ARCH 7005 Graduate Design Studio V
Graduate Design Studio V introduces students to contextual building design in an urban setting with emphasis on site and context analysis and community planning in a collaborative working environment. Professor Zwirn’s studio focused on the issues of urban housing and repurposing older structures. The site was the World Trade Tower designed by Edward Durrell Stone in the 1970s, located at the foot of Canal Street in New Orleans. Students were asked to redesign the building without significantly changing the historically designated building envelope. The students were responsible for designing a mixed-use complex incorporating small parcels of adjacent vacant land. The final result was a hotel with luxury condominiums/rental units at the upper levels, an extension for retail development on the adjacent parcels of land, and parking for the hotel and apartment residents. Students also discussed public policies and the financial implications of such an undertaking.
