The impact of seeing New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina really left a huge impression on me. I've ridden a bike through the Ninth Ward twice now - once four years ago and, again, last year. The difference is uplifting and is a well-deserved slap in the face to all those people who said New Orleans would never recover. A truly unsung hero of the effort to get NOLA back on its feet is Brad Pitt, who started the Make It Right Organization which has, thus far, built 50 homes in the 16 square blocks right where the levy originally broke in the Ninth Ward. As a result, 200 people have returned to a neighborhood that was on feeble life support after the disaster. The organization is doing phenomenal work, obviously, but, in particular, I want to commend them for the amazing design skills they've brought to the project. The homes are not only wonderfully utilitarian but they're also amazing to look at. If you visit New Orleans, go see them. I'll add these houses to the already long list of the many things I love about this truly indestructible city. 
~JP Pullos
So fantastic JP. The images surrounding the aftermath of Katrina still resonate so strongly in my brain. I think I knew then that it would always be difficult to shake those truly devastating pictures, which I would imagine is really rather sad for a community to endure. Make It Right is going a long way toward erasing those images, burned in our brains. These homes are truly fabulous and unique.
ReplyDeleteAmazing homes and just so cool, great post!!:-)
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