behind the scenes at Make It Right
Posted by Olivia F., St. Paul's youth group
We have all probably heard of Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation and today the group that I was in was given a behind-the-scenes tour of it. I had thought that it was somewhat stupid to spend about $200/sq. ft., but now I understand. Make It Right provides ‘green homes’ to families that lost theirs in the Ninth Ward; they are building a community that is sustainable, healthy, and safe.
At a first glance, the houses look kind of crazy. Their roofs are slanted and the architecture is sometimes questionable (in my opinion), but the people who planned them are geniuses. They think of absolutely everything. They have solar panels on the roofs that generate more power than what is needed, and this extra energy goes back into the grid. To reduce runoff the concrete is pervious, and the house is cooled with a geothermal system.
Even though these houses are expensive, they are worth it. The world needs communities like the one Make It Right is creating, and this is the future. I hope that their work continues and that more families are able to own an eco-house in the Ninth Ward.
Olivia
As an architect I am very interested in what you saw. I was not aware of these houses going up in the ninth ward. I hope you have pictures for us to see what these houses actually looked like. I can’t wait to hear all about them.
David