Woodward Design + Build

Homes, sweet homes┬áAs New Orleans emerges from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, senior project manager Lane Louque talks to Gay Sutton about the role Woodward Design + Build is playing in revitalizing the local community. Orleans, one of the greatest music centers of the world, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in what has been described as the worst engineering disaster in the history of the United States.  Although the eye of the hurricane passed to the east of the city, the damage was done by the massive storm surge that rolled in from the Gulf of Mexico, broke through the old and failing defenses, and flooded more than 80 percent the city, rendering homes uninhabitable and inflicting untold hardship on the people least able to cope.Today, the cleanup and redevelopment is well under way. The French Quarter, where the damage was only minor, was back to normal quickly, but most areas were not so lucky. Some are approaching normality now, while others are still largely building or demolition sites. There is a desperate need for good housing, and of the original pre-Katrina population of around 455,000, just over 300,000 have so far returned to the city from the communities to which they were evacuated.Alongside the reconstruction of homes and businesses, a considerable amount of work is being done to improve the levees and increase the effectiveness of storm defenses, but there is a lot more to do. One company playing a major part in rebuilding the city and revitalizing its local communities is Woodward Design + Build.The company has just embarked on an innovative $100 million two-year construction and renovation program that will see the C.J. Peete Housing Development transformed into a less densely packed residential area providing accommodation for 460 mixed-income families. Experts believe that the mixture of public rental housing units and market-rate housing units set around a school and equipped with community facilities, public park areas and childrenÔÇÖs play areas will transform the neighborhood into an attractive and safe place to live.As general contractor on this ambitious project, Woodward Design + Build is managing the work as two separate contracts. The construction of the roads and utility infrastructure for the housing project is valued at $13 million. But the larger contract, priced at around $87 million, includes the construction of 112 new two- or three-story buildings. The largest of these is a three-story 40-unit building that consists of one- and two-bedroom apartments, with an adjacent swimming pool, a fitness center and community areas.Three older buildings on the site have been saved from the demolition that has removed the rest of the flood-damaged properties. The historic residence building is scheduled to be totally gutted. ÔÇ£The exterior fa├ºade will remain in place, but we will demolish and rebuild the interior, constructing 10 new apartment units that will be in keeping with the new modern units,ÔÇØ explains senior project manager Lane Louque. ÔÇ£Another building, known as the administration building, will retain its fa├ºade, but we will reconstruct the interior, and it should house the maintenance needs for the community. Beyond maintenance, the use of the remainder of this building is to be determined.ÔÇØ The third remaining building is the local community center, and this will undergo some renovations as well.Ground was officially broken on the site on January 6 this year, and work commenced on February 4. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre working to a very aggressive schedule,ÔÇØ Louque says. ÔÇ£We anticipate turning over some units by the end of the year, and the completion of all units is due by February 4, 2011, which is less than 21 months away.ÔÇØMany factors can knock a build schedule off course, but in New Orleans the greatest risk comes from the regionÔÇÖs tropical climate. There is a high level of annual rainfall, with a peak occurring during the summer months, and according to Louque, Woodward Design + Build is taking steps to avoid weather-related delays to the schedules. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖve built some allowance for rain into our schedule. Additionally, we have also chosen to panelize the project, which should help minimize the impact of adverse weather,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£All the structures we are building are wood framed. Instead of using loose lumber materials on site, the walls are being manufactured in a plant and then shipped to us in sections. This will allow us to continue producing panels during bad weather,ÔÇØ Louque continues. ÔÇ£Another benefit of this method of construction is that we can graphically model how the buildings will be laid out, which increases our quality control and means we should have less design conflicts.ÔÇØ All of which will help speed up the building process.The weather is also a continuing hazard to the people of New Orleans, and their memories of the devastation and suffering in the aftermath of Katrina are still very vivid. One of the measures being taken to protect the new properties and their future occupants from flooding is to raise the buildings to a reassuring three feet above ground level by infilling the construction areas. The future residents are also assured of a continuing commitment to their welfare. Property lead developer McCormack Baron Salazar, who brought the entire project togetherÔÇöwresting success from the jaws of failure by bringing Goldman Sachs into the partnership after a major financial backer pulled out at the last momentÔÇöis committed to remaining with the project. ÔÇ£Not only have they made a tremendous commitment to the community by making this project a reality,ÔÇØ Louque says, ÔÇ£but they will also continue to be involved in the local management for years to come.ÔÇØThere is still a desperate need for further housing in the city, and Woodward Design + Build is working on several other building contracts for residential property. ÔÇ£We are currently building several multifamily residential projects,ÔÇØ Louque says. ÔÇ£We are also noticing that previously vacant commercial buildings are also being considered as potential buildings that may be converted into residential units to meet the housing need.ÔÇØThis home-building activity also has another great benefit to the local community. ÔÇ£In a time when you hear of so many bad situations due to the economy, it has been refreshing for us to be involved in a project thatÔÇÖs helping to stabilize the local economy as well as providing additional housing where thereÔÇÖs a shortage,ÔÇØ Louque finishes. ÔÇ£We may be employing as many as 400 people at certain peak times in this project, and that has allowed us to make a big impact on the community by securing livelihoods.ÔÇØ  ÔÇô Editorial research by Alan Iodice┬á