I-JOISTS @ 16" OC expanses of glass, which also necessitated additional structural strength 2X4 WOOD FRAMING modifications. Moving forward, we believe there is an opportunity to BIOBASED SPRAY Engineer: Roger Roepke, PE Black Rock explore other approaches to steel frame construction to help it become a FOAM INSULATION Engineering; Tatum Smith Engineering, viable, affordable choice for homes in this region. Inc., www.tatumsmith.com FINISHED FLOOR 2 18" PARALLEL CHORD WOOD TRUSSES Contractors: Cox & Carr Construction METAL SHEATHING Landscape architect: Paul Hendershot FINISHED FLOOR 1 Design www.paulhendershotdesign.com BIOBASED SPRAY FOAM INSULATION 18" PARALLEL CHORD ABFE: 19 feet (10 feet above grade) WOOD TRUSSES W14X22 Hard cost: $116,500 CONCRETE BLOCK money/materials grants: $80,852 STORAGE UNIT Total costs: $197,352, $132 per sq. ft. HSS8X4X1/4 COLUMN WITH Credit: Marlon Blackwell Architect 12X12X1/2 BASE PLATE True cost: $197,000, $132 per sq. ft. Credit: Nicole Joslin AFH Staff Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity staff "There's someThing very imporTanT abouT helping a person back inTo a home. iT's noT JusT, 'hey, you geT plan b, Two bedrooms and a baTh.' There are a whole loT of Things ThaT geT ignored when you do ThaT, Things like handicap ramps and oTher accommodaTions for The nexT sTep in a fa mily's life." —mich a el groTe dESiGn dEtAiLS sustainabilitY Sustainability in architecture, as in most subjects, is a concept that is to realize insurance savings vary from insurance company to insurance edge energy efficient products in the marketplace, so we chose smart dependent on context. Our definition of sustainability, in the context of the company and have unfortunately proven to be a challenge to incorporate but relatively low-tech energy efficient products in the areas of insulation, Biloxi Model Home Program, was rooted in a long-term view of the survival into our designs. As housing recovery centers and the GCCDS learn more appliances, and mechanical systems. of a particular home. about this issue, however, they hope to pass along insurance savings to new homeowners. Convention was often our best design partner when we faced issues of This definition of sustainability takes into account both questions of ethical, sustainability and affordability. Convention is the result of a slow, conserva- sound building practices and questions of long-term affordability. We ask Sustainable choices were not always clear and did not always come easy tive approach to what works and continued, incremental improvement of not only "Will this home sustain past the next storm?" but "What condition during the design process. Meeting our budget goal for the initial construc- methods and processes. These principles aren't sexy, but they're what get will this home be in ten years from now, or 50 years from now?" Simply tion of the homes sometimes came at odds with our other goal of long- homes built. put, there were two main, related challenges for this program: elevating term affordable living. Making smart choices was a balancing act. Overall, Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity homes to new flood zone elevations, and building homes strong enough to we focused our limited resources on two tangible goals: durability and resist hurricane force winds. Wind load factors compound the challenge energy efficiency. We knew we could not afford many of the most cutting- Below: the nguyen Family in their garden. of elevating a home because of the need to resist greater forces further away from the point at which the home is anchored to the ground. We addressed these issues, often going beyond the necessary code, without creating a premium for the work. Sustainability to us also means rebuilding within the existing infrastructure of East Biloxi. This is not only where our clients live, but where they go to school, attend church, and share time with their families and their neigh- bors. The prospect of developing new affordable housing for East Biloxi residents in a more traditional model, such as a greenfield development on a site away from the homeowners property, puts a low value on community and the social networks that survive even a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina. While developing on a single property away from the existing community may have offered a small amount of savings, those savings disappear when one takes a broader, more long-range view of the cost of this type of development, factoring in issues such as time spent away from the family commuting to school and work, the difficulties of implementing affordable transportation systems, and the costs of gasoline consumption. We chose instead to rebuild on the homeowners existing lots. This lot by lot infill development approach took more thought in terms of the legal and financial structure of the program, but allowed us to preserve the fabric of the community. For us, affordability was as important as sustainability. The designs in the Biloxi Model Home Program could not burden homeowners with additional costs when we knew their budgets were already strained due to the storm, its aftermath, and the impact on the local economy and job market. We wanted our families to be secure in the knowledge that they would be able Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity to live in these homes as long as they wanted to, and that they would be able to afford their electricity bills, their gas bills, their insurance, and the routine maintenance the home requires. At every stage, we asked our- selves if we could see our clients living comfortably and affordably in their homes well into the future. Energy efficient choices, including often insulat- ing the homes to above what was required by code, sometimes involved higher up-front costs but were the right choice to make. In addition, design choices that made these homes stronger and more storm-resistant could, in a few cases, help the homeowner save money on flood and wind insurance. The complex elevation and building requirements necessary 63 engineering As discussed in Chapter 1, collaboration was an overall key to success of the sides of trucks as he traveled in the neighborhoods. Grote's best advice is Biloxi Model Home Program. This collaboration extended beyond the staff of to start asking and calling around, and keep one's ear to the ground. "It's the Hope Coordination Center to the engineers, contractors, building supervi- tough terrain out there," says Grote. "Contractors don't make a lot of money sors, and other construction professionals of the program. building just one house—that's taking on a lot of liability and risk. I heard a lot of 'good luck, buddy' when people saw the budget we had to work with. I got Engineer Roger T. Roepke, PE, of Black Rock Engineering says that the blown off a lot." success stories of the Biloxi Model Home Program all involved these critical elements: Laying the groundwork and reaching out to local contractors happened well before the model homes were ready to break ground—in some cases, up 1. A design that used conventional building materials. "Reinventing the wheel Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity to a year ahead of time. "We can't roll up in town with all these designs, be is time consuming and costly," says Roepke. "Different is not always better." ready to build, and expect that it'll happen and happen on budget," says Grote. Getting local contractors involved early allows time for collaboration 2. A collaborative approach that got local contractors involved early in the and discussion. "The contractors will be really honest—they'll say 'this will be process and offered them clear ways to share their input. "The collegial more expensive because of this,' " explains Grote. "There's often a separation atmosphere brought out many cost effective and timely solutions. Ideas from that happens between the architect and engineer and the contractor. But local contractors were often faster, cheaper, and stronger than the original," this is a process where everyone involved needs to have an equal seat at the says Roepke. table," says Grote. 3. Architects and engineers taking the time to explain why. "When you tell a designer it's clearly a difficult process and you have to be willing or a builder that there's 20,000 pounds of lateral force on a building, it gets their to compromise. You have to embrace the obstacles, figure attention," says Ropeke. out what's most important to the project, and push that 4. Flexibility and honesty. Engineers, architects, and builders need to be able to one thing... embrace the necessity of the economics. the rely on input from others and focus on the budget's not a negative; it's a positive. some beautiful things overall goal of getting families home. The ability to adapt designs based on feedback can be done because of it." david gwinn, studio gang architects from local contractors and engineers is important. "That's the give and take— hearing someone else say to you, 'that's a good idea, but it won't pencil' isn't easy but it's important," says Roepke. 5. When something works—like driven wood pile foundation systems—stick with it. "After about a year on the program, we learned how to install a cost Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity effective foundation system," Roepke explains. "Every time we tried to do something else, we blew the budget." Lessons from local contractors Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity Photo Credit: Architecture for Humanity One of the most challenging aspects of the Biloxi Model Home Program has been labor. When volunteer labor isn't used, local contractors must be found who can do the job on time and on budget. Because there is still so much rebuilding to be done in the area, it's very difficult to connect with contractors who are willing and able to get houses built. Affordable housing comes at the bottom of the pay scale behind projects like bridges, casinos, and condos. Biloxi Model Home program manager Mike Grote dove into the process of Facing page: Engineer roger ropeke works out solutions with the construction finding local contractors early on after the storm. He asked around while management team at their Hope coordination center offices. Above and right: on job sites doing rehabs, and literally jotted down phone numbers off the the wood pile driving equipment at work. 65 foundations Foundations are the first line of focus for elevated homes. The Biloxi The soil variation from site to site was evident. For example, the Parker We worked out three distinct foundation methods and found driven wood Model Home Program professionals explored different foundation materi- foundation was dug with ease. The soil stayed intact and compact for work piles provided the best combination of strength and cost-efficiency. als for reasons of performance, aesthetics, building code requirements, below grade. Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity and, most of all budget. We discussed solid concrete columns, steel Concrete pedestal on footing columns on concrete footings, driven wood piles, wood columns on con- The Nguyen and Tran homes' soil was very loose and wet. The footings This structural system, designed with CSF Engineering in Houston and crete footings, and nearly everything in between. There were three distinct filled with water, and we needed to pour a mud slab to get the footing dry Chung Nguyen of MC2 Architects of Houston, was used on the Nguyen, Tran issues that came into play: 1) structural requirements 2) waterproofing, enough to pour. and the Parker Residence. We used 6' x 6' spread footing or a 4' continu- according to specifications from the National Flood Insurance Program, ous footing for each pedestal to bear on. Each column was connected and 3) budget. Not surprisingly, the budget issue was the main limiting Bracing to the pedestal via a "wet set" hold down anchor, and each column ran agent.The overall goal was always to present a model of affordability, continuously through the walls of the house to the top plate of the exterior sustainability and aesthetics. The higher a home is elevated, the greater the need to brace the founda- wall. This system created a stronger frame and a stronger connection from tion system. The bracing transfers lateral loads to the foundation in an wall to floor to foundation. effective manner. East Biloxi's Geology Concrete foundation with steel columns Typical bracing for our homes consisted of Knee Bracing and 'X' bracing. The typical soil in East Biloxi is a loose sand and silt composition with a This system was used on the Tyler home and was designed to minimize the very shallow water table, sometimes only a few feet below grade. This soil number of points the building would bear on. By doing this, the required type makes driving piles an easy choice for foundations. load-bearing and lateral load capacity of the columns rose. Using steel columns became a necessity due to the required capacity. These types of soils, common in coastal areas, tend to be susceptible to scour or erosion. Driving a pile many feet into the ground is a safeguard The foundation for this design requires large footings with heavy mats of against the erosion of the soil supporting the foundation. If the soil sup- reinforcing bars and bolts for the steel to connect to. Reinforcing bars and porting a foundation is compromised, it could easily mean a total structural bolts are much larger than average. With routine maintenance, this is very failure. This happened to many structures close to the shoreline of East strong and stable system over time, but it is difficult to construct in a cost- Biloxi due to wave action during the storm. effective manner for affordable housing models. Driven wood piles Credit: Huff + Gooden Architects This structural system, refined for East Biloxi through a collaboration of the contractors, engineers and designers, was used on the Desporte, Robinson, and Odom homes. It has the ability to drive in most soils, does not disturb the natural soil condition and compaction, and doesn't require excavation. Driven piles are about 1/3 less expensive than the least expensive masonry foundation. The system is structurally strong and easy to detail to the floor system. Piles are driven at least 8 ft into the ground, sometimes deeper, robinson home, driven wood pile foundation detail. diagrams not to scale. depending on how high the home is elevated. This offers scour protection. Wood piles must be coated with either ACQ or CCA, both types of wood preservatives. If desired, a flat concrete slab poured around the piles underneath the house will stiffen connections and offer additional protection against scour. The Photo credit: Architecture for Humnaity budget did not allow for this slab work in the initial construction phase, and the home remains extremely strong and safe without it due to the fact that Credit: Black Rock Engineering the load on the piles was calculated with a safety factor of three. Piles can be repaired cost effectively in the event of another catastrophic storm. The normal method is to cast a sister pile in concrete next to the original driven wood pile. Knee brace (desporte home) cross brace (odom home) Knee brace (odom home) diagrams not to scale. Driven wood piles have become the preferred foundation method for the architects of the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio. 67 floor sYstems The Biloxi Model Home Program tested two different types of floor Tongue-and-groove subfloors systems and several different floor materials. We found a stacked floor with a hold down system offered a number of distinct advantages. We Chung Nguyen of MC2 Architects used a flooring system in which a 2x6 also tested a unique rotated tongue-and-groove subfloor that increased pine tongue-and-groove subfloor, rotated 45 degrees to the joists below, is stability and saved money. used as the finished floor. This diagonal orientation created an attractive visual effect while minmizing material and increasing lateral stability. In-line framing Engineered lumber This is the most typical system because it is the most straightforward in Nguyen Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff Tran Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff terms of following building code requirements. This system consists of Engineered lumber is desirable for its highly predictable dimensional regu- beams and joists in the same plane, ie, the joists are hung to the side of larity and its load-bearing efficiency. It is also sustainable, as it is made of beams with galvanized joist hangers. The joist hangers serve as a hold recycled wood products. Engineered lumber is more expensive, but a small down connection and protect against joist roll. cost savings is realized because not as much is used to build an equivalent product and because the lumber does not warp or bend when its moisture Stacked floor with hold-down system content fluctuates. Over time, engineered wood will likely become cheaper in the marketplace as raw wood resources become more expensive. This system puts the beams below the joists so that the joists bear on top of the joist and do not hang from the side of the beam. This allows for We used engineered wood in the floor systems of the Parker and Desporte much greater flexibility in the creating the the layout of the home. Outdoor homes. The use of engineered TJI, and wood I-joists allowed us to frame decks can often be integrated on the same beams that the home bears at 19.2" o.c. rather than 16"o.c. It also afforded us large cantilevers in the on. This method also creates an alternative hold-down and roll protection Desporte project. system by creating a block that holds each individual floor joist down at each beam. We named this block the Jimbo Block after contractor James "Jimbo" Carr of Cox & Carr Construction, who used this system in the Gulf Coast community of Galveston, TX. Black Rock Engineering, Architecture for Humanity, and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, and local contractors collaborated to refine the detail for the hold-down block in various structure locations. Desporte Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff Nguyen Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff 2X10 BLOCK 2X10 JOISTS BETWEEN Credit: Black Rock Engineering EACH JOIST 2X6 J-BLOCK EACH JOIST 2X12 STRINGER DOUBLE OR TRIPLE JIMBO BLOCK DETAIL detail of Jimbo Block, diagram not to scale. WALL TO STRINGER CONNECTION 69 wall assemblies shear walls Elevated homes typically sit on top of piers which are anchored into the This assembly requires 2x6 framing for the exterior walls. 2x6 framing Shear walls have become a buzzword in the residential construction ground, leaving the house vulnerable to uplift or rotation under high winds. allows room to insulate to R-19, a higher value of insulation than required. lexicon in Biloxi. Shear walls are walls built to help stiffen a home against The design and engineering team for MC2 Architects created a design lateral loads, such as wind. Shear walls, both exterior and interior, are vital which extends the piers up the height of the exterior walls, strengthening We believe this assembly offers many advantages for elevated homes in to the structural performance of a home in this hurricane zone. the house and creating more direct load paths. This system was also used hurricane-prone areas. on Brett Zamore's design of the Parker home. To allow for cross ventilation in Biloxi's hot summer weather, buildings are typically long and narrow. Because of the narrowness of the vernacular This wall assembly was designed by Carlos Gutierrez PE of CSF building type, interior shear walls are necessary to meet the hurricane- Engineering Inc in Houston, TX and Chung Nguyen of MC2 Architects in force wind load rating of 140 MPH Houston, TX The system is designed around the idea of combining a uniform and point load system. The uniform load is the typical platform-framed stud wall, and the point loads are the 6x6 columns running between sections of the stud walls to the top plate. The columns extending up from the ground become a part of the stud wall and transfer the load directly to the foundation. The columns stiffen the connection from walls to floors and, below the floor system, they integrate strategic points of bracing the house . Nguyen home - Photo credits: Architecture for Humanity Parker home - Photo credits: Architecture for Humanity Tran home - Photo credits: Architecture for Humanity Credit: Black Rock Engineering desporte Home shear wall plan (shear walls marked in red) and cross-sections, diagrams not to scale. 71 roof assemblies In order to maintain our budgets, we felt it was important not to reinvent Overhangs the wheel when it came to roofing assemblies. Roofs were built with typical Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for off-the-shelf materials. Our main materials used here were 2x dimensional The need for overhangs was a subject of debate among the Biloxi Model lumber framing and manufactured wood trusses. The choice between the Home architects and builders. One view was that the homes needed over- two depended simply upon performance and budget considerations. hangs to shade and cool the buildings in the hot climate of the Gulf Coast, despite the fact that overhangs can make the home more susceptible to Sheathing uplift forces. Others thought safety considerations overruled the need for shade, opting for designs without overhangs. We required at least a 5/8" thick roof deck for sheathing. Both the Parker home and the Odom home feature south side shading but Nguyen Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity For shallow sloped roofs, we chose to use a higher-performing synthetic solve the design problem differently (see photo). Humanity roof underlayment. Ultimately, the question of how to provide shade while keeping the home For typical roof pitches (4 in 12 to 8 in 12), we used 30-yr architectural wind resistant came down to a question of budget. The design problem asphalt shingles. can be solved technically. But the real challenge, and the reoccurring Odom Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity lesson of this program, is how to solve design problems technically while Where pitches were too steep or too shallow, we selected screw-down balancing the constraints of budget, context, and sustainability. metal panels. To vent or not to vent Venting attic spaces has been a standard practice for a very long time. Venting allows for air flow and a more balanced temperature and humidity level between outside and inside the attic space. We found, however, that this practice is not necessarily better for affordable homes along the Gulf Coast for a number of reasons. The HVAC equipment and HVAC duct work are often located in the attic space. On very hot humid days, the HVAC system works in a hot, harsh environment, increasing wear and tear on the equipment. Locating the HVAC equipment and duct work in the attic means that dew and condensation can collect in the middle of the wall structure and also along the duct work. To address this concern, in some cases we chose not to vent the attic space, making a tight vapor barrier around the entire envelope of the house and addressing all possible infiltration points. In the Gulf Coast climate, this approach lowers the moisture content of the Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity interior air while still allowing the house to breathe. We found the use of a soy-based spray foam insulation to be optimal for homes in this area. It allowed us to create a moisture-tight envelope but Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity doesn't create a moisture problem on the interior of the house. Unwanted moisture on the interior of the home is most often the result of too tight a construction, which doesn't allow the HVAC system to effec- tively dehumidify the inside air 73 exteriors Durable, affordable siding materials Doors and windows The issue of impact resistant windows We have yet to find a match in price or performance to cement fiber board We found we had many durable, affordable choices within the existing The hurricane code requires all glass to be impact resistant. If non impact siding from James Hardie Building Products. It is durable, easy to maintain, marketplace for doors and windows from companies such as Mayfair and resistant glass is used, then the code requires operable shutters. And and can take a beating from storm events. Cement fiber board siding was ThermaStar by Pella. We focused on off-the-shelf or easily manufactured, if shutters are not used, homeowners nail plywood sheathing over glass the primary siding for six of the Biloxi model homes and was used on the affordable selections that met the required pressure ratings for wind loads windows for debris protection in the event of a hurricane. seventh but not as the primary exterior finish. and energy efficiency. We generally found that the cost of operable shutters or impact resistant We found that vinyl siding was not a preferred building material along the glass was too high for the homes in this program. The shutters specified Gulf Coast due to issues of maintenance and lack of structural capability. for the Tyler, Tran, and Nguyen homes are more integral to the design, and The product can break down in harsh UV light, common to this area of the we are attempting to find a way to afford shutters for these home. The Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity coast. In performing cleanup after the hurricane, we found that vinyl siding design and height of the glass windows on these homes makes it difficult made up a large portion of the debris. to nail plywood over the glass. DuoGard polycarbonate clerestory windows The Robinson home has clerestory windows which create lots of oppor- tunities for diffuse natural daylight. This makes the home not only more inviting but also more energy efficient. Clerestory windows windows keep UV and solar heat gain down and make artificial lighting unnecessary during the day. Polycarbonate windows are impact resistant and do not require plywood sheathing in the event of a hurricane. There is normally not room in the budget for this kind of premium window. Their use here was made possible through an in-kind donation. Robinson Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Desporte Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity 75 energY effeciencY accessibilitY Affordability does not end with the initial construction costs of a home. moisture in the hot, humid air. If a moisture barrier is not carefully created, As with many other elements of the design process, accessible design One of the main goals of the Biloxi Model Home Program was to focus on a dew point may be created in the middle of the wall, leading to unwanted in our model homes forced a careful balance between needs, desires, energy efficiency as a way of keeping down the monthly costs of running moisture within. and cost. All of the model home designers were aware of aging in place the home. For our families, the costs of running a home are nearly as concerns, and the majority of the designs featured open floor plans, important in their monthly budget as their mortgage payment. We chose EnergyStar rated kitchen appliances: refrigerators, electric low-barrier or barrier-free entries and interior thresholds, larger bathrooms ovens, dishwashers, and microwaves. and kitchens, and wider doorways and hallways. Taking the time in the Good insulation, moisture control, and the use of energy efficient appli- design stage to consider these features makes a relatively small impact on ances should result in a direct energy savings of 30-50% for our homes, The last major focus for overall energy efficiency was on the mechanical the overall construction cost and eliminates the need, should one arise, of compared with standard building practices. system equipment. In hot climates, it's often common to assume that going back later to enlarge halls, doorways, kitchens, and bathrooms for bigger is better when it comes to installing mechanical systems to deal wheelchair access. We found these gestures to be a smart use of funds, Energy efficiency begins with good insulation. Four of our homes were with the summer heat. This is truly not the case. Along the Gulf Coast, even for non-disabled homeowners. We did not build in other accommoda- completely insulated with a new soybean oil based spray foam insulation moisture control in summer is just as important as heat control. The larger tions (such as hand-held shower fixtures), which could be easily retrofitted (open cell and closed cell), which we believe should become standard the unit one chooses, the less it will run. And the less it runs, the less it at a later date should the need arise. practice for new, elevated homes in this region. Soybean oil spray foam has a chance to dehumidify the interior air. This means that the potential insulation is especially effective in creating a more complete envelope for for dangerous mold and mildew growth actually goes up with the choice of The biggest and most obvious need we had to address in terms of long- Credit: Gulf Coast Communtiy Design Studio conditioned space. Three of our homes were insulated to well above the a larger unit. However, it is also important not to under-size the unit, as it term accessibility was that of outdoor access. The Desporte home is the energy code requirements using traditional methods. will be on constantly. We worked closely with our mechanical sub-contrac- best example of our efforts on this front. It was a challenge to integrate tors to choose the optimally-sized mechanical units, keeping in mind the the design of a ramp that would allow Mr. Desporte to access a home Choosing energy efficient doors and windows and assuring their weather- importance of an effective moisture envelope around the home. that was elevated ten feet above grade. The ramp needed to look elegant, tight installation was also important to creating a sound insulation be resistant to storms and harsh salt air, and fit into our tight budget. To envelope. accomplish all this, we knew the ramp could not be added as an after- Creating an impermeable moisture barrier is also an important aspect of thought; it needed to be planned for from the beginning. The design by energy efficiency. In hot and humid climates, moisture control becomes as Maurice Cox and CP+D Workshop begins at grade at the front of the home, important as R-value. Heat can often move through a wall in the form of runs up through the home's center, makes a switchback turn at the back of the home, and finally finishes at the first floor level at the front entrance, right next to where the front stairs top out. By running the ramp through the center of the home, it avoids the look of a tacked-on appendage. The Odom and Robinson homes have spaces where an elevator could later be added if needed. MDA elevation grants (see chart, Chapter 1) are sup- posed to provide an additional $25,000 for elderly or disabled residents to help defray costs of building ramps and elevators to access new elevated homes. When these grant funds come through for these families, elevators may be added. Nguyen Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Credit: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio Left: desporte home cross section and plan with ramp highlighted in red. diagrams not to scale 77 indoor air qualitY interior finishes Along the Gulf Coast, we found there was a heightened sense of aware- As with windows and doors, the current marketplace offers a multitude of ness of the issue of indoor air quality (IAQ) due to the now infamous FEMA options for indoor finishes. Our focus remained on balancing sustainability, trailers. The concern is over first-hand exposure to airborne formaldehyde indoor air quality, and affordability. and other offgassing and particulate emissions from certain types of finish materials. We used a simple and cost effective engineered bamboo snap lock floor- ing system. These bamboo floors float, eliminating the need for mechanical Bad ventilation can exacerbate the problem of poor indoor air quality by fasteners or glues. And bamboo is a renewable resource. not mixing outdoor air to help dilute indoor air. Carpet was used in only one home, and the carpet chosen was made from High heat and humity also compound issues of airborne particulates and recycled materials and had low VOC emissions. Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity staff offgassing. Ceramic tile was chosen for bathrooms and wet areas. Ceramic tile is highly durable, maintains easily, and does not contribute to poor indoor air quality. Mold and mildew tend not to grow on its surface. We chose low odor, low-VOC paint, a simple and inexpensive alternative to traditional paints that can contribute to poor indoor air quality. Furnishings The families of the Biloxi Model Home Program lost nearly all of their belongings during the storm, including their furniture. Furniture was either damaged beyond repair or had to be thrown out due to mold infestations. Designer Chris Madden donated furniture from the Chris Madden for JC Penney Home Collection to three of the families in the Biloxi Model Home Program. Stylists from Chris Madden Inc worked with these three families to choose designs that would suit the smaller scale and overall look of each of the homes. "We listened to their needs and cherry-picked from the collection to find the pieces that would work," says the firms design director, Carolyn Schultz. Designer Chris Madden, who traveled to Biloxi in April 2007 to meet with the families, knows the importance of putting clients' needs first. "Don't assume anything. Don't assume you know what's right for anyone. Talk to them, find out what their needs are. And be ready for anything... The one thing that people should be prepared for when they come to East Biloxi is a life-changing experience. You don't just stop here." Parker Home - Photo credit: Architecture for Humanity Photo credit: Chris Madden Inc. Facing page: the Parker home's kitchen and dining area, with furniture from the chris Madden for Jc Penney Home collection. Right: Karen Parker and her family with designer chris Madden, center, in denim jacket. 79 landscape architecture The families of the Biloxi Model Home Program received valuable help from landscape professionals and other volunteers to make the outside of their homes as welcoming as the inside. Landscape designer Paul Hendershot of Paul Hendershot Design in Ojai, CA visited East Biloxi in the June 2007 to donate landscape design services to six of the seven families in the program. Hendershot approached the Biloxi Model Home Program landscape design as he would any other design prob- Parker garden - Photo credit: Leslie Schwartz lem, by first interviewing each of the families and determining their needs and desires. Issues of affordability, sustainability, and long-term mainte- nance played into his design choices. "Some families wanted shade most of all; some had trees already and didn't want any more shade. Some wanted fruit trees, others wanted zero fruit trees--everybody wanted something different... I worked really hard to use what grew well and make it blend with Tyler Home - Credit: Paul Hendershot Design the rest of the neighborhood." From client interviews, Hendershot determined that most desired a more traditional look for the landscape. "They didn't relate to modern landscapes-- the flax, the grasses. We were going from an older style. These are definitely not modern contemporary landscapes at all. I think it would have been out of the comfort zone to choose a really modern scape." Henderson chose plants that blended with the exterior finishes of each home. magnolia Tree Hendershot researched hardy local plants such as Malvaviscus and Hibiscus syriana 'Rose of Sharon' and used them liberally in his designs. "Malvaviscus grows like a weed in the area. I have always loved that plant. It has little orange flowers and it's just beautiful. You can shape it too; I used it for hedge materials." One important challenge was the homes' elevation. Henderson viewed this as a design opportunity. "If you stand under the house, it's the coolest place. It's cooler there even than on the porches. We chose a simple pea gravel patio to sit in underneath the houses." For additional shade, Henderson chose the types of trees that had survived the hurricane and grew in the neighborhood--magnolias, pecans, oaks. The Nguyen family's love of gardening was inspiring to the designer. "The Nguyens were cool because they were so into food. They really had a sense Robinson Home - Credit: Paul Hendershot Design Nguyen garden - Photo credit: Leslie Schwartz of what they wanted. The kids got involved—I could tell they loved veggie gardening, so I asked, 'Should we make the garden bigger?' I told them that for privacy, they could have trees for food, and the kids started saying all the fruits they liked." The care in choosing appropriate landscaping extended back to participat- ing architects as well. Brett Zamore Design created the landscape plan for the Parker home, and plants for the Parker home were donated by Newton Nursery in Houston, TX. American Forests and the Mississippi Land Trust generously donated trees Pecan Tree for the Biloxi Model Homes. 81 resources James Hardie Building Products, HardiePlank siding FEMA Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheets HUD Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines Katrina homeowner grants from the Mississippi Development Authority www.jameshardie.com www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/mat_fema499.shtm www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/fhefhag.cfm www.mshomehelp.gov/ www.jameshardiecolorplus.com Economic Rationale for Elevation Freeboard US Green Building Council Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Gulf Coast Association of Housing Duo-Gard Industries windows www.anrc.arkansas.gov/Rationale%20for%20Elevation%20Freeboard.pdf www.usgbc.org Recovery Centers: (228) 897-4841 www.duo-gard.com Environmental Protection Agency ACQ wood preservative information US Department of Energy Energy Star program Hope Coordination Center (The East Biloxi Coordination, Relief, and Kohler Co plumbing fixtures www.epa.gov/oppad001/reregistration/cca/acq.htm www.energystar.gov/ Redevelopment Agency): (228) 435-7180 www.kohler.com Congressional testimony by Sherry-Lea Bloodworth, formerly of Architecture Global Green USA green rebuilding program in New Orleans The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio BioBased soy spray foam insulation for Humanity, about housing recovery efforts in Mississippi http://www.globalgreen.org/neworleans/ www.gccds.org www.biobased.net http://republicans.transportation.house.gov/Media/File/TestimonyEDPB/06- 19-08-Bloodworth.pdf Design Corps Architecture for Humanity Caesarstone countertops www.designcorps.org www.architectureforhumanity.org www.caesarstoneus.com National Flood Insurance Program www.fema.gov/about/programs/nfip/index.shtm Migration patterns and move characteristics from the 2005 ACS Gulf Coast survey The Open Architecture Network Dal Tile http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/emergencies/gulf_migration.pdf www.openarchitecturenetwork.org www.daltile.com Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/programs/editorial_0816.shtm US Census Bureau Katrina information page For more information about each of the homes in the Biloxi Model Nourison Rugs http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2005/katrina.htm Home Program, including additional renderings, construction pho- www.nourison.com FEMA Gulf Coast Recovery Office tos, program documentation, and links to press about the program, www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2005katrina/index.shtm Living Cities Gulf Coast Initiative please visit the program page on the Open Architecture Network: Blinds.com http://www.livingcities.org/2006%20Files/2006_innovation_gci.htm www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/biloxi www.blinds.com FEMA's Tips for reducing future flood damage www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2005katrina/build_safer.shtm Living Cities recommendations for rebuilding East Biloxi Benjamin Moore Eco Spec Paint http://www.livingcities.org/pdf/Biloxi_Final_Report.pdf www.benjaminmoore.com FEMA's Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi website www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=4807 Mississippi Emergency Management Authority Senox Corp gutters www.msema.org www.senox.com Mississippi Emergency Management Authority www.msema.org/ FEMA hurricane information page Chris Madden for JC Penney Home Collection www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm www.chrismadden.com and www.jcpenney.com/chrismadden US Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov Mississippi Renewal Forum SSTD10-99 Standard for Hurricane Resistant Construction www.mississippirenewal.com available from the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) National Aging in Place Council www.naipc.org Mississippi Governor's Office of Renewal and Recovery Photo credit: Kate Stohr FEMA Recommended Residential Construction for the Gulf Coast www.governorbarbour.com/Recovery April 2006 lecture: "Building on Strong and Safe Foundations Center for Universal Design, College of Design, North Carolina State University www.governorbarbour.com/recovery/links/documents/FEMA550.ppt www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/udprinciples.htm Governor's Office of Renewal and Recovery housing information page www.governorbarbour.com/Recovery/issues/housing/#general Pile Driving Contractors Association Universal Design in Features in Housing from the Center for Universal Design www.piledrivers.org www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/pubs_p/docs/UDinHousing.pdf Governor Barbour's comprehensive plan for Gulf Coast housing www.governorbarbour.com/Recovery/news/2006/sep/GHBcomprehensivehou FEMA Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) guidelines for coastal areas Center for Independent Living singplan.htm Above: ray Huff of Huff + Gooden Architects, lef t, with clients Audrey and www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/recoverydata/katrina/katrina_ms_harrison.shtm www.cilberkeley.org Andre robinson at the program's closing celebration in July 2008. 81 "This wasn'T JusT a n ideas progr am. a rchiTecTure for huma niT y was commiTTed To realiZing each design on iTs own Terms, realisTically a nd wiThin budgeT. They were sincere in Their sea rch for a model ThaT ca n be repeaTed. hurdle afTer hurdle, They never wavered, a nd we didn'T eiTher." —a rchiTecT marlon bl ackwell concLuSionS final thoughts Photo credits: Architecture for Humanity; far right, Leslie Schwartz Photo credits: Above and far right, Leslie Schwartz; Architecture for Humanity The architects, engineers, and construction professionals of the Biloxi efficiency LEED certification- would have cost 30k to get certification, we instead These centers have specialized knowlege that will lead to better-built, Model Home Program have done much more for the community of East *exploring methods to improve the integration of a wheelchair ramp into a chose to put these funds to housing another family cost us some credibility more sustainable, long-term housing solutions, which in turn will help Biloxi than simply bringing home seven local families. In the three years home's design but was the right thing to do prevent future large-scale disasters. since the storm, we have acquired important technical know-how relating to constructing hurricane-resistant homes at elevation. The program has The entire design and construction process has been documented Architecture for Humanity has also proved to be a catalyst for smart We believe our model home program has empowered East Biloxi com- explored several new construction methods that improve structural integ- beginning to end on Architecture for Humanity's online Open Architecture rebuilding in East Biloxi. Architecture for Humanity staffers have turned munity members to think beyond simply rebuilding a home. East Biloxi rity, sustainability, and cost-efficiency for new homes along the Gulf Coast. Network (http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/biloxi) making more their efforts to the rehabilitation of a local police substation and a historic residents now advocate for new homes that are sustainable, energy We have found creative ways to stay within our tight construciton budgets of the lessons learned through the program available to other research- East Biloxi park and community gathering space. And the coalition of efficient, affordable-- and display insipiring and effective design solutions. and gained valuable knowlege about what is and isn't affordable. The solu- ers, building professionals, and stucents working in the same discipline. groups we helped bring together through our partnerships with the Hope Architecture for Humanity has received several emails through the Open Coordination Center and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio have kate says we learned to require architects to do baseline cost analysis tions devised through this process have directly influenced the design and Architecture Network requesting more information about the designs of together rebuilt more than 35% of East Biloxi in the three years since the before they meet with client so that unfeasible options are thrown out construction of other new homes in the region, including architects at the the model homes from other homeowners and architects facing similar storm. The Hope Coordination Center is the permanent home to more than before client becomes involved- much easier to do this on the front end Gulf Coast Community Design Studio. Among our successes have been: rebuilding issues. 20 agencies, including the design studio, financial consultants, economic than to get client excited about something we can't deliver in the end (in development consultants, and a number of faith based groups. And the law unit, extra bedroom) robinson a good example *adopting driven wood piles as a standard foundation system for elevated Many people are asking not only about technical solutions, but about innovative revolving loan fund we established is now beginning to recap- homes in East Biloxi true test of value/thoughtfulness of these homes is whether they increase homes with the feel of these model homes--the difficult-to-quantify, hope- ture between 20% to 90% of the coast of constructing new homes, freeing *testing a system to extend foundation piles up through the wall to better ful, positive, expansiveness of these homes that makes families feel safe in value, are handed down to the next generation, can be adapted over funding to assist more families and seeding a long-term economic develop- transfer loads to the foundation again. (???how to express the sentiment "I want a home that feels like this time to needs of other family members ment fund that we hope will serve East Biloxi for years to come. *developing a diagonally-laid tongue-and-groove floor system that one does, that makes me feel positive and safe") increases lateral stability goes back to us understanding typical family situations/housing patterns More telling still, the model of pairing community members with profes- *refining a standard block system to hold down floor joists at beams and Kate talking about cost outcomes- success that homes came in under in East Biloxi and using those as our initial design focus, even before sional designers--and the strategy of locating a community design studio protect against roll $xx per ft2 but only in one or two cases did we meet our target budget of designers were paired up with clients will these become assets in their within a housing recovery center-- is being replicated across the Gulf $115k community, will they increase in value or stagnate over time? *standardizing optimum placement of interior shear walls to stiffen against Coast. We have influenced policy on local, state, and federal levels, and lateral loads in long, narrow homes three other community centers with design studios have been established what are some of the more interesting/creative ways we can save money *committing to the use of spray soy-foam insulation for gains in energy in the last year directly modeled on this successful program in East Biloxi. 85 sponsors partners The Hope Coordination Center (EBCRRA) Especially William and Kryzra Stallworth Lucille Bennett, Amy DeHuff, Kristina Higuera, Shritha Johnson, Brandon Kasteler, David Salley, Richard Elliott, Brian McMullen, Stanley Smith, Brian Steward, Lynn Thomas, Jimmy Trevino, Brian Rivers, James Nguyen, Linda Nguyen, Annette Zeiderman, Mike Zeiderman, Diann Hans, Misty Maya, Carol Van Bommel, Shritha Johnson, Lynn Thomas, Stanley Smith and the many many staff members who have helped not mentioned above. The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio David Perkes, Vincent Baudoin, Sam Carlsen, Brian Crawford, Christine Gaspar, Sarah Naughton, Jason Pressgrove, Jody Rader, Ian Schopa, Price Taggert, James Wheeler, Kristen Zeiber, Jessie Zenor Warnke Community Consulting Benjamin Warnke, Tom Warnke, Francis Lam, Jonathan Leit, Heidie Joo Burwell Enterprise Corporation of the Delta Phil Eide, Jolie Spiers Machado Architecture for Humanity Barb Alvarado, Bebe Bertolet, Sherry-Lea Bloodworth, Eric Cesal, Laura Cole, Joyce Engebresten, Michael Grote, Jenny Gurney, Nicole Joslin, Nadene Mairesse, Ruthanne Martin, Matt Miller, Sola Morrissey, Tracy Nelson, Nicole Nowak, L. Beth Orser, Shana Payne, Stacy Sabraw, Lynn Standafer, Cameron Sinclair, Kate Stohr, Elaine Uang, Elish Warlop Contributors for this book Azahar Checa, Melanie De Cola, Yesis Duffy, Michael Grote, Nicole Joslin, Nicole Nowak, Abigail Peterson, Kate Stohr 87 thank You Architects, engineers, and contractors Islamic Relief Lighthouse Apostolic Church Hands On Gulf Coast (repeated in partnership section) Hope Force International (repeated in partnership section) Ted Landsmark, Boston Architectural College Tod Weber, Deb Richter, Kohler USA Brett Zamore Design LLC, Houston, TX Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response Hurricane Katrina Relief Campaign Tom Fisher, University of Minnesota Community Planning and Design Workshop LLC, Charlottesville, VA Mississippi Emergency Management Authority Interface Inc Tracy Nelson Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, Biloxi, MS Mississippi Legal Services Coalition Javier Arbona, Archinect William D. Browning, U.S. Green Building Council Huff + Gooden Architects, Charleston,SC Oxfam America James Carr, Express Constructors William Raymond, City of Biloxi Marlon Blackwell architect, Fayetteville, AR Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Jeff Olson, American Forests Chung Nguyen of MC2 Architects, Houston, TX Red Cross Jerry Creel, City of Biloxi and many others who contributed in thought, spirit, or deed. STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS, Chicago, IL Samaritan's Purse Jo Hunt, DeLoyn-Hunt & Associates Paul Hendershot Design Inc, Landscape Architecture, Ojai, CA The Enterprise Corporation of the Delta Joseph P. Hudson, Hudson & Smith Attorneys buildingstudio, New Orleans, LA The Make it Right Foundation John M. Moore, Jr., PE, 4SE, Inc Guild Hardy Architects, Biloxi, MS The Salvation Army Judy Steckler, Land Trust for Mississippi Coastal Plain JBHM Architects, Biloxi, MS United Way Julie Wilder, Autodesk PHATT Collective, Miami FL United Methodist Committee on Relief Julie Feldmeyer, Autodesk ROCKHILL and ASSOCIATES, Lecompton, KS Urban Life Ministries Julie Rosenblum, Nourison Rug Corporation House Calls Construction, Georgia Visions of Hope Ken Cleary and Lauren States, IBM Corporation Cox and Carr Construction, Biloxi MS Kim Purcell; The Salvation Army Express Constructors Inc., Galveston, TX Larry Parrish, Lowes Home Improvement Black Rock Engineering, Enterprise, OR Many additional thanks Laura Galloway, Galloway Media Group Tatum-Smith Structural Engineering Inc, Rogers, AR A.J. Holloway, Mayor, City of Biloxi Leslie Schwartz, Leslie Schwartz Photography CSF Service Consulting Engineering, Houston, TX Alan Richardson, photographer Lorena Diaz; American Red Cross 4SE, Inc. Charleston, SC American Forests Margie O'Driscoll, AIA San Francisco Quality Engineering Services Inc, Long Beach, MS Amos Air Conditioning & Heating Mark Smith PE, Tatum Smith Structural Engineering Inc Arup USA, New York, NY Art & Harrison's Electric Marilyn Fields, House Calls Construction Williams Engineering, Tupelo, MS Arik Tendler, CaesarStone Matilda McQuaid, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Autodesk Mayor A. J. Holloway, City of Biloxi Partners working together in East Biloxi Bailey Lumber Company Barbara Bloemink, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Michael S. Hornbeck, City of Biloxi American Red Cross Michelle Sakayan, Sakayan, Inc. Beacon Insurance AmeriCorps Mortar Net USA Bill Koll, McCormick Tribune Foundation Back Bay Mission Nancy Jenner, Boston Society of Architects Boat People SOS BFS Relief NAVASA, National Alliance of Vietnamese American Social Agencies Boston Society of Architects City Teams Neil Thomas, NTC Pile Driving Casius Pealer, Reno & Cavanaugh, PLLC Convoy of Hope Newton Nursery Carlos Gutierrez PE, CSF Engineering FEMA Polshek Partnership Architects Chris Madden and Barbara Marks, Chris Madden Inc. First Presbyterian Church Reed Kroloff, Tulane University Denise Botrell, Jeff Robertson, Kevin Potthoff, Eric Oliver, and Craig Grassroots Volunteer Network Ric Bell, AIA New York Ratchford, James Hardie Building Products Habitat for Humanity Rich Westfall, Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel Dan Etheridge, Tulane University HandsOn Network Richard Fitzgerald, Boston Society of Architects David Washer, Coast Community Bank Hands On Gulf Coast Richard Koshalek, Art Center College of Design David Staehling, City of Biloxi Hope Community Credit Union Ridgeway's Eric "Rick" Menhennett, surveyor Hope Force International Roger T. Roepke, PE, Black Rock Engineering Photo credit: Leslie Shwartz Esther Steinfeld, Blinds.com Hurricane Katrina Relief Campaign Sachin Anand, PE, dbHMS Design Build Engineering Fabian Broaden, Daltile Corporation IDTF SPS New England Felix Gines, G & S Electrical & HVAC Interfaith Works Stanley Williams, PE, Williams Engineering Geoff Manaugh, BLDBGLOG International Relief and Development Steven Lewis, National Organization of Minority Architects Gregg Sherkin, Oprah's Angel Network Lutheran Disaster Services Steven R. Meier, Jenner & Block LLP Gulf Coast Community Foundation Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund Hurricane Relief Corps Taylor Moore, Newton Nursery 89
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