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Hot Links
Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans

Atelier Hitoshi Abe

Hot Links offers many different options 
for smart living. Through the inherent flex-
ibility of its organisation, this house can 
accommodate many arrangements – single 
family, multiple family, renter, tenant and 
live/work arrangements. 



INTERSTICES 11

Two shotgun houses are linked together and able to open, close or share the 
space between. In this way, much larger open spaces are created for private bed-
rooms or public living spaces. The flexible boundary between the residences can 
be soft and adapt to the changing needs of a family throughout the years. The 
array of 45 different plan options gives families the freedom to adapt their house 
size to their economic situation at little cost. If an owner desires a single-family 
house, they can choose from three-, four-, five- or six-bedroom designs. If even 
more space is required, opening up the attic and using it as loft space is also an 
option. If an owner’s family requires less space, they can split the residence into 
a duplex, granny-unit or a live-work unit to enable the development of a small 
business. Owners are able to re-create and customise their living situations as 
needed. The economic benefits of a flexible structure also translate into the eco-
logical benefits of a re-usable or re-purposed structure.



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The façade of the building has also been developed following a strategy of flexi-
bility. It can absorb different colours, sizes and quantities of cladding, depending 
on the availability of materials or economic conditions at a given time. Weaving 
different colors into one façade and taking advantage of this adaptability creates 
a new identity and residential fabric.

Project Manager: Midori Mizuhara 
Team: Ryohei Koike, Joe Willendra, Carmen Cham, Mina Nishio

Make It Right Foundation

The Make It Right Foundation is committed to building 150 energy-efficient, 
solar-powered, storm-resistant homes in New Orleans Lower 9th Ward, a neigh-
bourhood wiped out by Hurricane Katrina and the breach of the Industrial Ca-
nal levee. The Foundation began in December 2007 as a collaboration between 
actor Brad Pitt, Graft Architects, Cherokee Gives Back and William McDonough 
+ Partners. Today 32 families are either living in a Make It Right home or have 
one under construction. Another 50 Lower 9th Ward families are in the process 
of becoming Make It Right homeowners.

For more information: www.makeitrightnola.org