A closer relationship between architects and developers is unlocking creativity in the built world In the Irish Channel area of New Orleans, 12 new homes cluster on a former warehouse site. Angular, covered in corrugated metal, and painted white, the homes are jigsawed in a way that makes room for patios, courtyards, and parking. Inside, they have polished-concrete and wood floors, energy efficient fixtures, and soaring ceilings. But what?s most special about these houses isn?t just their modern design: it?s the creativity that went into building on a site where the law, at first glance, only permitted three single-family houses.
In a bid for density, sustainability, and affordability, architect Jonathan Tate conducted legal alchemy and found ways to subdivide the land and use multifamily zoning ordinances to construct 10 fully detached homes and a duplex. ?I tried to push the land as far as I could,? Tate says.
Tate purchased the land and developed the project himself?an unusual scenario for an architect. Using design to maneuver complicated zoning and ownership laws, he was able to build an experimental infill project that adds high-quality, much-needed housing to New Orleans. Though Tate considers his firm to be a traditional architectural practice, this isn?t the first time he?s served as his own developer. In 2016, he designed and built the first of his Starter Homes?compact single-family houses built on inexpensive and oddly shaped infill lots?which helped estab...