Archinect - News

Making it right: Brad Pitt's foundation settles for $20.5 million in faulty post-Katrina homes lawsuit

2022-08-18T15:06:00-04:00

A settlement has been reached in the yearslong saga surrounding Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation and residents of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.

NOLA.com is reporting that the foundation will pay a total of $20.5 million in the form of individual $25,000 reimbursements available to any plaintiffs covered by the class action suit, which was first initiated in 2018.

The foundation’s attorneys did not immediately comment on the outcome of the highly-publicized case, which stems from flawed designs, faulty construction techniques, rotting building materials, and unsafe living conditions documented in nearly all of the 109 total homes built between 2008 and 2015 through the foundation. (A mere 6 of which are still considered to be in “reasonably good shape,” according to a January report from University of Illinois urban geographer Judith Keller.)

Previously on Archinect: Brad Pitt's foundation facing lawsuit for post-Katrina homes amidst reports they are falling apart

“This is one of ...

Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation sues its former executive director

2021-04-12T19:06:00-04:00

On Friday, the Make It Right Foundation sued its former executive director, Tom Darden III, along with the former treasurer and other officials, accusing them of mismanaging the $65 million project between 2007 and 2016. The suit, filed in in Civil District Court, also alleges that Darden and the others misled fellow Make It Right officials, including Pitt.

The legal saga around the Make It Right Foundation continues: after facing a lawsuit of their own for delivering improperly constructed homes as part of the initiative's high-profile post-Hurricane Katrina housing initiative in New Orleans and then suing the architect responsible for the flawed designs, the foundation is now reportedly taking aim at former executive director Tom Darden III and other leadership team members.

Previously on Archinect: David Adjaye-designed house for Brad Pitt's Make It Right initiative to be demolished

David Adjaye-designed house for Brad Pitt's Make It Right initiative to be demolished

2020-10-09T14:06:00-04:00

Another building constructed through Brad Pitt's Make It Right affordable housing initiative in New Orleans is in trouble: after complaints and lawsuits over "shoddy construction" of a number of houses were brought forward in recent years, leading to the demolition of one rain-damaged and rotting 7-year-old house in 2018, now the house designed by acclaimed architect David Adjaye, who just won this year's Royal Gold Medal, has been ordered to be torn down as well.

Previously on Archinect: Brad Pitt, Make It Right face lawsuit for "shoddy construction"

"The house at 1826 N. Reynes St. [...] was completed and sold by Make It Right in 2011 for $130,000," reports Dough MacCash for Nola. "Two years later, the buyer sold it back to the non-profit for a similar amount. When new, it was an audacious-looking home. The upper story of the house was an open-air patio protected from rain by a roof supported by vertical wooden posts. Those posts are now so deteriorated that the roof has partially...

Brad Pitt, Make It Right face lawsuit for "shoddy construction"

2019-10-26T07:00:00-04:00

According to Nola, "Brad Pitt will remain as a defendant in a lawsuit that alleges shoddy construction of some of the homes his foundation helped build in the Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina, an Orleans Parish judge has ruled."

In the midst of the allegations, Pitt and other members of the Make It Right Foundation requested to be removed from the suit that was filed by two homeowners, as they felt they could not be held personally responsible for the construction of the homes.

The actor's foundation built over 100 affordable homes in response to Katrina in an effort to show how good design could help address the threats of natural disaster. The two homeowners filed their suit against Make It Right in September of last year, claiming "deficient construction that caused mold, poor air quality, structural failures, electrical malfunctions, plumbing mishaps, rotting wood and faulty heating, ventilation and cooling." It was during this same time that the foundation sued their arc...

Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation sues architect for flawed designs

2018-09-20T13:39:00-04:00

Actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation has sued the architect of scores of homes the nonprofit sold to Lower 9th Ward residents who lost everything to Hurricane Katrina. Make it Right itself was recently sued over the homes’ shoddy construction. The new lawsuit against local architect John C. Williams was filed Tuesday in Orleans Parish Civil District Court.

Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation, recently facing a lawsuit of their own on delivering poorly constructed homes, is now suing John C. Williams, the architect responsible for many of the homes sold to New Orleans residents. Repairs to the water damaged homes caused by flawed designs could cost over $20 million.

Brad Pitt's foundation facing lawsuit for post-Katrina homes amidst reports they are falling apart

2018-09-04T14:21:00-04:00

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward in 2005, Brad Pitt set up the Make It Right Foundation to aid in the rebuilding efforts. The non-profit charity, promoting energy efficient technology and high quality architecture, promised LEED Platinum-certified structures designed by star architects—like the homes designed by Frank Gehry—to help house families in one of the city's hardest hit areas.

Thirteen years since the hurricane's passing, the foundation has struggled to deliver on its pledge and is now facing a potential lawsuit over the conditions of the now falling apart homes. Reports from residents include roofs caving in, wood rotting, and walls collapsing, as well as claims of severe headaches and other health problems caused by electrical and plumbing issues.

"Essentially, Make It Right was making a lot of promises to come back and fix the homes that they initially sold these people and have failed to do so. We have some people who have gotten sick, o...

Make It Right reveals new family-housing designs for Kansas City

2015-02-03T23:12:00-05:00

Make It Right, the non-profit organization founded by actor Brad Pitt in 2007, recently revealed six new single-family housing designs for the Manheim Park neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri. The single-family homes will be built on vacant lots directly across the Bancroft School Apartments, an affordable housing and community complex that Make It Right collaboratively built in 2013 to provide homes for young people transitioning out of foster care, seniors, and families in need.

Six local architecture firms designed each of the houses in collaboration with the Manheim Park Neighborhood Association and homeowners in the community.

Cover image: El Dorado Inc.

BNIM Architects:

DRAW architecture + urban design:

Hufft Projects:

KEM Studio:

Pendulum Studio:

You can support the project through donations.

International architecture star Shigeru Ban is a Prospect.3 no show

2014-11-11T14:40:00-05:00

Internationally renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is one of the biggest names on the roster of New Orleans' international art festival, Prospect.3. But his exhibit at Longue Vue House and Gardens is a non-starter. [...] Unfortunately, whatever plans Ban had for presenting a structure or artwork at Prospect.3 must have fallen through, because the exhibit at Longue Vue is comprised of nothing more than a sleepy selection of miniature architectural models and photos.

Brave New Recycling Economy: Movement Turns Trash to Treasure

2014-08-18T17:14:00-04:00

Every piece of garbage can be turned into raw material that can be used in future products. With his influential Cradle to Cradle movement, Germany's Michael Braungart espouses a form of eco-hedonism that puts smart production before conservation.

Recently on Archinect: Student Works: This house made of trash teaches a lesson in green housekeeping

Make It Right unveils new designs for Native American housing in Montana

2014-06-23T13:10:00-04:00

The Make It Right foundation has unveiled its new home designs for the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes of Fort Peck, Montana. Following LEED Platinum certification and Cradle to Cradle practices, the foundation is known for building sustainable homes for people in need. For the Ft. Peck project, Make It Right plans to build twenty solar-powered homes for tribal members, and develop a sustainable master plan for the reservation of over 6,000 people.

Designers and architects involved included GRAFT, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative, Architecture for Humanity, Method Homes and Living Homes. The homes will be available to tribal members with a household income of 60% or lower than the area's median income.

Find more information on the Ft. Peck project from Make It Right here.

Editor's Picks #349

2014-01-07T14:37:00-05:00

For the latest edition in The Deans List interview series, Amelia Taylor-Hochberg spoke with Sarah Whiting, Dean of the Rice School of Architecture in Houston, Texas.

Therein, Dean Whiting discussed her belief that one of "the biggest challenge faced by any architect today is how not to get squelched by ridiculously low budgets and a lack of understanding of architecture’s value", the unique Preceptorship year a signature part of RSA’s undergraduate program and their new one-year Master of Arts in Architecture program called Present Future.

Donna Sink was super-impressed "Wow, awesome interview and program sounds so great. It sounds like an intense and focused community yet one that respects each individual's passions and small areas if interest. Plus I LOVE that it offers a BArch with a year of internship! Great model".

News
Looking back on 2013, Christopher Hawthorne architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times wrote "it suggests that the idea around which I organized my r...

Wood product said to be rotting in 'Make It Right' homes in New Orleans

2014-01-02T15:30:00-05:00

Actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which has built 100 energy-efficient new homes in the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Lower 9th Ward, is considering legal action against the manufacturer of an innovative glass-infused wood that was used in some of the homes’ outdoor steps and front porches. The wood has begun rotting, despite being guaranteed for 40 years, a Make It Right spokeswoman said.

Cradle to Cradle Innovation Challenge 2013 Winners reinvent safe, sustainable building products

2013-11-18T13:59:00-05:00

Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Make It Right honored the winners of their Innovation Challenge on Nov. 15 at the Innovation Celebration in New York City. The challenge was established in 2012 as a chance for innovators to reinvent and respond to the issues on how building products are designed, manufactured, and consumed.

Starting from 144 applicants to 10 finalists, the jury chose four winners:

1st place: bioMASON biobrick
2nd place: Ecovative Mushroom Insulation
3rd place tie: ECOR Universal Construction Panels and ROMA Domus Mineral Paints

Ecovative is also the winner of the 2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge.

Brad Pitt's "Make It Right" opens LEED-platinum housing complex in Kansas City

2013-11-11T15:50:00-05:00

Make It Right, an organization that helps communities rebuild after environmental or economic disasters, opened its most recent project in Kansas City, Missouri this past Saturday. The project focused on the abandoned and badly damaged Bancroft School plot, renovating the school building into LEED Platinum apartments, and constructing new homes on the grounds (designed by local BNIM Architects). The community complex also includes an auditorium, gym, computer lab and public gardens.

Originally founded by Brad Pitt in response to the alarmingly slow rate of reconstruction in post-Katrina New Orleans, Make It Right uses urban acupuncture tactics to help damaged cities recuperate. According to Director of Innovation Tim Duggan, projects like the Bancroft School can help "[transform] the focal point in a blighted neighborhood into a catalyst for redevelopment. And we believe this can be a model for communities around the country".

Since its founding in 2007, Make It Right ha...

AIA, Make It Right, St. Bernard Project and AFH launch competition to aid disaster survivors

2013-06-13T12:14:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced a strategic partnership with Make It Right, St. Bernard Project and Architecture for Humanity to launch “Designing Recovery,” an ideas competition created to aid in the rebuild of sustainable and resilient communities. The competition, which is designed to help survivors of three recent natural disasters, was announced as a Commitment to Action at CGI America, an annual event of the Clinton Global Initiative focused on finding solutions that promote economic recovery in the United States.

Dow Building Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, is sponsoring the award, providing building science expertise and products.

The “Designing Recovery” competition will take place in three distinct settings – New Orleans, LA; Joplin, MO; and New York, N.Y. – where the non-profit partner organizations are already working to recover from previous disasters. The partner organizations will assemble a portfolio, or patter...

Editor's Picks #273

2012-07-15T11:00:00-04:00

Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live". Meanwhile hanque helpfully pointed out "if you look at the RFP they've already been designed."

Archinect’s latest project featured in the Showcase series is the House in Ovar, Portugal, by architect, Paula Santos.

News
NYC launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to create additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the city’s changing demographics. The focus being on developing new proposals for a rental building composed primarily, or completely, of micro-units -- apartments smaller than what is allowed under current regulations.

Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live. I spent a year in a 275 sq ft ...

First Frank Gehry Home Completed by Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation

2012-07-13T13:00:00-04:00

Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation (remember THE PINK PROJECT?) has sent us first images of the new home Frank Gehry designed for the initiative. Completed this week, the building is located in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, the neighborhood most devastated by Hurricane Katrina back in August of 2005. To date, this is the only Gehry-designed home in Louisiana, and—complying with Make It Right's core mission—built to LEED Platinum certification standards.

Here's the official press release we've received from Make It Right:

July 13, 2012, New Orleans – Make It Right, founded by Brad Pitt to build sustainable homes for communities in need, is proud to announce the completion of the organization's first home by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Gehry's duplex design was completed this week in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, the neighborhood most devastated by Hurricane Katrina. This home is one of only 22 Gehry residences in the United States and the only Gehry home in Louisiana.

...

Brad Pitt’s foundation to help redevelop Bancroft School

2012-02-21T14:31:00-05:00

A bond forged in storm-ravaged New Orleans between actor Brad Pitt and a local architecture firm is bearing fruit in Kansas City — and may show the path forward to reusing dozens of empty schools. The long-closed Bancroft School at 4300 Tracy Ave. will be renovated into affordable apartments and a community center with the aid of the Make It Right Foundation founded by Pitt...