Camp Street Residence

Creating connection for daily life through architecture and construction.

Category
Custom Residential

Location
New Orleans, LA

Size
9,116 SF

Year
2016

This historic residential apartment building underwent two iterations of design with Trapolin-Peer Architects, first in 1988 and again in 2016. The 1988 design created three simple, identical multi-family floor plans above the first-floor art gallery and workspace. As the building came into new ownership, the client’s needs shifted toward a single-family residence with an open floor plan in 2016.

The primary design objective was to maintain visual connection to vibrant Camp Street and to the tranquil private back patio. The floor plan was organized to create openness and visibility. Cased openings connecting large living spaces align with existing historic windows at the front and rear facades. While standing at the kitchen sink, there is a visual connection to all public areas of the home—playroom, living room, outdoor patio, and dining room.

The upper floors above echo this aesthetic, using implied linear relationships to the historic windows to organize rooms and circulation. A theme of connection recurs throughout the home; including the master bathroom with separate his-and-her areas that connect through a spacious shared shower.

The concept of connection also informed construction methods. During construction, the masonry walls, originally covered with plaster, were exposed in the first floor spaces. New structural beams at the rear façade permitted installation of a large three-panel sliding glass door to connect the exterior patio to the first-floor entertainment space. Changes in use allowed greater openness in an existing utilitarian egress stair, transforming it into a feature that connects the ground-floor social spaces to the more private living areas above.

Recognition

Awards + Press

ENR Texas & Louisiana
Award of Merit
2016