Connection, Separation, and Mediation
Connection, Separation, and Mediation
Interstitial Systems in Traditional New Orleans Architecture
This chapter examines interstitial spaces in traditional New Orleans architecture and how these in-between spaces interconnect to form a matrix of systems that surrounds and sometimes perforates a building in order to amend it to its surroundings, tempering the otherwise harsh relationship between a building and the hot, humid climate of southern Louisiana. Not only do interstitial systems fulfill crucial functional requirements, but they also help to modulate formal, spatial and experiential qualities, and mediate the nature of a building’s habitation and its urban relationships. This chapter proposes that interstitial systems were vital to the original success of New Orleans traditional house types, developing concurrently as indispensable constituents of the three distinct house types that eventually regularized here (the Creole Cottage, the Creole Townhouse and the Shotgun House) and, today, constituting a significant part of their enduring relevance and appeal.
Keywords: Interstitial systems, Traditional New Orleans architecture, Creole Cottage, Creole Townhouse, Shotgun House
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