NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 27, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Two years after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, HomeAid, a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today's homeless, announced the completion of the first post-Katrina LEED-registered building for the transitionally homeless in New Orleans. A dedication ceremony will be held Monday, August 27 at 10:30am CT on the site of the New Orleans Mission, located at 1819 Clio Street in the Central City District.
The New Orleans Family Center, a 4,400-square-foot, two-story building that will house single women with children, single men with children and families with married parents displaced by the hurricane, serves as the first tangible example in the City for how to rebuild greener, smarter and more efficiently for the future. The project was designed by students at Tulane University's School of Architecture and was privately funded through donations made to HomeAid's Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund (GCRF) in the aftermath of the hurricanes of 2005. The Family Center's completion follows the re-opening of the renovated Women's Center, which was completed by HomeAid as part of the GCRF in 2006.
"We are thrilled to have two amazing new facilities on the New Orleans Mission campus and hope that it will serve as both a place where people in need can come to rebuild their lives, and as a catalyst for the revitalization of the Central City neighborhood," said Ron Gonzales, executive director of the New Orleans Mission. "We are extremely grateful for the talented and visionary team that came together to make this historic green building project a reality."
New Orleans-based JaRoy Construction, Inc. built the project, while Perez APC served as the project's architect of record, working in conjunction with Tulane University and Rodney Dionisio, a local architect and former Tulane School of Architecture graduate.
"While devastating to the City, Hurricane Katrina created a unique opportunity to rebuild in a sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly way that is unprecedented in this community," said Stephen Braquet, vice president of Perez APC and the 2006 president of the New Orleans chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). "The Family Center project is a shining example of the City's architectural, building, educational and non-profit communities coming together to set a standard for re-building in New Orleans."
Along with Tulane University, HomeAid has registered the Family Center project with the U.S. Green Council's LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and is expected to obtain Silver level certification.
Among the sustainable materials to be used in the home include bamboo flooring on the first floor; cork flooring on the second floor; "EcoSurfaces" in the children's playroom, an innovative material made of recycled tires and other post-consumer waste plastics; "3-Form" wall panels, an Eco-resin composite that enables a closed-loop recycling process, and can be broken down and re-used an infinite number of times; and HardiPlank exterior siding, a recycled wood fiber and cement-based composite that is impervious to water and insects. The Family Center also incorporates Georgia-Pacific's DensArmor Plus(r) paperless drywall, which incorporates fiberglass mats instead of paper facings front and back and moisture-resistant core that prevents potential mold growth. In addition, Energy Star kitchen appliances were donated by GE Consumer & Industrial.
The facility is equipped with efficient energy systems, including a Geothermal HVAC system; strategic glazing on the building to minimize sun exposure and reduce internal heat loads and energy requirements; and stack ventilation in each second-floor bedroom that includes a sloping, high ceiling that enables hot air to rise and escape through operable windows. Even the garden will be eco-friendly. The project consists of a large landscaped yard that utilizes many different plants, including several native to Louisiana, and large amounts of bamboo, a rapidly growing grass that is extremely renewable.
"As a national developer of housing for homeless families and individuals, HomeAid was in a unique position to respond to the housing crisis caused by Hurricane Katrina, and we are proud to announce the completion this remarkable build project," said Genette Eaton, chief executive officer of HomeAid. "It is an honor to be part of such a significant and historical project in the great City of New Orleans."
Corporate partners in the Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund include: Georgia-Pacific Corporation; GE Consumer & Industrial; Beazer Homes; Pella Corporation; James Hardie; CALPASC; Shea Homes; Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.; MBK Homes; Taylor Woodrow Homes; Crestwood Communities; Suncoast Post-Tension; Goodman Manufacturing; David Weekley Homes; Tilson Home Corporation; Doyle Stuckey Homes; Green Mountain Building Co.; Bassenian/Lagoni Architects; Masco Corporate Foundation and Owens Corning Foundation, Inc.
About The New Orleans Mission
The New Orleans Mission was established in 1989 as a private 501(c)3 corporation with the vision of providing spiritual and physical support for the poor and homeless of New Orleans. Governed by a Board of Directors, and managed by an Executive Director, the mission is the largest private service provider for the homeless in Central City New Orleans. All services, which are offered for free, include over-night emergency shelter, transitional housing, meals, clothing, showers, and a one-year recovery program. The mission also hosts a free health clinic for women on the weekends in collaboration with volunteer doctors from Louisiana State University hospital, and offers education and employment services for adults. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the mission fed more than 30,000 meals per month and slept up to 300 men and women nightly. Although the mission was severely damaged by the hurricane, it has since been repaired and remodeled to provide even greater support for the men, women and families it serves.
About HomeAid
HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today's homeless. Founded in 1989, the organization has built housing for more than 80,000 men, women and children. Established by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), HomeAid has completed more than 145 housing facilities nationwide with another 59 in development. HomeAid includes a network of 21 chapters in 15 states and four offices in Newport Beach, CA (headquarters); Washington, D.C.; Augusta, GA; and New Orleans, LA (for hurricane-rebuilding efforts). For more information about HomeAid visit www.homeaid.org or call 1-888-3HOMEAID.
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About Tulane University School of Architecture
Professional courses in architecture have been offered at Tulane University for more than a century. The school's graduates during this period have risen to positions of stature locally, regionally, and nationally within the architectural profession, and in the various allied design professions. Many of the school's faculty and its graduates have achieved stature in the arena of civic engagement in New Orleans and beyond. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the School has redoubled its activities in urban design in the rebuilding of the devastated city.