Resurrected in Green

New Orleans’ historic structures, public projects take aim at sustainability

By Candy McCampbell

All lights in the Roosevelt Hotel are low-energy fl uorescent except for the trademark chandeliers, which have been restored and use incandescent bulbs. Photo by Sam Barnes

A New Orleans landmark since 1893 reopened last summer, bringing back some of its classic attractions as well as a new look after a $145-million renovation.

The Roosevelt Hotel, whose basement and mechanical systems were damaged in flooding after Hurricane Katrina, is an example of the green building under way during New Orleans’ recovery.

The 500-room hotel has new high-efficiency mechanical systems, all new electrical wiring, low-water plumbing, low-volatile-organic-compound paint and wallpaper, recycled material in all insulation and recycled material in carpets, says Tod R. Chambers, the general manager.

“We’re the only building in downtown buying chilled water from a downtown plant,” so the “new” Roosevelt has no onsite chillers, he says.

Energy usage will be “a fraction” of its competitors’ usage, Chambers says.

All lights are low-energy fluorescent except for the trademark chandeliers, which have been restored and use incandescent bulbs.

The decision for a green renovation was “on purpose, for the efficiency,” Chambers says. “When you have the highest-rated systems, you don’t burn so much energy.”

Brice Building Co. of Metairie, La., was general contractor, and Steven J. Finegan Architects of New Orleans was architect for the job.

Meanwhile, the Stephens Garage, built in 1951 as a car dealership and used as a parking garage before being closed down after Katrina, is coming back as an apartment building with parking at the door.

In the Holy Cross neighborhood in the Lower 9th Ward, Global Green is building a green village with five houses and a multi-unit apartment building.

Developer and architect Marcel Wisznia is investing more than $35 million to build 65 apartments on the building’s exterior, add a fifth story and use the center core – and a car elevator – to let residents drive up to their doors to park.

The roof will get solar collectors that will produce enough energy for tenants to enjoy net-zero energy usage.

He even plans to install plugs for electric cars on each floor.

Tulane University, a hometown institution, is also part of the sustainable re-building effort.

Its Tulane City Center, an applied urban research and outreach organization, has built four houses in partnership with Neighborhood Housing Services to show how sustainable design and sustainable building materials can cut housing costs over the long term. Houses right now are demonstration models, each built with different materials to show different ways to build.

The houses are open to the public as they are completed to show doubters how the new ideas can work, even in affordable housing, says Dan Etheridge, associate director of the center.

A fixed-panel house with high R-values, for example, would cost slightly more to build but would be “incredibly reasonable to heat and cool,” he says.

Global Green, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based climate preservation organization, opened a New Orleans office to show residents how to build green.

In the Holy Cross neighborhood in the Lower 9th Ward, Global Green is building a green village with five houses and a multiunit apartment building, says Beth Galante, director of the New Orleans office.

The first house, now a tour site and a personal resource center, is a showcase for sustainable building features. It includes a metal roof with solar panels that provide all the electricity and a 1,000-gallon cistern to collect rainwater for irrigation and to flush toilets.

The house, designed by Workshop APD of New York in a national competition, also has low-flow faucets, Energy Star appliances and ceiling fans, linoleum-like natural kitchen counters, salvaged wood floors, recycled-content tile and no-VOC carpet.

Global Green will sell the affordable housing plans later.

At the St. Bakhita community in Jefferson Parish, Providence Community Housing got a grant to offset the cost of green features in 100 single-family townhouses it is building.

“We want these designs to be available because they should be very affordable,” Galante says.

With a 73% gain in energy efficiency, potential buyers should be able to qualify for a higher mortgage because they will have lower utility costs, she says. Borrowers qualify for mortgages based on their ability to repay the loan. If their utility costs are 30%-40% less, that much of their income is freed for other uses, like mortgage payments.

The site where the houses are being built is 7 ft above sea level, and they are standing 4 ft above ground.

Schools are also part of the sustainable agenda.

“We’re trying to show people that for a small investment they get a high and guaranteed payback,” Galante says.

Five schools are getting energy audits and technical assistance for improvements such as solar shades, occupancy sensors to turn lights off and on, compact florescent lights to replace incandescents, caulking and weather stripping, water-heater blankets and rainwater cisterns. Global Green gives each of the “Green Seed Schools” a grant of up to $75,000 for the work.

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At Tureaud Elementary School and the International School, energy savings alone will be more than $20,000 annually at each school, with paybacks due in 2.5 and 3.5 years, respectively. Global Green says, based on previous utility costs and savings from changes.

Enterprise Community Partners Inc., based in Columbia, Md., partnered with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Providence Community Housing of New Orleans to build 1,500 housing units – 900 rental and 600 owner-occupied – in two phases in the Lafitte public housing development and its surrounding Treme community. Providence is putting up $2.5 million. Other funding comes through a conglomeration of public, private and government funding and tax credit programs.

The project, which recently started, will use the Green Community Standard, which is similar to LEED and was developed for use with new construction or rehab jobs, says Michelle Whetten, director of Enterprise’s Gulf Coast office.

At the St. Bakhita community in Jefferson Parish, Providence got a grant to offset the cost of green features in 100 single-family townhouses it is building. Enterprise Community Partners is investing $17 million in equity in the project.

Among the features are Energy Star appliances, vent fans and light fixtures; low-E double glazed windows; low- or no-VOC paints, sealants and adhesives; front and rear porches; high-efficiency HVAC; passive-solar-site design; and proximity to public transportation.

Enterprise developments cost, on average, about 2% more to build green and the payback varies by project, Whetten says.

Tulane City Center, in the GreenBuild program, also has built a pair of pavilions to encourage sustainable life in the city.