Reimagining of a Habitat For Humanity Houseplan

This project is a great example of how a few simple customizations to any structure can add value, and that value is amplified when we avoid using the bulldozer as an 'easy' out to our housing needs. The most sustainable solutions for new buildings are far and away those that involve repurposing and upcycling our existing stock of housing, and even our stock-plan builder home neighborhoods could become more interesting places if housing was allowed to evolve and grow in as unique a way as its inhabitants.

Ingenuity of the New Orleans' Camelback

Seems straightforward to many of us New Orleanians: build one story on top of another story, hold it back from the front of the home, clad it similarly to the rest of the home and voila - the silhouette of a camel's hump on a traditional Victorian home, one of New Orleans' most unique archetypes.

Before & Afters!: Adaptive Reuse Along Historic Broad Street Corridor

The grind of construction can make it easy to lose sight of the drama of the transformation taking place when renovating a historic building. Documenting the progress made at the end of a project is really a special feeling, and reminds us why we do what we do, and validates the potential that everyone saw in a previously neglected piece of New Orleans' history.

Modern Transformation Creates Zones for Privacy & Entertaining in Small Urban Home

Exploring the challenges and design approach of living in a small urban home in New Orleans!

Studio BKA's guide to interior selections

If you are feeling stuck while trying to select finish and fixture package for your renovation or new construction project, have to no fear. Material and fixture selections can feel overwhelming. "Where do I start?" "I like everything?" These are some things I hear from my clients. This step-by-step guide is a simplified and short version of the process I use to select finishes and fixtures for my clients. It can be applied to residential and commercial projects.

Avoiding Trendy Design

Design can be trendy if it isn't honest about what it is. If it's honest, then it is authentic - and authenticity has staying power!

Questions For Your Architect: Should I GC my own house project?

Construction & Permitting, Design PrinciplesKim AllenOctober 10, 2017architecture, renovation, house building, home builder, trades, subcontractors, general contracting, DIY, construction budgets

Architecture in 2047

Sustainabilityben allenSeptember 19, 2017generative design, virtual reality, architecture, future, innovation, big data

The Flexessory House

Construction & Permitting, Design Principles, Developer GuideKim AllenAugust 30, 2017new orleans housing, adaptive reuse, historic, house design, engawa, modern house plan, coastal contemporary, balconies, zoning, urban development, in-fill development, accessory use

Detail Hacks- The Shower Niche

Quick Tips, Interiors & MaterialityKim AllenAugust 7, 2017detail hack, construction, renovator, renovation, tile, niche, bathroom, shower, marble, solutions, design, style, architecture, DIY

What's the Big Deal with the Bid Phase?

The bidding phase, also know as the procurement phase, is sometimes forgotten as one of the most important phases in your project process. While the drawings will illustrate the scope of work. The bidding phase will help establish terms and conditions for the scope of work. This phase is necessary to help mitigate head butting down the road when conflict arises.

What Do Design Services Mean to You?

One challenge we encounter is learning how to adapt to a particular project's needs without sacrificing great design and service in order to satisfy our client's project goals. We do that by honing in on where exactly the client is seeking to add value, asking the deceptively simple question:

Select a blog topic: