Plus One Construction, L.L.C.

Jun 2014

How many people does it take to make a full house? According to Peggy Mitchell, "You're never full. There's always room for more." With 40 people seeking refuge in her 3 bedroom, 2 bath house after Hurricane Katrina, Peggy speaks from experience. Peggy and James Mitchell, who transplanted to Baton Rouge from New Orleans in the late 1970's, and still have lots of family in New Orleans; family that needed shelter in August, 2005. "I was standing in the kitchen just staring at that side tree; just staring at it when I heard the one in the back begin to fall," Peggy recalls. The 80 foot tree crashed through the house taking out one of the bedrooms and a bathroom. Though no one was hurt, the entire back half of the house was crushed leaving one bedroom and bath for 40 people to share. "We just made do. People slept on the kitchen floor, under the table, wherever they could find a spot," Peggy remembers. And so they existed for months until New Orleans re-opened and the majority of their evacuees were able to return to their homes. By the beginning of October and with the occupancy down to 5, the Mitchells were finally able to get the tree removed from their home. With the tree gone, they were able to tear down the destroyed rear bedroom and bath, secure the doorways with plywood and cover the many holes in the roof with blue tarps. For most, rebuilding would begin at this point, but no so for the Mitchells. Finances did not allow for traditional funding so they pursued less traditional ones. A local attorney and life long friend helped navigate the government systems and agencies to get them what money he could. Finding an architect was difficult. Not willing to give up, Peggy turned to Habitat for Humanity. They qualified for the program but Habitat's standard home design would not fit on their narrow lot. They were given the option of receiving a Habitat home in a community over 10 miles away. But Peggy and James had lived in Valley Park for over 40 years and leaving was not an option. Our design/build firm took on this challenge to show our commitment to the community, help a family in need and demonstrate that good design can be delivered at a reasonable cost.

Baton Rouge, LA

May 2014

A forgotten piece of land adjacent to an Interstate becomes the site of a home that reinterprets how average Americans can live. This house encourages and nurtures small business ventures as well as flexible living/working situations. The house simultaneously functions as a home, art/design studio, and occasional gallery. It is equipped with over 250 linear feet of gallery lighting, as well as a billboard-like art installation attached to its exterior walls. The images that wrap the structures are easily changed for various events and occasions. The site for this project is in the Perkins Road Over-Pass area, where one can walk to a locally owned and operated grocery store, hardware store, drugstore, dry cleaner, and bookstore. The overpass also contains some of Baton Rouges best restaurants and bars. This dense commercial area is bisected by a raised section of Interstate 10, which serendipitously serves as covered parking for the surrounding establishments. Despite its economic success, the area has retained a raw, gritty character. The site for this project is located on the edge of this commercial district and backs up to the Interstate. Due to the lots unusual dimensions, zoning, and proximity to the Interstate, it remained vacant for over 40 years. This project won a Louisiana AIA Honor Award and was published in Dwell Magazine.

Baton Rouge, LA

Jul 2013

A contemporary residential renovation/addition to accommodate an expanding family, facilitate modern lifestyle and establish a strong connection with the natural assets on the property. The project involved 6 major design moves: 1. Paving strips that connect the front mead-ow, visitor parking and entry with the back patio, fire pit and private pond. The pattern is carried through the home echoed in the tile pattern of the kitchen, master bath and private court 2. Large sliding glass window systems in critical locations to provide a visual and direct physical connection between the interior and exterior 3. Light shaft and new stairs that open up living spaces and connect the first and second floors. The shaft is terminated with a series of operable skylights that floor the center of the home with natural light and allow hot air to escape through replacement with cooler air from the perimeter windows 4. Master suite addition with master bath, courtyard with outdoor shower, and master closet with window seat. 5. Kitchen renovation that flow out to a covered patio and fully equipped outdoor kitchen 6. And perhaps the most dramatic feature a guest suite that hovers under an 80 year old live oak tree. All the new additions are clad with an ipe rain screen that keeps direct sun from hitting the exterior walls therefore reducing solar heat transmission.

Baton Rouge, LA

Oct 2012

Slicing through a narrow, wooded lot, in an old Baton Rouge neighborhood, stands a recently constructed contemporary home, situated comfortably within its modest surroundings. Incorporating two longitudinal, metal clad forms that intersect the lot, the home mimics the cutting action of a pair of scissors. The client did not require a lot of square footage for her daily life, but she did require the ability to entertain large groups of people at different times of the year. To accomplish this, the home was designed with a number of outdoor rooms that have a variety of solar orientations. Key spaces in the house have large sliding glass panels that access these outdoor rooms. The design also capitalized on the site???s mature trees to provide ample shade and filtered sunlight. This enhances the owner's ability to find a comfortable, outdoor space at almost any time of the day, during every season of the year. Leveraging the outdoor spaces allows this small, modest house to live big. All the essential living spaces of the house were placed on the first floor & designed to allow the client to age-in-place. She can live out the rest of her years in this house, without changing her life style or activities. Placing the guest room suite on the second floor created two covered outdoor spaces & simultaneously enhanced the homes sense of privacy by elevating the bedrooms into the tree canopy.

Baton Rouge, LA