Project
Info
Tucked into a quiet corner of the Irish Channel, this 4-bay Creole cottage has stood since 1860. Once home to a neighborhood marching club called The Corner Club in the late 1920s, and a mechanical auto shop, the structure had long since slipped into disrepair and beyond its original designed program: weather-worn, structurally fragile, and fading quietly into the background.
In collaboration with ownership, historic tax credit consultants, and interior designer Martha Pearson, CICADA led a full-scale revival, approaching preservation as both an act of restraint and invention. Every decision was driven by the bones of the building, but layered with interventions that gave the home a bold, contemporary spirit.
Laser scanning technology allowed us to document the existing structure with high precision, unlocking the potential of unusable zones, most notably the attic, now transformed into a fully built-out living space. Cleverly integrated within the original roof form, the attic feels both expansive and discreet, leaving the massing and front elevation unaltered, a testament to high-fidelity digital modeling and spatial strategy.
In the rear yard, a new pool anchors a playful and unexpected outdoor moment, rare for a historic property of this scale. The original lean-to structure was reimagined as a breezy indoor/outdoor lounge and expanded kitchen, centered around a wide sliding window that blurs the line between interior and courtyard. This adaptive reuse of a traditionally service-oriented volume brings a fresh sociability to the rear of the home.
Throughout the design process, we embraced spatial constraint as a design opportunity, compressing, expanding, and connecting volumes in inventive ways. The result is a dynamic, light-filled residence that celebrates its past while carving space for modern life. The project maintained full compliance with historic tax credit guidelines, demonstrating that preservation can be both precise, respectful and fun.
Interiors // Martha Pearson Designs
Photography // Lindsey Steffan
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Green House Inn
Overview
Tucked into a quiet corner of the Irish Channel, this 4-bay Creole cottage has stood since 1860. Once home to a neighborhood marching club called The Corner Club in the late 1920s, and a mechanical auto shop, the structure had long since slipped into disrepair and beyond its original designed program: weather-worn, structurally fragile, and fading quietly into the background.
a new pool anchors a playful and unexpected outdoor
moment
