In order to meet the client’s needs, this house required careful volumetric study for a site which, proportionally wider than deep, is atypical for New Orleans’ residential neighborhoods. Though aesthetically different from adjacent houses, traditional architectural massing along the street was maintained by breaking the two-story house into two tall volumes (one of which contains a small tower with roof access) connected by a double-height living space.

A steel and wood frame structure on a raised slab, the building is a compositional study of forms clad in two subtly contrasting materials—fiber cement panels on the major forms, and cement plaster on the secondary volumes. A translucent polycarbonate wall in the upstairs hallway joins the house’s two primary volumes, transforming strong southern light into a diffused interior glow by day, and casting a wam exterior glow at night. Windows carefully frame views—including two nearby historic steeples—and take advantage of natural airflow to optimize cross-ventilation. From the street, access to both residence and the dedicated home office is cradled in a private courtyard entry.

The interior of the house flows freely—even the master suite opens to the main spaces—so living, dining, kitchen, and circulation overlap at various levels. The double-height living space benefits from an enormous window providing visual and physical connection to a paved terrace and lap pool. The roof access tower, besides providing stunning views of sunsets in the verdant neighborhood, functions as a thermal chimney, drawing heat up and out of the house. Custom bath, dressing room, and living room casework, semi-custom kitchen cabinetry, and a steel and salvaged-wood staircase are indicative of the level of craft found in many studioWTA projects, further enlivening and humanizing modern, vibrant spaces.