A House for Ethel

BUILDING / EAST BILOXI / A HOUSE FOR ETHEL

This is Ethel.
Ethel’s family moved to this eccentric house when she was eight years old. As the second oldest of six brothers and four sisters, she has taken care of most of her family members under this roof over the years. The house was damaged, but not destroyed, in the storm and volunteers were able to rehabilitate with GCCDS's design assistance.

Prior to the storm, she was living with her great nephews, Brandon, 9, and Desmond, 8, their father Chris, and Ethel’s son Amos. They will all continue to live in the house, along with Ethel’s sister. The primary goal was to create a design that could accommodate Ethel's family. This home has served as a place where the family could always come back to and stay if they needed a place to live. As a result, the house has been split into two areas that are accessed through the kitchen, which has been relocated to the center of the house. The main area on the north side of the house will shelter Ethel, her nephews, and son. The area on the south side of the house will be a guest studio to be used by family members that will be passing through.

The other main design issue addressed with the plan involved creating a clear circulation path between the public and private spaces, and allowing sunlight to enter the center of the building without disturbing the new roof that had been installed just before we began work on the house.

Hands On Gulf Coast has been the main contributor of labor towards the house, in collaboration with a generous donation of money and time from the long-running soap opera, Guiding Light.

September, 2007 - The finishing touches are being made.

All new framing inside of the house lets light filter throughout.March, 2007

New siding and windows along the north side of the house.March, 2007

Volunteers prepare the new siding for paint. March, 2007

Before Katrina, Ethel had a greenhouse in the backyard; now the plants are kept on the back patio, where she plans to rebuild a new greenhouse in the future. November, 2006

Some of the remnants of the colorful wallpaper and paint from the old house. November, 2006

View through the gutted house from the back porch. November, 2006.

Ethel’s house on Midway, just after getting a new roof, November, 2006.

Revised Plan

Existing Plan