BUILT BAYOU

BUILT BAYOU (/by.you/)

Williams Architects and Another Gulf is Possible (501 (c)(3)) partnered with local organizations to design, build, and deploy emergency shelters for residents living on the Bayou in Terrebonne Parish. Following Hurricane Ida, many residents in the South Terrebonne, including members of the United Houma Nation and Point-au-Chien Indian Tribe, were left on their land without shelter from the elements, and no power or water.

The original goal was to conceptualize, design, and build a prototype of a raised, modular, collapsible, movable, screened structure. The structure was designed to incorporate solar panels, electrical outlets, and water collection. The ultimate purpose was to design a shelter that provides relief from the elements while residents are unable to comfortably inhabit their homes, is simple enough for anyone to build and take down, and can be scaled for larger distribution. 

The project successfully deployed 4 structures and the partners are currently evaluating their life cycle and next steps. Thank you to everyone who helped with the construction and deployment of the structures up to this point!


PARTNERS

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Another Gulf Is Possible is a women-of-color led,  grassroots collaborative of ten members from Brownsville, Texas to Pensacola, Florida. We are built upon decades of organizing resulting in a strong and rooted ecosystem of relationships between individuals tied to a multitude of organizations, networks, communities, and alliances from the US Gulf South to the Global South. Monique Verdin is an interdisciplinary storyteller who documents the complex relationship between environment, culture, and climate in southeast Louisiana. She is a citizen of the Houma Nation, director of The Land Memory Bank & Seed Exchange and a member of the Another Gulf Is Possible Collaborative. Monique co-produced the documentary My Louisiana Love and her work has been included in a variety of environmentally inspired projects, including the multiplatform performance Cry You OneUnfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas, and the collaborative book Return to Yakni Chitto: Houma Migrations.


Founded in 2014, GoodWood is a New Orleans based design and build firm specializing in custom furniture and architectural fabrication. The skillful team of artisans construct distinctive pieces and spaces for concepts around the nation. GoodWood showcases a project’s personality through unique, timeless pieces consciously designed with functionality and ergonomics.


CICADA is a multidisciplinary design firm specializing in design at all scales, including master planning, historic renovation, contemporary new construction, 3D printing, and interactive art. We thrive on diversity of design challenges and have honed our skills working in the unique environment of New Orleans, where beautiful but decaying historic buildings and a constantly evolving climate result in architectural and design quandaries.


Footprint Project is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization whose mission is to provide cleaner energy for communities in crisis. They accomplish this by deploying mobile solar systems to support disaster relief and recovery operations, often in conjunction with other NGOs.


Nouveau Electric Records is an independent record label based in Arnaudville, prioritizing work in Louisiana French, though releases are not exclusively francophone. Founded by Louis Michot in 2018, NER seeks to bridge the gap between tradition and evolution by introducing new creative visions to the centuries-old instrumentation and expressive vocabularies of the region.


Solar Alternatives, Inc. is the Gulf South’s leading provider of clean energy systems and management solutions, including solar and battery storage design, installation and maintenance. Since 2008, the company has proudly served clients across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.


PRESS & MEDIA

Project brings creative temporary housing to Terrebonne Parish after Hurricane Ida: The Houma Times, 12.27.21

Read the Press Release for the live build at the Louisiana Sunshine Festival on November 28.