Conference Proceedings 2010 [pdf] - Art & Design Symposium ...

Making It Right: A Case Study Exploring Sustainable Low-Income Housing Developments in
the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans
Mary Beth Lane, Florida State University
Mary Beth Lane Presenting her Poster
Introduction
Food. Water. Shelter. These are three basic needs everyone requires to survive. The need for shelter involves
the built environment. The physical aspects of housing serve the basic functions of protecting and sheltering
people from the potentially harmful effects of the environment. However, if the shelter is built with toxic
materials, has substandard construction, and has bad ventilation it can be destructive to its occupants and
disruptive to the physical environment. This was the case in New Orleans, with Hurricane Katrina in 2005,
where poorly constructed houses were ripped from their foundations and floated down the street. There is
clearly a problem, when the very shelter that should be designed to protect is causing health and
environmental concerns.
As a result of a growing body of knowledge on health and environmental issues with the built environment,
sustainability is becoming an important topic in current society. The architecture and design industry has taken
note and are advancing toward greener buildings and communities. However, even with the knowledge on the
importance of sustainability unhealthy buildings are still being constructed. This type of thinking poses the
questions: why are these dangerous and unhealthy structures still being built? Is it unethical to knowingly build
a structure that is unhealthy? Who is responsible? It is important to discuss affordable housing and the health
concerns associated with them as well as study the role of social responsibility and the ethics involved to better
understand where responsibility lies and what improvements can be made.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine The “Make it Right” (MIR) Foundation’s model for redeveloping the
Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans with sustainable, low-income housing and to determine if this technique may
be feasible in other locations.
Significance
Affordable/low-income and sustainably designed housing is a rare combination. Most of the affordable housing
available is poorly constructed, badly designed, and made with toxic materials. This can cause numerous
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