2024 | New Construction | 4,200 sq. ft.
427 South Rampart Street
Karnofsky Tailor Shop Reconstruction
The Karnofsky Tailor Shop at 427 South Rampart Street in New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in 2021. This structure and three other extant buildings on the block are all that remains from the street’s historically significant period in the early twentieth century, when the 300 and 400 blocks of South Rampart Street were the epicenter of the creation of jazz music in New Orleans. Studio West was selected by the existing owners to design the reconstruction of the Karnofsky Tailor Shop.
Heritage on the edge: addressing resiliency in a changing climate
In designing the reconstruction of a destroyed building with an illustrious history, Studio West carefully researched and studied all available resources, including historic and recent photographs. To reconstruct the building to withstand future hurricanes, modern construction techniques, including a steel building frame and metal stud wall, were chosen for the rebuild. The existing brick masonry units were carefully salvaged and will be reused in a cavity-wall construction for the reconstruction.
Historic reconstruction with modern construction techniques
Being destroyed by a natural disaster, the structure was no longer eligible for Historic Tax Credits, although the property is still subject to a Preservation Easement administered by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. Over the course of six months discussing this unique and unprecedented situation, Studio West worked closely with the Preservation Resource Center Preservation Easement Committee, utilizing the National Park Service Standards for Reconstruction, to develop construction drawings for the building that are true to the original historic structure from the exterior, while constructing a new sustainable and resilient structure that will stand the test of time.
