Gallery: The Overlooked Architecture That's Hip Again in New Orleans

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    Waggonner & Ball
    01

    MIR-20090622-0048 EDIT

    The shotgun home—a modest dwelling made for small lots the size of subway cars—is distinct to New Orleans. Recently, architects have found ways to reinterpret it for modern living. This prototype home was designed by local firm Waggonner & Ball for Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation.
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    Bild Design
    02

    Chartres Project Slide-20

    Architect Byron Mouton does a lot of rehabbing old shotguns. This one was done in one of the city's strictest historical districts.
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    Bild Design
    03

    Chartres Project Slide-10

    Old shotguns don't allow for much privacy which makes them less than ideal today. Mouton carefully preserved the front of the house, but added additions to the side and back to make it more suitable for families today.
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    Bild Design
    04

    Chartres Project Slide-11

    Revamped shotguns offer a middle ground for a city torn between wanting to preserve the old and start fresh. “If we’re going to build new things they should represent where we are now. Not where we were," Mouton says.
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    Bild Design
    05

    lowerline-2-catherine-ledner

    Another Mouton project, the Lowerline house, is a brand new home. The front mimics the shotgun style, and the back has three floors—a rarity in a city of low-slung houses.
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    Bild Design
    06

    lowerline-5-catherine-ledner

    The shotgun house is all but synonymous with New Orleans. By reinterpreting it, architects can maintain a respectful sense of nostalgia while embracing how people live today.
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