Architecture students help rebuild Pass Christian, Miss.

Savannah College of Art and Design architecture students created a model of a town plan they are proposing for Pass Christian, Miss.

By: Emily Green

Published: Friday, February 24, 2006

For the people of Pass Christian, Miss., a community of approximately 6,500 in the southwest corner of the state, life as they knew it ended when Hurricane Katrina unleashed its fury Aug. 29, 2005, and destroyed almost 90 percent of the town.

Enter Christ Church of Savannah and member Laraine Montgomery, an architecture professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. When the congregation “adopted” the community of Pass Christian last September, Montgomery seized the opportunity to help the residents by assembling a team of students to redesign the city.  

“I developed the idea that an architectural mission could be achieved and spoke with Dean Crystal Weaver about it,” Montgomery explained. “She [Weaver] was getting ready to go to that area with historic preservation students, and was very supportive of my working with my Architecture Design Studio II class during winter quarter.”

The Architecture Design Studio II class focuses on the site and environmental context of building design — two critical elements in the reconstruction of Pass Christian. Montgomery spent the winter break preparing for what is now at least a two-quarter project that will end with a new architectural layout and city plan for Pass Christian.

Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Montgomery and 12 students traveled to Pass Christian to survey the area. “We met with community members, town aldermen and chamber of commerce representatives,” she said.. “The experience was unforgettable. The town alderman took us on a tour of the community and pointed out significant features for us.  He gave us very clear directions for this project.”

Hanging in the lobby of Eichberg Hall, 229 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., which houses the architecture department, are a series of site narratives the students compiled from their experience.

Junior Luke Hellkamp said, “The noises and sounds in the car started to lessen until we hit [U.S. Highway] 90 along the coast. The devastation was unlike anything I had ever seen. Pictures, newspaper articles and magazines had not properly prepared us for the damage and sheer destruction of God’s creation.”

While the class conducted research and gathered suggestions from community members, they had more to say about the people of Pass Christian and the relationships they formed on the trip. Students were overwhelmed at the residents’ hospitality and undefeatable hope.

Junior Brian Green said, “The people of Pass Christian literally took us in. It was an amazing experience in that everyone we met there acted like we were old friends.”

“I think having the opportunity to share with the community and actually experience the site brings us more responsibility,” commented junior Valeria Valencia. “We suddenly feel a part of it; we feel the necessity of our designs to be done.”

Students noted the remarkable strength and steadfastness of community members. “As soon as we stepped out of the car and met the first person, you could just feel the spirituality of the community,” said junior Cara Mimun. “It just whacked you over the head. These people have faith. They had hope because all these people were bringing it to them and their faith in God made that 10 times greater.”

Montgomery said, “What was remarkable about this entire experience is that we began the trip at the beginning of the quarter as a group of strangers, and we ended it as a strong, bonded community of designers.”

The class’ original plan was to design a community center in hopes of uniting the residents in a central location. Upon their return from Pass Christian, they decided to expand the project to encompass redevelopment of the entire town. Each design team has its own style, but all have focused on uniting the residents of Pass Christian.

The students used case studies of other cities that have undergone similar redevelopment after natural disasters. Environmental awareness weighs heavily on their ideas, with one design incorporating an open park/mall area in the center of town, and another using Katrina debris as building material.

On Feb. 8, two SCAD professors, Christian Sottile (M.Arch., 1998), of Sottile + Sottile Urban Design, and Scott Singeisen (M.Arch., 1994) visited Montgomery’s class to offer suggestions and critiques for the students’ designs.

“What’s amazing is how dissimilar all of them are,” Singeisen said. “I really enjoy the density; I really like the idea of bringing people back together — this idea of the community you’re trying to reestablish.”

The most common element among the unique designs is the relocation of U.S. Highway 90. It divides the city from direct access to the shoreline, but the students are considering moving it to a higher elevation, protecting it from flooding and creating a more aesthetically pleasing view of the beach.

Four Pass Christian residents will visit the classroom for the students’ final studio review March 13.  During spring quarter, the class will take designs into the building process in Architecture Design Studio III.

“This experience for the students will provide lifelong lessons in architectural design,” said Montgomery. “Already they are discussing doing an alternative spring break to Pass Christian to help with the clean-up and recovery efforts; and for many the opportunity will carry over into summer work internships. This is learning that architecture is, first and finally, a social art.”

Junior Jason Hearn said, “The great thing about this studio right now is that we’re no longer coming to this to learn about site and get a grade: This is real life.”


Green is a publications editor.