Project Description

Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, owners viewed the LaFitte neighborhood in New Orleans as a great place to provide mixed-income housing in close proximity to the city’s downtown area. The cultural and historical nature of the area provides a wonderful backdrop for this neighborhood. Accessibility to community services, as well as close walking distance to most neighborhood facilities makes this area very desirable. The plan was to create a combination of owned and rental properties in a variety of layouts and sizes. Single-family homes, duplexes and larger multi-family units would be built based on historical New Orleans architecture. The entire project would eventually span 27 acres and create 1,500 housing units, covering approximately eight city blocks.

Unique Requirements/Solutions

The redevelopment plan called for a unique specification of window. The details had to be architecturally correct. It also had to be a high-performance, impact-rated window in order to withstand severe weather. And last but not least, it had to be affordable. Windsor’s Legend Hybrid (HBR) product was the perfect solution. Legend HBR combines a wood clad sash with a cellular PVC frame, providing accurate design details and the strength to meet stringent impact-resistance standards. Exterior casings replicate the wood details reminiscent of regional architecture, making Legend HBR the perfect solution for historic renovations. Low-maintenance, decay-resistant CPVC met the need for sustainability. By speccing different trim and grille patterns for each building, architects were able to create a variety of elevations.

Comments from Project Associates

“Budget constraints on a project of this size can be restrictive. But, regardless of cost challenges, the finished product has to be right. Our model was next door – the architecture of New Orleans. Windsor windows were the original specification by the architects, but Windsor’s commitment was as if they had to earn the sale of each unit. They, along with their distributor, WinDoor Design, “partnered” with us on best practices. From training us on the product, staging the orders, arranging jobsite delivery, as well as overseeing the installation, this type of coordination and follow-up was critical. With their active involvement, recommendations became solutions… in advance. This level of support is invaluable from a supplier.” – Philip Bonner, Project Superintendent