Design Considerations

Though
not required, we ask that the participating design teams consider the
following issues in developing designs for the program.

A Sense of Community
East
Biloxi is a tight knit community despite of its diversity.  The desire
to keep this sense of community has been galvanized in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina.  It is a high priority of the residents to improve
their community through this process. The challenge of adhering to the
BFE’s and keeping a sense of community and neighborhood fabric is a
major issue that should be explored. Please see The East Biloxi Community Plan
and the FEMA BFE and Flood Plain Insurance guidelines. (For an overview
of the FEMA BFE and Flood Plain Insurance guidelines please refer to
the Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheet.)

Affordable Housing
East
Biloxi’s need for affordable housing vital to the recovery and
revitalization of East Biloxi, especially after Hurricane Katrina
decimated the housing stock in East Biloxi.   

Accessibility
One
of East Biloxi’s major demographic groups is the elderly.  The
necessity of homes to accommodate the needs of an elderly/aging
resident should also be taken into consideration in the design of the
model homes. If your design is selected by an elderly applicant, you
may be required to meet Fair Housing Guidelines for accessibility.

Skilled Labor
Biloxi,
as well as the entire Gulf Coast affected by last year’s hurricane
season, is in the midst of a construction boom.  The larger
construction projects in the area, such as casino construction and
large high-rise condominium projects have a taken most of the skilled
labor in the region. Communities such as East Biloxi are currently
relying on volunteer groups and a mix of skilled and unskilled labor to
reconstruct homes.

Economic Growth
There
are any number of opportunities to aid the economic growth and support
the long-term revitalization of East Biloxi by building beyond the
immediate needs of the client. We encourage you to think about these
opportunities.

For
example, the combination of many fixed incomes & low income
homeowners with the high demand for affordable housing offers many
opportunities to design in property value and revenue generating
opportunities for many homeowners with no other options for
supplemental income (e.g. “granny flats,” “rental units/rooms,” etc.)

Creating
a flexible plan that can adapt to the changing generations and
demographics moving into the neighborhood also presents an opportunity
to add value to the property over time.  

Landscape
design should also be an integral part of the concept, especially in
the cases of high elevation differences from grade to finished floor.