New Orleans, Louisiana

This new construction, mixed-use development sits on the corner of Thalia Street and Constance Street in the Lower Garden District. The properties are home to potential retail or restaurant spaces with large, furnished apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floors with sweeping views of downtown New Orleans and the Crescent City Connection. The furnished apartments are being operated by Dear Valentine.Co, a bespoke boutique hospitality company.

In the center of this development is a shared courtyard space with a modern, Spanish aesthetic bound by stucco clad breeze blocks, terra cotta paving and lush landscaping. The facade features custom arched windows and doors made by a local fabricator, Toulouse Millworks.

The property was built with concrete block construction which is the structural material used in many luxury gulf coast beach developments such as Alys Beach. These concrete blocks are called Concrete Masonry Units and they offer seemingly inarguable benefits. They are moisture and pest-resistant. They are simple to deploy, and they are incredibly strong and durable. They can be the entire wall assembly - structural, water management, air-sealed and finishes - in one piece.

Studio BKA proposed this means of construction after brainstorming with the owners, discussing their design goals and love for humble South American architecture. Stained white oak wood flooring is laid in a herringbone pattern throughout the 2nd and 3rd floors.

Studio BKA worked closely with the developers, Inhab Group, to establish an exterior and interior palette of materials, unique silhouettes, and interesting spaces filled with personality.