District: Warehouse District
Owner: BCH NOLA 1031 LLC
HDLC Staff: Emily VanDoren
Rating: Contributing
Applicant: EDR Architects
Permit #: 21-28244-HDLC
Description: Restoration of existing warehouse facade and new construction of five-story commercial building.
Commission Actions:
12/8/21: Defer action on the application so that the applicant can continue to work with the ARC on the design. The Commission expressed concerns that the new addition does not fit in contextually with the historic building and the neighborhood, in both the massing and the materials and treatment of the elevations.
Previous ARC Recommendations:
11/16/21: The ARC recommended conceptual approval of the massing with the final details noted above to return to the ARC for additional review. The ARC felt that the massing changes were moving in the right direction, given the building’s use, but they wanted to see additional refinement of the following items:
The details of the ribbed metal cladding
The design of the pocket park – while the setback is successful, the design of the park needs to be further developed to be an amenity to the neighborhood.
The change in material at the rear elevation that is adjacent to the market – the ARC did not want the exposed CMU to be visible from the street. The applicant should also consider how the transition between the two materials will occur. If possible, the metal paneling should extend to the ground.
10/19/21: The ARC voted to defer the application for further review. The ARC agreed that the conceptual design of the two-story section along Poeyfarre St. (section A in the diagram) was not successful, as it mimics the proportions and materials of the existing building but lacks the level of detail associated with a more traditional style. Since that portion already relates to the historic building in massing, it could be a completely different material and style; however, the linear metal siding and slit windows of the upper volume (B) would not be appropriate at the street level. It should still relate to the context in terms of proportions, rhythm of openings, and ratio of solid wall to glazing. A more exaggerated hyphen between the existing building and the addition would help to further differentiate the two sections.