Saint Maurice Wharf, Warehouse District a collection of urban regeneration proposals for the Holy Cross Neighborhood in New Orleans, LA may, 2012
Saint Maurice Wharf, Warehouse District prof. austin allen . introduction
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kyle jacobson . saint maurice waterfront park
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devon boutte . lower ninth ward waterfront project
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stephen luna . saint maurice wharf warehouse
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lucas frey . lower9 center
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peter summerlin . saint maurice district
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michael petty . infrastructure conflict
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AUSTIN ALLEN
The Studio
An Overview of Current Conditions and an Introduction to the Saint Maurice Wharf District Studio
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studio narrative
The Studio was founded on the belief that disaster recovery research and design is most successful when neighborhood forces and institutions assume leadership roles in the planning, designing and redevelopment of the impacted built environment. The social engagement of a ground/ up approach to the St Maurice Wharf District allows for new ideas and new leadership to firmly take hold in an economically viable manner. The networking fabric created by the 5,500 people who now inhabit the Lower Ninth Ward breaks the silencing in the neighborhood of the close to 10,000 displaced residents who have not returned, developing a resilient, inclusive and more just approach to reshaping devastated cities. The Studio was a continuation of the urban regeneration effort in the City of New Orleans, at the Waterfront Warehouse District along the Mississippi River ---The St. Maurice Wharf in the Lower Ninth Ward. Rethinking and reusing infrastructure and place, once altered by catastrophic events was a driving component of this exploration of community, offering innovation to existing urban form in a unique and historic part of the Lower Ninth Ward, The Holy Cross Neighborhood. Added to this was the necessity to work in multiple scales, presenting multiple levels of design details on actual projects planned for construction within a finite period of time. In addition, a critical component of the studio was an examination of the cultural identity of place in the recovery of the City of New Orleans. One of the main goals of the studio was to thoroughly establish an intertwining of the human social and cultural fabric and condition into the physical possibilities and limitations of landscape and urban design.
This perspective of the Warehouse Site was produced as part of the Lambert Plan, prepared for the City of New Orleans. (Planning District 8, page 17)
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This work was prepared as part of a previous design studio by Morgan State University students (fall, 2011) for the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED)
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The Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) is currently working with the Louisiana State University Coastal Sustainability Studio on an initiative along the waterfront --- a culmination of plans and strategies, particularly those developed since the fall of 2005, tied to the Bayou Bienvenue Wetlands, Inner Harbor Canal and Mississippi River adjacencies within the Lower Ninth Ward. This studio was an opportunity to work with CSED in the further development of communityinitiated ideas on the recovery of neighborhood. Specifically the Studio compliments and expands upon the analysis and design work accomplished by the Morgan State University Graduate Landscape Architecture Program contribution in the Fall 2011, and before that David Lee, FAIA and the Lambert Plan’s initiation of the mixed-use planning and design concepts for the same site.
st. maurice wharf district The St. Maurice Wharf District includes the 25acre, 301 Alabo Street site, which encompasses the refurbished Delery Street Neighborhood Playground; a river front wharf; various historic buildings, a portion of the Mississippi River Levee; a significant batture area; adjacency to the active Alabo Street Wharf; a detention pond; acres of paved surface; active rail lines; the historic St. Maurice Church area; and closed, dilapidated warehouses owned by the Port of the City of New Orleans. In the New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan, September 23, 2006, architect and planner, M. David Lee of Stull and Lee, Inc. focuses on this area, as a critical part of the recovery effort for the Lower Ninth Ward. As early as August 2008 discussions began with CSED on the possibility of tying food security to the economic development of the warehouse district of the Holy Cross Neighborhood and the Lower Ninth Ward,
a site considered one of the greatest economic assets of the community. The Fall 2011 findings have made it necessary to include the St. Maurice Church combined properties and to focus on the Alabo Wharf of the Port of New Orleans. This studio suggests that the St. Maurice Wharf District offers greater economic and cultural opportunity as an active residential, industrial and destination site within the greater New Orleans community, in tandem with the development of other areas in the Lower Ninth Ward. The CSED engaged this studio and the graduate studio from Morgan State University led by Diane Jones, ASLA, ultimately weighing the feasibility of short term and longterm strategies for the development of this space as it relates to the future development of the Lower Ninth Ward for livability and commerce. The expectation of the studio was to interact with the Lambert Plan, Morgan State University Plan, The LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio ideas, and the Lower Ninth Ward community through focus groups of homeowners and residents and individual interviews on a continuous basis, city officials and others instrumental in the economic development and urban design of the District. The studio intent was to further the analysis, master planning and design concepts, participating in CSED and Studio based research. The visioning, analysis and planning is meant to lead the neighborhood into an internal and external dialogue on turning the District into a catalytic site for the recovery of the whole.
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KYLE JACOBSON
Saint Maurice Waterfront Park Re-imagining the Saint Maurice Wharf and Riverfront Greenway.
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project narrative The existing Saint Maurice Wharf is situated along the Mississippi River in the Holy Cross neighborhood of New Orleans. Its location provides an intriguing opportunity for a unique waterfront park not only for the Holy Cross and Ninth Ward neighborhoods but all of New Orleans. The Wharf site sits adjacent to the very active Alabo Street Wharf and Port. The Port is operated by Pacorini USA moving non-ferrous metals of the London Metal Exchange. This proposal creates an integrated riverfront greenway and pier park within the existing port infrastructure while creating critical pedestrian connections to the Holy Cross neighborhood and beyond. The proposal enhances the levee greenway connection through the port property. The levee greenway balances safe semi-public pedestrian spaces with the active industrial port infrastructure. This enhanced connection creates a way for pedestrians to safely move through the active port to the pier
park site. The park proposal ties into the proposed warehouse site designs through the St. Maurice corridor connection. The three warehouse site proposals will highlight this connection from the neighborhood to the levee. The pier park design proposal provides a public recreation space for the city of New Orleans. The reimagined pier provides a promenade for viewing of boats on the Mississippi River, watching activity at the port, and views to downtown New Orleans. The pier also provides seating and shade as well as boardwalks for interaction with the unique batture habitat. The new pier park will be the only space in New Orleans that people can come to and interact with the Mississippi River. The design proposal ultimately serves the people of the New Orleans while carefully integrating with the active industry of Alabo Street Wharf. Saint Maurice Waterfront Park and Riverfront Greenway Site Plan.
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The Saint Maurice Wharf is connected to greater New Orleans through the existing riverfront levee path. The Saint Maurice Waterfront Park extends the levee path through the Alabo Street Port to connect people to the site.
Pedestrian and vehicular connections exist within the Holy Cross neighborhood to connect people with the levee path and waterfront park site.
The existing site conditions are arranged by the active Alabo Street Port and neighboring warehouses along with the unused Saint Maurice Wharf pier structure. There is currently an understood relationship between pedestrians and the port that people can use port property as a connection to the existing levee pathway as long as they look after their own safety. The proposal strengthens the pedestrian connection through the active port to the St. Maurice Waterfront Park. Designing with the active infrastructure of the Alabo Street Port requires creating safe pedestrian use spaces without interfering with any of the day to day operations of the port. While the proposal creates a greenway through port property, it does not interfere with any of the existing infrastructure 8
or prohibit the opportunity for port growth. The levee greenway takes advantage of leftover spaces that the port is not actively using. If the port becomes more active along the rail lines or truck lines, multiple path options are given to provide safe pedestrian corridors. The existing Saint Maurice Wharf structure has fallen into disrepair due to neglect. In the proposal, the solid structure of the wharf pilings has been saved and new pier structures have been added to create a more vibrant recreational pier space. The two existing historic structures on the wharf are preserved in the proposal and repurposed for new uses.
existing conditions
Project area analysis. Site analysis helped lead to major decisions in the design proposal. 9
Proposed Pedestrian Corridor showing relationship between lower path and retaining wall.
Pedestrian Corridor Site Plan.
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The connection to the existing levee pathway is a critical connection to bring people from the neighborhood and greater New Orleans to the waterfront park. The existing levee pathway connection is enhanced by creating a separation between pedestrian space and active port space. A pathway connection is created using an open space between an under utilized warehouse and the existing road. The new pedestrian corridor is separated from the road by a 6-10 foot tall retaining wall. The new pedestrian corridor creates a safe area for pedestrians to walk, run, and ride bikes between the neighborhood and the waterfront park. The corridor provides seating, shade, and night time lighting so that the path can be used at all hours of the day. When the railway is being actively used, a well defined pathway along the existing road can be used by pedestrians. This upper pathway is defined by concrete bands and blue paint to let vehicular traffic know where pedestrians might be using the road. Beyond the pedestrian corridor, the levee pathway continues on a new pathway that keeps pedestrians separated from port traffic through the most active area of the port.
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The proposed Saint Maurice Waterfront Park takes advantage of the existing wharf infrastructure to create a unique park for the city of New Orleans. The proposal builds upon the existing wharf structure to create a pier park with multiple uses. The most important connection point to the park is through the Saint Maurice corridor. The park was developed in a way that it can fit into the site designs of the warehouse site through a major connection node where the Saint Maurice corridor intersects with the levee. At this point a series of paths and levee terraces are created to gently pull people into the park. The levee terraces provide seating along the levee to view what is going on at the warehouse site. The levee pathway enters the pier park site from the west through a large open plaza that is large enough to be
Waterfront Pier Park Site Plan.
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used by the existing railway and pedestrians. The Pier Park uses the existing infrastructure with some additions to make for many unique waterfront experiences. The two existing structures are retrofitted into a cafe and public restrooms, and a Mississippi River Educational Center. The plan takes advantage of the existing batture by creating batture walks so that people can interact with the existing ecology and wildlife. A new fishing pier connection is created at the western end of the pier to open up circulation and provide valuable fishing opportunities. The main pier promenade provides spaces for seating and shade while providing views to the Mississippi River to watch boats and port activity while providing highly sought after views to downtown New Orleans.
waterfront pier
batture boardwalk
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DEVON BOUTTE
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project A sustainable design development for the Saint Maurice Wharf
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project narrative Seven years after Hurricane Katrina, the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans is still struggling to recover socially and economically. The historic and culturally rich Holy Cross neighborhood in the Lower Ninth yearns for the days when economic stability and a tight knit community were the norm. Although the neighborhood is home to only a fifth of it’s previous occupants, the remaining community members are dedicated to rebuilding their way of life. The third year graduate studio from LSU has joined in the effort alongside the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, to help in the rebuilding process. Our studio’s focus was the Saint Maurice Wharf located in the Holy Cross neighborhood of the Lower Ninth Ward. The Saint Maurice Wharf presents a unique opportunity to implement a sustainably designed mixed use development. The project aims to create economic opportunities through entrepreneurship and job creation, while also unifying the community through social interaction. The Lower Ninth Waterfront Project is a mixed use development that features a park and greenway, residential lofts, civic, commercial and retail spaces, along with a state of the art and sustainably designed film studio.
The Lower Ninth Waterfront Project features a (left) mixed use development, full service film studio, and park space. 17
Site Aerial Photograph
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Master Plan
USE 9
Description
1 - StTUPELO STAGE Maurice Square
Mixed use commercial and residential
2 - Lower Ninth Studio
Full service film studio and offices
3 - Cypress Grove Stage Performance stage and open lawn
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4 - Playground & Court
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Large playground and basketball court
5 - Pier & Banquet Buildings Mississippi River pier and banquet builds.
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2 2
L9
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6 - Cypress Grove
Cypress grove rain gardens
7- South Plaza
Public plaza, seating, green wall
8 - Green Wall
“New Orleans Map� green wall
9 - North Plaza
Alabo st. Plaza, seating, and green wall
10- Central Plaza
Rain gardens, seating, open space
11- Levee Terrace
Levee seating and promenade
12 -Bioretention pond
Storm water retention pond
13 -Parking
Public and private parking
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Lower Ninth Waterfront
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New Orleans
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Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Lower Ninth Film Studio
SITE LAYOUT STAGE
240’
5 75’
2
1
10,500 sq. ft. 40’ (Height)
9,240 sq. ft.
70’
150’
3
10,780 sq. ft. 30’ (Height)
70’
4
66’
30’ (Height) 143’
CHARTRES STAGE
BACKLOT
St. Maurice Square Optionla Retail/Office Space 75,880 sq. ft.
Two Floors 65,000 sq. ft.
BIENVENUE MILL TUPELO STAGE
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LOWER NINTH STUDIOS Office Complex
L9
DIMENSIONS HEIGHT
10,500
150’ x 70’
40’
2 - BIENVENUE MILL
9,240
140 ‘ x 66’
30’
3 - CHARTRES STAGE
10,780
140’ x 77’
30’
4 - BACKLOT
16,800
240’ x 70’
-
220’
OFFICE
SQ. FT.
5 - Lower Ninth Studios St. Maurice Square 6 - optional rental space
77’
AMENITIES
140’
240’
7
8
SQ. FT.
1 - TUPELO STAGE
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65,000 75,880
SQ. FT.
7 - Park and Playground
65,000
8 - Miss River Public Pier
75,880
OFFICE COMPLEX - Board Rooms -Offices -Green Screens -ADR Rooms -Screening Rooms -Editing Rooms -VFX Studios -Control Room -3-D Screening Room
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Lower Ninth Studios New Orleans
Why Lower Ninth Studios? -Located within the historic Holy Cross Neighborhood of New Orleans -Minutes from the French Quarter and Business District -Pier access to the Mississippi River -Scenic filming locations minutes away -Post production -Set Construction -Transportation -On site restaurants, shops, and housing -Sustainably designed facilities -Low production insurance rates -Up to 35% LA State production tax incentive
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Unique Filming Locations Within the Lower Ninth Ward Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project
Lower Ninth Studio Balcony Perspective
Steamboat Homes
Mississippi River Levee
Holy Cross Church
Bayou Bienvenue
St Maurice Church
Jackson Barracks
Bayou Bienvenue
Lower Ninth
New Orleans
French Quarter
L9
Lower Ninth Studios New Orleans
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Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project
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Aerial Perspective
(Above) Aerial perspective of the Lower Ninth Waterfront Development. (Below) St. Maurice Square residential and commercial building diagram.
Lower Ninth Waterfront
New Orleans
Lowe
Site Pho
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project St. Maurice Square - Mixed Use Development
St. Maurice Square Mixed Use Development
St. Maurice Square
SQ. FT.
Dim.
1 - Commercial
Use
75,600
280’ x 270’
-
1
2 - Residential
3,000
25’ x 60’
4
2&3
3 - Residential
3,000
25’ x 60’
4
2&3
4 - Residential
1,200
30’ x 40’
8
2
5 - Residential
1,200
30’ x 40’
8
3
6 - Residential
900
30’ x 30’
8
2
Total
50,000 s.f.
Units Floor
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St. Maurice Square Mixed Use Development
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1
2
3
6
4
Commercial - Retail - Civic Opportunities
Food Co-Op
Restaurant
Brewery
Coffee House
Studio Space
Commercial Space
Office Space
Trade School
Seafood Market Industrial Kitchen
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1
St. Maurice Square New Orleans
2 3
Health Club
Book Store
4 5
6
7
Music Hall
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Art Gallery
Theater
Banquet Space
Library
Museum
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Cypress Grove
Lower Ninth Waterfront
er Ninth Ward Waterfront Project New Orleans
otos
(Above) Cypress Grove open lawn and performance stage. Residential lofts overlook the open lawn that hosts civic events, music performances, and film screenings.
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Perspective: Residential Loft
(Above) Site photo of existing brick warehouse. (Right) Rendered perspective from the St. Maurice loft balcony.
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New Orleans
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Sustainable Design
Sustainable Design Goals -Water Systems: contain and reuse site stormwater and air conditioner condensate -Vegetation: maximize ecosystem services of vegetation, use native and naturalized planting, reduce energy usage by implementing green walls -Materials and Resources: reuse existing structures, salvage and reuse building materials from demolition -Energy Systems: Use solar energy production to offset energy needs -Cultural Systems: the site should create a sense of place, educate, and build community; program elements should encourage the development of job skills and create economic opportunities
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3
1 2 4
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2
1 2 2 1
Water Systems
Sustainable Design Goals
1. Bioswale planting beds 2. Pervious pavement and paths 3. Retention Pond 4. Stormwater and AC condensate reuse for irrigation of beds and greenwalls
Vegetation
1. Native and naturalized plantings provide ecological diversity, and manages site stormwater 2. Green walls reduce cooling loads on buildings
Materials and Resources
1. Salvage and reuse construction and demolition materials; Reuse of existing structures
Energy Systems
1. 430 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system 2. 400 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system
Cultural Systems
1. Implement a program that encourages the development of job skills and creates economic opportunities 2. Design promotes social interaction
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Green Wall System
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New Orleans
“Great Schools by Design”, American Architectural Foundation “Schools of the 21st Century”, Marks, Thomas “New Schools for Older Neighborhoods” National Association of Realtors “Are Small Schools Better?” West End “Report from the National Summit on School Design”, American Architectural Foundation
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Green Wall Concept
Lower Ninth Waterfront
New Orleans
(Above) South plaza featuring the “New Orleans Map” green wall. The green wall reuses air conditioning condensate for irrigation and provides a cooling effect for the buildings south facing wall.
(Below) The Cypress Grove raingarden beds feature native and naturalized plantings that help to absorb and filter storm water.
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Vegetation: Cypress Grove
Vegetation Magnolia Virginiana Taxodium distichum Myrica cerifera Hibiscus mosheutos Cephalanthus occidentalis Iris hexagona Juncus effusus Sabal minor
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Cypress Grove Site Details
1”=10’
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Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Central Plaza
Lower Ninth Ward Waterfront Project Site Photos Lower Ninth Waterfront
New Orleans
(Top-Left) Central Plaza perspective between the Lower Ninth Film Studio and Saint Maurice Square. (Bottom-Left)Existing conditions in the central corridor of the warehouse site.
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(Top-Right) Rendered image of the St. Claude Ave. and St. Maurice Street intersection with proposed street car stop. (Lower-Right) Street car extension on St. Maurice street could provide public transportation to the neighborhood and new L9 Waterfront Development
Transportation Study: St. Claude Street Car
Transportation Study: St. Maurice Extension
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STEPHEN LUNA
Saint Maurice Wharf Wareho Preserving the Historic River to Bayou Connection Cohesive and Sustainable Future Development
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ouse
project narrative The St. Maurice Warehouse is positioned in one of the best spots in not only the Lower 9th Ward, but the entire New Orleans area. This site was once a home to many different economic generators for the neighborhood. With this design the intent is to create a sustainable design for the community. Also one of the biggest need is an economic generator. The concept for the site is to recycle, reuse, and recharge the water in the surrounding area. Water will be transferred from a drainage pipe into a treatment pond that will filter out containments. This water will be used for the hydroponics and aquaculture systems when they are in need of water. Aquaculture is one that can easily fit into this neighborhood, surrounded almost entirely by water. This site would be host to not only a high production aquaculture farm, but will still have areas for entertainment, eating, interaction, learning, and small business entrepreneurship. These areas consist of a culinary school, restaurant, skate park plaza, and a playground that has a splash pad. The Aquaculture system runs water through the tanks where the fish and shellfish are raised. After the water is contaminated with nitrates and nitrites the water is the circulated through a hydroponics system, which cleanses the water. The vegetation that is produced from this hydroponics system will also be available for sale, restaurant use, and use by the culinary school.
The Saint Maurice Wharf Warehouse will contain an extravagant pedestrian corridor lined with shaded trees and seating areas. This space is directed by a meandering planting bed that leads you into the heart of the site.
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Master Plan
Legend 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Cotton Market Aquaculture Detention Ponds Aquaculture Facility Hydroponics Greenhouses Hydroponics Detention Ponds Mixed-Use Warehouse Skate Park Plaza Treatment Pond Splash Pad 10 Playground
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2
Existing site contains two abandoned warehouses and a historic cotton weighing building. The site is currently used as overflow parking for the tractor trailer trucks.
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Proposed Site Plan for the St. Maurice Warehouses. The site is divided; into a aquaculture facility and an area for learning, relaxing, dining, or just taking the views in.
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6 4 5 7
8
9 10
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Aquaponics Aquaponics consist of aquaculture with a hydroponics system attached. The aquaculture facility will grow such fish as tilapia, perch, catfish, cod, and barramundi. There will be a some shellfish grown and harvested such as: crawfish and prawns. The entire system is freshwater because of maintenance and the availability. The aquaculture facility could also be used for a reestablishment of the bayou. Fish and shellfish could be grown here and then let back into the bayou to replenish. Hydroponics cleanses the water from the aquaculture tanks. In these glass greenhouses vegetation such as: cabbage, lettuce, basil, roses, tomatoes, okra, cantaloupe, bell peppers, and beans, among many more. Most of the fish and vegetation harvested will be used at the restaurant and culinary school. Any excess will be sold at the Cotton Market at a wholesale price.
Aquaponics Water Cycle
AQUACULTURE FILTRATION
DETENTION POND
HYDROPONICS SYSTEM
AQUACULTURE TANKS
RETENTION POND
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RUNOFF PURIFICATION
A look at the detention ponds that feed the aquaculture building.
These detention ponds hold toxic water that comes from the aquaculture tanks and the treatment ponds
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Glass greenhouses is where hydroponics take place. They are glass so that the space does not feel as congested
Making A Case for Aquaponics Food Production/Safety Indoor facility makes for a cleaner environment Customers seemingly can pick food All vegetation and fish will be 100% organic (no containments) All foods is either used on site (restaurant and culinary school) or sold at the market
Employment Roughly 80 employees required to run aquaculture, hydroponics, and Cotton Market All job levels from Entry-Level to a Bachelors or Masters in farming Annual salary for Entry-Level is between $25-$31 Workers can be part-time, seasonal, or full-time employees Farmer can earn around $63,000 annually Director of either aquaculture or hydroponics can earn about $150,000 a year
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“Great Schools by Design”, American Architectural Foundation “Schools of the 21st Century”, Marks, Thomas “New Schools for Older Neighborhoods” National Association of Realtors “Are Small Schools Better?” West End “Report from the National Summit on School Design”, American Architectural Foundation
Hydroponics Planting Strip
The hydroponics system is NFT (Nutrient Film Technology). The plants are suspended about 6� above the water that continuously flows. With the plants being suspended the roots are capable of receiving more than enough oxygen.
Aquaculture Facility
Aquaculture building from green to blue: water storage, pumps and filters, hatchery, fish tanks in light blue, and shellfish in the darker blue. There is an office at the southern corner of the building
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Mixed-Use Warehouse/Skate Park Inside of the mixed-use warehouse there will be space for residential, a trade school, restaurant, a skate park, and parcels for small business owners. This will allow for many different generations to come together and interact with one another. The residential will mainly be studios and lofts, targeted towards student with low income. These studios and lofts will be almost completely sustainable with solar panels arranged on the roof of the warehouse. The skate park is a full functional skate park with many ramps. There is a large glass door that opens up and allows skaters to transition into the skate plaza. The graffiti on the walls will remain as they were to bring about this young generation, and to keep the identity of the site. The restaurant and trade school will be most of the foods required to prepare food from the aquaponics system.
Warehouse Program Residential Restaurant Small Business Culinary School Skate park 34
A look down the plaza towards the pedestrian corridor.
An overview look at the entire skate plaza
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LUCAS MARTIN FREY
L9 Center
Redeveloping a warehouse area into an economic generator while maximizing multi-generational recreational space.
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Project Narrative Currently the Ninth Ward and especially the Holy Cross neighborhood is deprived of public open space, recreational activities and commercial opportunities. Shops, medical services or office spaces are scarce and from an opportunistic void. In order to revitalize the neighborhood and to bolster the local economy a central economical magnet is needed to provide jobs, create retail space and form a meeting point in the neighborhood. The repurposed warehouses and the open space around them will be transformed into an economic, recreational and social center. The productive heart of the project is formed by a farm and a nursery. These provide plants and food for the neighborhood and have shops within the L9 Center. The production areas of nursery and farm are dissected by paths which are open to the public and greatly increases the recreational space on the site. These paths connect the Greenway and the Levee to the production and plaza areas of the L9 Center. The Plaza is a multifunctional open space with a variety of potential uses. Aside from shopping opportunities, planters built as skate obstacles activate the plaza and together with the open areas offering a multi-generational use.
The L9 Center will house shops, office spaces, artist studios, restaurants and a brewery. This programing is connected by a public plaza that forms a meeting point within the neighborhoods economic generator.
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1
6
1
2
4 5
4 4
5 8
Site Aerial and Existing Conditions 1
Existing Warehouses
2
Axis St. Maurice, L9 Center, Greenway
3
Existing Playground
4
Highest Ground on Site and Neighborhood
5
Turf covered Levee
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Alabo Street Wharf
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Jackson Barracks
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Levee Greenway
The images on the right show the site conditions from a human perspective. The top image shows the central axis through the site, connecting the greenway with St. Maurice. The middle image shows Bienvenue Street with the existing brick warehouses. The bottom image shows the current illegal warehouse use. 38
7
3 4 5
Site Inventory Diagrams Landuse Site Neighborhood Wharf Jackson Barracks
Building Conditions Good Condition Bad Condition Wharf
Ideal Circulation Usable Buildings Ideal Circulation Wharf
Views and Visual Connections Usable Buildings Ideal Views Towards Wharf and City Towards opposite shore Axial View into the neighborhood
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Site Plan
Legend 1 Repurposed Warehouses 2 Farm Shop 3 Farm Production 4 Nursery Shop & Pick-Up 5 Nursery Production
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6 Nursery Greenhouses 7 Skate Plaza
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8 Central Plaza Axis 9 Amphitheater 10
Existing Playground
4
6
1
12
11 Parking 12
Retention Pond
13 Levee Meadow
5 5
13
40
2
8
1 11
7
11
10
3 3
9
13
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Warehouse Use
Building diagram f
f c d
b
a a a
a
Retail/Stores
b
Farm/Nursery
c
Brewery
e
d
Restaurant
e
Artist Studio
f
Offices/Lofts
Ground level 36800 sq ft ~20 shops\5 full time jobs
Ground level 18700 sq ft 2 shops\10 full time jobs
Ground level 12350 sq ft
Ground level 12350 sq ft
Ground level 12670 sq ft
Upper Level 90770 sq ft ~30 offices\3 full time jobs
100 jobs newly available
20 jobs newly available
15 full time jobs
15 full time jobs
12 studio spaces for rent
90 full time jobs
Opportunities for small businesses, farm and nursery store selling local products.
Grows the produce sold in the farm shop, separate nursery shop, indoor area for garage and storage.
Using the adjacent hop garden the brewery produces micro-brews and creates a meeting point.
The Restaurant uses mostly product grown on site, creating a new food venue in the neighborhood.
Studio spaces are offered to give artists the opportunity to create and sell artwork in the adjacent shop.
The upper levels are entirely devoted for office space or as residential lofts as well as small businesses.
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Public Open Space
The new public areas in the L9 Center are purposed to be a recreational space for a variety of user groups. Planters executed as skate obstacles pose active recreation for younger people while the paths in the Levee meadow, the plaza areas, and the outdoor sitting areas traditionally attract an older user group. Newly created public space
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The perspective on the top shows the new commercial corridor created on Bienvenue Street.
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The perspective on the bottom shows the meadow on the levee and the recreational paths that connect to the path system of the Greenway.
The perspective on the top shows the new space created for outdoor artist and the Amphitheater on the Levee slope. The perspective on the bottom shows the outdoor sitting area of restaurant and brewery. Adjacent to the left are the production fields of the farm. 45
PETER SUMMERLIN
Saint Maurice District Preserving the Historic Saint Maurice Church and Planning Cohesive and Sustainable Future Development
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project narrative The focus of the Saint Maurice District had two primary objectives. First, the focus is to support the proposed redevelopment of the warehouse facilities by providing supportive infrastructure that responds to the increased traffic. Secondly, the district seeks to operate as a catalyst for sustainable growth and development in the holy cross neighborhood. Saint Maurice Avenue itself is a historic river to bayou corridor that provides the most obvious connection to the warehouse redevelopment site. It currently operates as two drive lanes with on street parallel parking on both sides. The organization of the streetscape operates sufficiently given the present usage amounts but as development grows and residents return, the road will need a stronger visual hierarchy. Saint Maurice Avenue can serve as the prototype for a new neighborhood streetscape and the design proposal reflects a more appropriate corridor both socially and environmentally. More than just the Saint Maurice corridor, the Saint Maurice Church site and surrounding properties present a unique opportunity to promote and support redevelopment in the Holy Cross Neighborhood. Preservation of the pre-civil war Saint Maurice church is vital and utilizing it for communal purposes is desired. The anticipated convent redevelopment is also an opportunity to influence future development and encourage specific commercial uses to return to the neighborhood. The design proposal presented for these available parcels is anchored by a new neighborhood elementary school. This design approach would allow for the Saint Maurice Church to be utilized as an auditorium for school purposes and a civic meeting hall for the neighborhood. These shared uses help bind the school and neighborhood and are one of the many reasons that neighborhood schools are more effective schools. Pre-kindergarten services, medical facilities, and the reopening of the former corner grocery address glaring needs in the community while the deconstructed convent housing allows the new infrastructure to fit more appropriately in the existing urban fabric. The Saint Maurice Elementary School will contain shared facilities with the Holy Cross Neighborhood. The school yard itself will include a play yard (left) with seat walls defining seating nooks and stormwater retention for the site.
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play yard? church block for sale
removed
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future redevelopment
Saint Maurice Avenue is one of the major ‘river to bayou ‘roadways in the Lower Ninth Ward. It has a direct connection to the Warehouse Site and abuts available parcels ripe for redevelopment.
st. mauric foc u
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Saint Maurice School Saint Maurice School Saint Maurice Church Saint Maurice Gym Former St. Maurice Grocery Convent of the Perpetual Adoration
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ure
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and
Legend:
pa recr ssive eat ion
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con n pla ection ygr oun to d
Available parcels along the historic Saint Maurice corridor offer unique opportunities for development. Program should operate as a catalyst for redevelopment in surrounding areas and respond to the needs of the Holy Cross Neighborhood.
truc
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dec ons
gre e infi n ll
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st. mauric
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st. maurice
scenario sketches Infill Residential Concept
Health Care Hub Concept
maintain streetscape around entire block
porous parking and asphalt drive lane
condos and then future commercial?
medical facilities courtyard optometrist single family housing common space dental clinic
civic use
civic space
convent facilities
new construction to act as temporary housing prior to convent need
convent duplex
bed and breakfast
medical facilities
convent duplex
artist studios
future grocery
medical facilities
convent duplex
parking lift and move is necessary property is too pivotal to leave blank
convent duplex
convent garden space infill residential
healing garden
convent rooms and operations formal garden
infill residential
clinic
clinic
infill residential
medical facilities
apartments
1 infill residential
2 medical hub
single family housing apartments condos artist studios bed and breakfast
urgent care facility medical clinics dental clinics physical therapy occupational therapy
benefits
benefits
• supports expected population growth • diversify existing housing options • removes blighted property
• services a medical dessert • good neighbor for the convent • generates local jobs • educational opportunity
Elementary School Concept
Urban Agriculture Conce
before/after figure ground diagram of pervious area maintain streetscape around entire block
entry classrooms 9,500 square feet
civic use auditorium
administration entry court
market area
cafeteria court 3,100 square feet
chapel court 2,400 square feet
herb production gardens
arts classrooms and cafeteria 5,600 square feet
play yard 12,000 square feet
entry
recreation as a temporary use phasing plan for new construction
wholesale grocery facilities
habitat 2,800 square feet
market covering
porous parking and asphalt drive lane
rainwater harvesting
entry
chapel courtyard production orchard
administration and add. class rooms 6,200 square feet
rainwater harvesting
entry active recreation additional parking
convent
temporary production gardens while development is being constructed
gym square feet
cultural connection people at different stages of life
urban production green houses
restaurant and civic use
agriculture related residential storage facilities
local grocery
temporary production gardens while development is being constructed convent
access
urban production gardens
urban production facilities
pre-kindergarden facilities
3 elementary school classrooms library gym cafeteria public auditorium
benefits
• provides a civic presence • shared resources with the community • serve local residents • increase property values
4 production gardens wholesale production plots distribution center greenhouses and storage grocery community garden plots
benefits
• provides a temporary and potentially long-term solution for abandoned property • generate local jobs • provide a local grocery
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legend 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
Rental Housing, Future Convent Residences Convent Communal Facilities Convent Multi-Unit Dwellings Convent Gardens Existing Convent Building Convent Entry Court Restoration Medical Clinic Healing Garden Pre-Kindergarten Facilities Pre-Kindergarten Play Yard Outdoor Classroom Additional Classroom Facilities Water Garden Administration and Additional Classrooms Gymnasium Chapel Courtyard Cafeteria and Art Studios Seating Nooks Large Play Area Two Story Classrooms Civic Meeting Hall and School Auditorium
02
03
01
04
05
0
The site planning process incorporated inventory of existing infrastructure in the Lower Ninth Ward combined with feedback gathered from focus group reviews of the scenario sketches. 50
conceptual master plan
19
20
17 18
21
16
15
14
13
07
06
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12 11
10
09 N
scale: 1" = 30'
15'
0'
30'
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outdoor arts area
play yard
seating nooks
entry plaza
cafeteria court chapel court
water garden speed table
The Case for Saint Maurice Charter School Effectiveness of Small Schools
Neighborhood Schools as the Center of Communities Provide Civic Presence (Marks, Thomas, 2011)
Share Facilities, i.e. Museum, Libraries, Recreation (AAF, 2006)
Integrated and Open Campus, “See and Be Seen” (Marks, Thomas, 2011) (AAF, 2006)
Buildings as a learning tool for the community (Marks, Thomas, 2011)
Higher Graduation Rates and More Students continuing to PostSecondary Education (AAF, 2006)
A Catalyst for Growth and Redevelopment Small Neighborhood Schools Bolster Property Values (AAF, 2006)
Improved teacher working conditions means better faculty
Lower Violence (West End, 2001)
(West End, 2001)
More Affordable for School Systems (West End, 2001)
High Extra-Curricular Participation
Effective Schools promote redevelopment (NAR, 2010)
(West End, 2001)
Higher Student Attendance (West End, 2001)
More Community Involvement (West End, 2001)
Healthier Lifestyles (AAF, 2006)
Lessens Fiscal and Social Barriers (West End, 2001)
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“Great Schools by Design”, American Architectural Foundation “Schools of the 21st Century”, Marks, Thomas “New Schools for Older Neighborhoods” National Association of Realtors “Are Small Schools Better?” West End “Report from the National Summit on School Design”, American Architectural Foundation
The proposed infrastructure for infill development within the focus area seeks to fit more appropriately with its urban context. The convent site proposes deconstructed housing units that mirrors adjacent streets while infill on 53 the church site readdresses the street corners.
While sufficient for current use, existing road infrastructure will need to be re-examined as development returns to the Holy Cross Neighborhood. New paving materials and bioretention bump-outs will help define on-street paving and calm traffic in the neighborhood. 54
existing road infrastructure
rainwater
proposed road infrastructure
porous pavement Less Pressure on existing system
Sod and Sidewalk
8’ Parking Space
9’ Drive Lane
9’ Drive Lane
8’ Parking Space
Sidewalk and Sod
Traditional roadway construction crowns roads to sheet flow water to curb and gutter systems and ultimately to underground stormwater systems. The proposed infrastructure utilizes porous pavement and retention islands to take pressure off of the existing system while organizing the road hierarchy. 55
MICHAEL PETTY
Infrastructure Conflict Problem Solving Through Shared Benefits for the Holy Cross Community.
project narrative The Holy Cross Community of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, however growing, has a number of limiting factors preventing major development from occurring within the neighborhood. This project addresses those limiting factors and focuses on conflict resolution as the basis for the design. Issues such as the relationship between the active Alabo Street Wharf and the neighborhood and, the resulting deterioration of the streets from newly-introduced tractor trailer traffic, are addressed through a shared benefits solution to the issues. Roadway redesign and circulation modifications are at the heart of the project. Creating a new, enhanced Caffin corridor along with a new port entrance at Douglas Street while closing Chartres Street for a oneblock segment at Charbonnet Street dramatically changes the way in which large trucks engage the neighborhood. An extension of Douglas Street to facilitate through traffic
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opens up additional opportunities to enhance the face of the port to the neighborhood and creates one and one half blocks of future development space along with a two-block public open space along with a more compact footprint for the port storage facility. This reduction in footprint is achieved through rethinking how the port conducts business by creating a new truck loading facility on vacant parcels at the major thoroughfare of St. Claude Ave. and reactivating the under-utilized rail line along Alabo Street to move the goods the this new facility. A highly productive system of overhead cranes can increase the efficiency of the port operations while creating a softer and less impactful threshold between the port and the neighborhood. This shared benefit is the basis for the overall solution for the community.
master plan - shared benefits
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PARTICULATE MATTER HYDROCARBONS NITROGEN OXIDES CARBON MONOXIDE SULFUR DIOXIDE OTHER HAZARDOUS TOXINS GREENHOUSE GASES
COMPONENTS OF DIESEL EXHAUST - ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DIESEL PARTICULATE MATTER HAS BEEN LINKED BY THE EPA TO: LUNG CANCER
CHRONIC BRONCHITIS
AGGRAVATED ASTHMA
COMPONENTS OF DIESEL EXHAUST - HUMAN HEALTH IMPACT
ff y eo a ak w A t T t. F Je 0 20 k uc Tr ay vy w ea . A H Ft
25 rd Bi Ca
102 dBA
90 dBA
40 dBA
lls Source: CALTRANS
UNSTABLE SOILS AND FRAGILE FOUNDATIONS (90% OF HOMES ARE ON PIERS) ARE EASILY DISTURBED BY CONSTANT GROUND VIBRATION
NOISE POLLUTION
VIBRATION / SEISMIC IMPACT
IMPACTS OF TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCKS ON HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD
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TRUCK ROUTES MAJOR TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS
MAJOR CIRCULATION
POOR GOOD
ROAD CONDITIONS Repeated abuse and wear from truck traffic has left the streets of the Holy Cross neighborhood in poor condition. This along with safety, health, and environmental concerns have created a truck crisis within the community. The historical context of the neighborhood, along with the health concerns of the emissions impact of the trucks is reason alone to resolve the major conflict and create a solution that mitigates the issue and eliminates the truck impact on the community.
Existing conditions within neighborhood 59
existing street configuration
proposed street configuration
The roadway infrastructure of the neighborhood offers several opportunities to create solutions to the issues of the community. Caffin Avenue has one of the widest right of ways within the neighborhood and, being the current truck route, allows for modifications and enhancements to be made to create more opportunity for multiple modes of circulation along this major neighborhood access road. Douglas Street, with its relationship to the port, allows for enhanced solutions, as well as, an alternative port entrance. Chartres Street currently is the turning point for truck traffic from Caffin but, through existing open space and potential new open space, allows itself opportunity for modification for the greater good of the neighborhood through the closure of the street from Charbonnet Street to Alabo Street. This closure, along with the opening of Douglas Street as a through street, creates a new opportunity for shared public open space within the neighborhood and enhances the port-neighborhood threshold and relationship.
HOME
PORT WAREHOUSE
CL
~14’ OPEN GRASSED SWALE
23’ PAVEMENT WIDTH 42’ OVERALL ROW
60 existing douglas street conditions
~15’ OPEN GRASS
flood street greenway connection perspective
enhanced douglas street section perspective 61
3. 1.
4.
2.
LEGEND: 1. INFILL DEVELOPMENT ON NEW BLOCKS. 2. NEW PORT STORAGE FACILITY ENTRANCE WITH MODIFIED STORAGE ARRANGEMENT AND SCREENED TRACK ACCESS WITH SUBSTANTIAL TREE CANOPY. 3. CLOSURE OF CHARTRES ALLOWS FOR UNIFIED OPEN NEIGHBORHOOD PARK SPACE. 4. MULTI-USE POROUS PATH FROM ST. CLAUDE DOWN CAFFIN TO CONNECT TO PROPOSED GREENWAY ENHANCEMENTS. 62
screen wall locations
proposed screen wall details
proposed stormwater flow diagram
Through the creation of a boulevard on Caffin Avenue and drainage enhancements along Douglas Street, a new system of stormwater movement and cleansing is created with the terminus being the south end of the new public open space. Through a neutral ground bioswale on Caffin and connecting swale along Douglas, water is moved into a gradient structure at the open space that begins very rigid and moves through a series of cells that each become more organic in shape and look terminating in a open body of water. The cells are crisscrossed with boardwalk paths that allow visitors to watch the water cleansing process while being in a shaded, attractive area. Screening of the port operations from the neighborhood was an important component of the design. Screening was achieved through the design of a hollow wall structure that mimics the industrial nature of the port while allowing space to grow several species of flowering and non-flowering vines within the hollow structure.
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PROPERTY OWNERS:
1
2
3 4
1
1. New Orleans Health Corporation Total Tracts: 10 Land Value: $243,147 2. Peter Nguyen Total Tracts: 1 Land Value: $50,000 3. Eric McMorris Total Tracts: 1 Land Value: $9,500 4. Ninth Ward Housing Development Total Tracts: 1 Land Value: $200,000
LAND ACQUISITION ESTIMATE: Total Property Value: 20% Over-valuation: Possible Acquisition Cost:
64 truck loading center concept sketch
$502,647 $100,530 ~ $605,000
EXISTING RAIL NETWORK
Utilizing the existing infrastructure, as in the case of the rail network, allows for a low investment solution for moving material from the port to the proposed truck loading center. New technology, such as hybrid locomotives, which are 7 times more quiet and 4 times more fuel efficient than their traditional counterparts adds to the sustainability of the project.
existing rail network diagram
The proposed truck loading center provides space for ten tractor trailers to be loaded along with a ten-truck capacity for load tie down. This allows for up to 20 trucks to be in position of loading/securing at a time. An additional staging capacity of five trucks can be accommodated at the rear of the loading area. The center provides approximately 130,000 square feet of metal storage area which allows for material to be moved in the evening hours the night before for the day’s loading que. Sensitivity to the neighborhood is achieved through extensive screening and vegetation. An additional three infill lots are created that could serve as light commercial or residential uses. The center and rail operation would add an additional ten jobs to the overall port operation numbers.
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we would like to thank those who volunteered their time and efforts towards helping progress the revitalization efforts in the holy cross neighborhood and to thank the residences themselves for their assistance and inspiration.
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Saint Maurice Wharf, Warehouse District professor: Austin Allen students: Kyle Jacobson Devon Boutte Stephen Luna Lucas Frey Peter Summerlin Michael Petty louisiana state university may, 2012
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professor austin allen louisiana state university 302 design building z rouge, la 70803