* Photo © Associated Press.
The Pink Project 
With the vision fresh in his mind, he picked up the phone and described the concept to the Los Angeles office of
Graft. A hurried telephone conversation was followed by a lengthy brainstorming session over a number of bottles of Pinot Noir. The master plan was confirmed, and work began the next morning.
SITE: LOWER NINTH WARD, NEW ORLEANS A relatively large proportion of residents in the Lower Ninth were homeowners. The area was devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
MAKE IT RIGHT Make it Right is a non-profit organization, founded by Brad Pitt, to act as a catalyst for redevelopment of the Lower Ninth Ward. The organization emphasizes Cradle to Cradle ideals, healthy living, and quality design. Pitt assembled a team of experts to expedite the process:
THE PINK PROJECT: Art Installation 150 randomly scatted pink-clad structures have been erected to occupy 14 city blocks within the Lower 9th Ward, symbolizing the vision for future housing for the areas residents. Over the course of next six weeks, beginning today, December 3, at the unveiling of the installation, the structures will gradually organize themselves, symbolizing the renewal of the Ninth, making right what the devastation made wrong.
THE PINK PROJECT: Architectural Realization The ultimate goal of The Pink Project is to transfer the attention received via the bold art installation into a fund raising effort to build actual homes to replace the 150 structures, rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward community. The
Make it Right website has implemented an innovative donation tool allowing visitors from anywhere in the world to visit the site, virtually, and maneuver a house to purchase specific elements to donate to the community, eventually building up the inventory required to construct all 150 homes. For the homes, Graft and Pitt commissioned designs from 13 architects representing local, national, and international perspectives.
Local
Billes Architects – New Orleans, LA
Eskew Dumez Ripple – New Orleans, LA
Concordia – New Orleans, LA
Trahan Architects – Baton Rouge, LA
John Williams Architects – New Orleans, LA
National
BNIM – Kansas City, MO
Kieran Timberlake - Philadelphia, PA
Morphosis – Santa Monica, CA
Pugh + Scarpa – Santa Monica, CA
International
Adjaye Architects – London, England
Constructs – Accra, Ghana
Graft – Berlin, Germany
MVRDV – Rotterdam, Holland
Shigeru Ban Architects – Tokyo, Japan
Over the course of the next six weeks, while this installation is in place, we will dig deeper into the various layers of this project. Look forward to interviews with some of the key players and details on the installation and home designs. For now -
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