Small Lot, No Problem!

While yes, the footprint is small and small does not always mean less expensive, it does require thinking creatively to achieve the greatest return and yes, the return can be great.

Developer Guide, Quick Tips, Construction & Permittingben allenJuly 28, 2024architecture, new orleans, new orleans real estate, new orleans real estate planning, developer, Urban development, missing middle developments, conceptual design, architecture planning, architecture process

What are "test fits" and do I need one?

We all enjoy trying on clothes before buying them, right? Think of test fits as the real estate equivalent of trying on clothes. Lately, we've seen a surge in feasibility studies for potential properties, which are often referred to as "test fits". This increase may be a response to last year's freeze on short-term rentals in Orleans Parish, which left many developers wondering, "What else can I do with this property?" Let's explore some key questions that test fits are designed to address.

Developer Guide, Construction & Permittingben allenJune 26, 2024test fit, feasibility study, new orleans real estate, real estate developments, historic tax credit feasibility, as-of-right, zoning codes, architecture, design, predesign services, new orleans construction, new orleans architecture, new orleans real estate planning

Robert Street Pool House Project

Construction & Permitting, Design PrinciplesKim AllenSeptember 11, 2023uptown new orleans, new orleans design, new orleans pools, pool design, pool house design, pool house addition, porch addition, residential master planning, residential architecture, custom homes, custom additions

Adaptive Reuse in Downtown NOLA

When our clients came to us with an adaptive reuse project to build a hotel in an old warehouse structure, we knew there would be some challenges. Soon the solution became clear: what if we built a hotel UNDER an old warehouse structure?!

Construction & Permitting, Design Principles, Developer Guide, Historic Projects, Interiors & MaterialityKim AllenSeptember 8, 2023warehouse hotel, boutique hotel, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, warehouse district, new orleans hospitality design, NOLA architects, New Orleans design, interiors and architecture', courtyard, industrial-vibe, CMU, terracotta

Almost After: The Picheloup Place Renovation

Two couples, a brother and sister and their spouses, bought the home in an effort to downsize, and retire closer to their children and grandchildren. The home is a 1920s bungalow style two-family residence, but had been modified with dated finishes and an inefficient floor plan.

Block Party

A trip around the rest of the Caribbean perimeter, from islands like Puerto Rico, to coastal Mexico and Central America, will show you a vastly different role for the humble concrete block than we have in the U.S.

Construction & Permitting, Interiors & Materiality, Sustainabilityben allenMarch 20, 2023cmu, cinder block, caribbean construction, construction materials, building techniques, insulation, concrete, 30A, Alys Beach, Gulf Coast Construction, Gulf Coast Architects, Gulf Coast Building Design, Design, Architecture, Stucco

Introduction to Camelbacks

The term “camelback” is as familiar to New Orleanians as red beans and rice. This architectural vernacular, resembling a silhouette of a camel, is an addition on the back of a home that allows the street facing façade to maintain its historic massing and scale, and it’s a solution popular in our historic neighborhoods.

Navigating Your Renovation in a Historic District

Establishing "Multifamily" for the Better

What makes New Orleans neighborhoods so great is the same things that make neighborhoods great around the world: variety.

While most of the country was busy zoning their neighborhoods into single-use enclaves of uniformity, New Orleans, as it does, was busy ignoring national urban planning trends and standards. In this case, it was a good call.

As a result, we have retained our multi-use, finer-grained urban fabric of building use and type, and have reaped the benefits, being a top choice to live, work and vacation for humans in general.