Honor Award, AIA New Orleans, 2000

Exhibition:
AIA National Convention, Philadelphia, PA, 2000
AAHSA 38th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Chicago, Il, 1999

Publication:
Design for the Aging: 2000 Review

Best New Architecture: New Orleans Magazine, May 2002, p 36-37 (by John Klingman, AIA)

Project Profile:

The Poydras Home was established in 1817 to provide a home for orphaned girls. It now functions as a home for the elderly, accommodating independent, assisted and dependant living residents. The complex of buildings includes the historic landmark main building (originally three stories) constructed in 1856 and two wings constructed in 1966 and 1973. The upper two floors of the main building were demolished in 1959 adversely affecting the proportions of the building. The Board of Managers commissioned E. Eean McNaughton Architects to provide a broad range of planning and design services. The primary goal was to improve and add to the physical facilities to provide the highest level of comfort, safety and services for the residents, while maintaining the architectural and residential character of the historic building and site.
Poydras Home is located at the corner of Magazine Street and Jefferson Avenue. The site planning and design maintains the park-like character of the site. New buildings are placed in the landscape creating a garden courtyard between the new and old buildings.

The Phase I design replaced an infirmary building built in 1973 with a new twenty-two room addition, new kitchen, laundry and service facilities. The dependant resident wing has new living and dining rooms, and a state-of-the-art nurse’s suite. The historic main building was renovated to provide improved assisted living and support functions. All existing buildings and new buildings comply with current codes and ADA requirements. The historic building was altered to comply with ADA requirements without adversely affecting the historic fabric. All of the construction was accomplished comfortably in sub phases without reduction of the resident population.
To improve the proportion and scale, and to provide for low maintenance, new steep slope roofs were constructed over the existing flat roofs of the main building and 1966 wing. The same sloped roof design is used for all new buildings.

The Phase II project added “Hunter House”, a ten bed Alzheimer’s wing addition and “Garden House”, a three-story building with ten one bed room independent living apartments.
Hunter House is a secure wing that houses residents suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. The wing includes ten private bedrooms each with a private toilet room, day room, dining room, living room, activity/therapy room, and spa. The area is secure from the other areas of the facility and “wanderers” are contained within the wing.

Garden House is an independent living apartment building. The building is the only structure on the Poydras Home’s campus not physically connected to the other buildings. Situated on the corner of Magazine and Leontine Streets the three-story building maintains the scale of the surrounding residential neighborhood. A front porch on the west side allows residents to sit comfortably outside during times of pleasant weather and look out on the front lawn.

Residents of Garden House are ambulatory and have the ability to come and go as they please. Some of the residents have their own vehicles and a private parking lot is located adjacent to the building.

The first floor of Garden House includes a parlor, living room with a fireplace, private dining/game room, laundry room, and two apartments, one unit fully handicap accessible. There are four apartments on each the second and third floors. Each apartment has its own kitchen, living/dining room and full bathroom. Ample natural light is provided in each unit.

With the completion of these two projects, Poydras Home’s state of the art campus is prepared to deliver quality services for its residents.

Owner: The Poydras Home

Architect: E. Eean McNaughton Architects

Cost:
Phase I
$5,000,000
Phase II
$3,000,000

Completion:
Phase I
1997
Phase II
2001