Landis Construction Co., LLC

Second Line Stages

New Orleans, LA
An old taxi cab warehouse and abandoned surrounding properties were transformed in Louisiana’s first state-of-the-art media production facility and the nation’s first independent green film studio.  Located in the lower garden district of New Orleans, and overseen by the HDLC, the project consisted of a one square block renovation connecting four existing historic buildings and the construction of a new five-story building.  The layout includes three soundstages, production office space, a digital screening theatre, offices, conference area and a roof top terrace with magnificent views of the Mississippi River and Downtown New Orleans. 
 
Building inside a historic building, maintaining its integrity in all aspects was important while keeping the shell intact and creating an interior that conformed to twenty-first century sound stage requirements.  The project team was not only able to rehabilitate a shell of historic buildings, but also transform the location into a high-caliber soundstage.  All major elements of the project – from sound stages and office space to the parking lot – were included in the quest to be ‘green’.  Working with local architects and engineers, Second Line Stages was built to comply with the US Green Building Council standards and is scheduled to achieve LEED Silver rating.  Following the guidelines and using creative thinking onsite, the team was able to divert from landfills over 2,600 tons of construction waste!  This project was a major catalyst in catapulting the greater New Orleans area from a location site to a production site or “Hollywood South” as the area has been coined by local community leaders.