Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 41
Occupation: Architect, Interior Designer, Planner
Instagram: @studio.west.design
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Studio Location: New Orleans, LA
Describe what you make: We make buildings, interior environments, and civic spaces that revolve around how people interact with the built environment. The practice of architecture is quite unique in a place like New Orleans, where we are both preserving beautiful, historic buildings from the past, but also thinking about how best to future-proof our vulnerable city. To do this effectively, you need to wear many hats and think outside the box in terms of designing.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: We recently completed the reconstruction of the historic Karnofsky Tailor Shop, which was completely destroyed during Hurricane Ida in 2021. The building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and the home where Louis Armstrong spent much of his early life in New Orleans, is located between 300 and 400 blocks of South Rampart Street in New Orleans, considered to be the geographic birthplace of jazz. Our team was brought in to design the reconstruction of the structure by blending historic architectural practices with modern, resilient construction techniques to stand the test of time. As a firm deeply rooted in the city, it was an honor and incredible responsibility to carefully restore this significant relic of music history.
Describe the problem your work solves: Both a spatial and economical assessment of different environments, and how architecture can be the solution to a problem that people might not have thought could be solved through design. We also see ourselves as bridging the gap between new technologies and traditional modalities of making. Our team is comprised of many experts who understand historic craftsmanship, but are also constantly inspired by the new resources available to designers that can help us build for a better future.
Share the project you are working on now: We are currently working on and have recently completed designs for a range of different restaurants across the city. There’s a uniqueness to designing restaurants in New Orleans; they really need to be as authentic as possible in order to make a lasting impact on the community, so our strategies are often centered around finding ways to bring a chef’s vision to life while maintaining a meaningful connection to the city. We are also working on an extensive renovation of Algiers Ferry Terminal, transforming this important transportation hub into a cultural center that better serves the local community with added amenities and accessibility.
This month, we are collaborating with local artists on a temporary memorial, Second Line in the Sky, honoring the lives lost in the New Year’s attack last year. Featuring lights and nearly 1,000 unique flags inspired by the city’s second line tradition, the piece cultivates a place for collective memory, cultural resilience, and a coming together through ritual in public space. Our team was responsible for creative direction and project management, ensuring the installation could safely and impactfully come to life.
What you absolutely have to have in your studio: Music, snacks, art, vibes, etc.
Music, always music, from Irma Thomas to Bomba Estereo, it’s an eclectic mix. Trace paper, colored pencils. Natural light and plants. Pin up space, we are always pinning up and sharing design ideas as a team.
Music is wide ranging, I was raised on the greats of country music and still have a soft spot for old country classics Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash. Jazz and blues… Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Irma Thomas. Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s annual show Louisiana Contemporary always showcases the best of Louisiana artists and is a way to discover new artists.
strong>What you do when you’re not working: Walk, sightsee, and travel. All things art, food and music. Spending time with friends at favorite restaurants and bars and trying new spots. Researching art and spending time with art at museums and discovering new artists at smaller galleries – locally the Ogden and the New Orleans Sculpture Garden are favorites. I’m at a live music show at least once a week and love music festivals from New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Preservation Hall shows, to the recently created New Orleans Funk Fest.
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): Admiration for chefs and restaurant owners. When working on a restaurant I’m inspired by a chef’s vision and craft—the best chefs know who they are, are authentic, and have a high attention to detail—not in the fussy way (well sometimes), but really get a sense on what the food and beverages what to be and leave the rest at the door. We also embrace lagniappe or “a little something extra” in everything that we do. Who doesn’t love a little something extra? A surprise moment in a space or a gift at the table.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Email, too many emails.
Concrete or marble? Marble, it shows wear patterns, patina, and weathers over time.
High-Rise Or Townhouse? Creole Townhouse. I volunteer time repairing two historic house museums in the French Quarter Hermann-Grima and Gallier House.
Remember Or Forget? Remember.
Aliens Or Ghosts? Both. We commissioned custom aliens on vintage wine advertisements for Copper Vine and hid them at unexpected moments. Ghosts because I live in the south and they are all around us.
Dark Or Light? Both, we need the balance and contrast of both.
