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Blights Out
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2015
Grant Summary
Open
House,
a series of architectural charrettes in the Upper Tremé neighborhood in New
Orleans that envisions its development.
Keywords
Artist Statement
We are a collaborative
inspired to unite natives of and newcomers to New Orleans in the design of a
new model for development that shares the tools for locals to build the
destinies of their own neighborhoods. By working collectively in an
experiential learning process, we seek to demystify and democratize development
for ourselves and the city-at-large, offering our process as a transparent and
accessible model for replication. Our experiential method of “performing
architecture” asks: “what are the sensibilities of place; where is the soul of
a home?”, “what is ownership; where are the commons?”, “what is community; what
inspires people to unite in action?”, and “how do we meet the needs of a
neighborhood outside of a profit-driven framework?” These considerations guide
us through the purchase, restoration, and transformation of a blighted
structure into a home base for creative action on issues of blight, gentrification,
and housing affordability.