I was in New Orleans last week at a conference for some of the best Architects and Interior Designers in the country. Called the Design Summit, it gave us some great opportunities to talk about doing business in this economy etc etc. One of the most interesting panel discussions though had to do with architectural preservation and what that means in a city like New Orleans. It really struck me that in a place like the French Quarter, it is less about the architecture and more about the place that that architecture creates, so preservation of the whole area is required to save anything at all.
I also did a quick ride over to see the lower 9th ward as well, that was just devastated. Sadly it remains largely that way still, it was interesting to see some hope though. A few of the homes from Brad Pitts "Make it Right" Foundation are going up, and hopefully will be the beginning of another vibrant community.
