Xavier University Arts Village

Following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Xavier University tasked Landis and project partners with responding to a series of strategic goals to radically transform the flooded Art Department's administrative, classroom and studio facilities. The project included the renovation of a series of loosely connected storm-ravaged buildings into a remarkably inspirational, unified micro-campus environment. Additional components of the project involved selective interior and exterior renovations of the three existing buildings, and a redesigned site drainage system, which utilized previous paving stones at the pedestrian mall within the confines of the sculpture garden to create a rain garden to further mitigate the high flood risk common to that part of New Orleans. The use of metal awning and painting of the building exteriors satisfied aesthetic goals to create a common vernacular among the buildings, and the installation of decorative metal and masonry perimeter walls provided added security while maintaining a high degree of transparency within the Gert Town neighborhood it serves.