Regional Modernism :: The New Orleans Archives

"All good architecture has a close relation to the environment."
- Nathaniel Courtlandt Curtis, 1936

The concept of 'regionalism' is inherent to the image of New Orleans architecture. Memories and perceptions of our built environment and landscape are very specific and rooted in this place. Our courtyards are rich with tropical greens and our galleries protect us from the rain and sun. These formal elements transcend time and connect us again and again to this place.

Regionalism may be defined here as a sense of belonging, exhibiting shared characteristics which connect us to the past and connect a building to both its neighborhood and the natural environment.

The Roy House will be on the beach facing the Mississippi Sound and will be used as a summer residence and week-end home during winter. It will be one room deep only to permit the breezes from the water to circulate freely. Large screened galleries will run the length of the home on both sides, and the narrow end walls will be solid. Inside, all partitions will stop within one foot of the ceiling to allow cross ventilation.