New Orleans-based architect Jennie West is a firm believer that a lot of issues impacting cities and communities can be fixed with thoughtful design. This notion propelled her to form Studio West back in 2018, which has allowed her to bring together ideas and strategies from architecture, planning, and historic preservation in order to contribute to the unique architectural history of the American south.
Originally from Tennessee, West studied architecture under Marlon Blackwell at Auburn University before moving to New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. At a moment when the city was in desperate need of support, it became evident that there was a need for approaches to tackle the wide range of issues impacting this city and its people. A creative problem solver, West continually saw opportunities to employ her training as a designer to suggest solutions to issues that she felt could only be solved by someone well versed in understanding the built environment.
Eight years into Studio West, the firm’s portfolio of built work is robust and singular. From ground-up hospitality projects, to surgical renovations of beloved restaurants and bars, infrastructure-related projects, and cultural work, West shows no signs of slowing or fear to take on a totally new challenge.
Whitewall sat down with West to discuss how she became an architect, what the firm is currently working on, and what makes New Orleans an exciting place for a young architecture practice to work.
Photo by Pableaux Johnson, Courtesy of Jennie West and Studio West.
WHITEWALL: How did you get your start as an architect working in New Orleans?
JENNIE WEST: From an early age, I always knew I wanted to enter into a profession that allowed for creativity. I had a painter as a parent, and always gravitated towards artists and makers. But I also have an analytical component to the way I think and work, which made architecture a compelling field to explore. After graduating from Auburn and studying under Marlon Blackwell, I moved to New Orleans as the city was continuing to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It was a chaotic and exciting time to integrate myself into the community, especially at a moment when figuring out how to sustainably and responsibly help rebuild the city was essential.
WW: What drove you to start your own architecture office in New Orleans?
JW: Prior to founding Studio West, I had the privilege to work with a range of firms that specialized in various typologies, from education, planning, housing, which allowed me to understand how to work across a wide range of contexts. It made me realize that my passion for design isn’t in creating one specific type of architecture, but rather trying to figure out ways to enable impactful design solutions to solve problems impacting people and communities.
Beyond the range of hospitality, commercial, and planning projects our firm is most well-known for, we are also called upon by our community to contribute our design skills to work on a range of public realm projects, from infrastructure improvements to managing public art installations, one of which we recently completed in connection with Superbowl LIX. We love that we have the ability to work so interchangeably and multidisciplinary in a way that creates a more livable, enjoyable, and safer city through a range of built environments. The trust that our community has given us is something we are extremely proud of and want to live up to however we can.
A Holistic and Authentic Design Approach
French Quarters Entrances, Courtesy of Studio West.
JW: I think we’ve been able to carve out a niche in the marketplace, both through the wide range of projects we’ve taken on, and how we approach each project with a holistic approach in terms of architecture and interiors.
Having an authentic interest in art and creative expression has also unlocked a range of opportunities. Our comfort in exploring ideas with creative individuals, whether they are artists or chefs or hoteliers, we are able to articulate certain design ideas in a way that allows for productive design charettes and cohesive project management throughout our engagements. We also have a fluency in working with lighting designers, masons, millworkers, and being able to translate between these mix of makers and educating our clients has been an incredible asset.
“The trust that our community has given us is something we are extremely proud of and want to live up to however we can,”
Jennie West
We aren’t interested in being specialists that only work on just restaurants and hotels, mainly because we are so inspired by the ways the different project types inform one another and allow us to take on such an expansive range of work. We are driven by the evolving challenges that impact our city, and how we can infuse design ingenuity throughout the city on both a micro and macro level.
WW: There seems to be a wide array of project types you have taken on. How did you develop such an expansive portfolio of work?
JW: I’m incredibly proud of the portfolio we have developed and the amount of work we have completed in the last nearly 10 years of operating our firm. I can’t think of many other firms that have worked on both the renovation of a decommissioned ferry terminal and the interior furniture procurement for an architecture school, and I love that we are known as a firm that can pretty much figure out how to do almost anything that comes our way.
WW: Are you thinking about the city’s architectural history with every new project you embark on? And how important is it to reference, preserve, and enhance the structures that predated you and your involvement on a project?
JW: Preservation is important to anyone who is working or living in New Orleans. We have such a rich historical significance, so everything that we do needs to respect and honor the past. However, our world is evolving, and extreme weather is changing how we think about performance, and the way we live, work, and recreate is constantly in flux, forcing us to find ways to create newness in ways that organically connect the old and the new.
Copper Vine Restaurant and Hotel, photo by Jacqueline Marque; Courtesy of Studio West.
“Preservation is important to anyone who is working or living in New Orleans,”
Jennie West
We are currently working on the reconstruction of Karnofsky’s Tailor Shop, which is where a young Louis Armstrong lived before his jazz career kicked off. The brick building, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places because of its importance in Armstrong’s life, was completely destroyed in 2021 during Hurricane Ida. Our team was charged with cataloging every brick and painstakingly reconstructing the structure as it had once stood. So, it’s impossible not to be confronted with the city’s history, and we’ve loved opportunities like these to get extremely close-up in how we can learn from the past.
Championing New Orleans’ Singular Hospitality
MaMou, Photo by Michael Mantese, Courtesy of Studio West.
WW: You’ve worked on a mix of hospitality projects across the city. What are some of the defining features of New Orleans’ approach to hospitality, specifically in terms of restaurants and hotels?
JW: I might get flack for saying this, but the food here is better than anywhere else in the world. Everything is made with such care and craft, and it doesn’t matter if you’re getting bar food or experiencing the city’s fine dining: there is a consistency of soulfulness in how chefs prepare and present their dishes.
One of our specialties within the field of food and beverage is working with many chef-led restaurants and enterprises. Chefs are very personality-filled in one way or another; you have to catch them when they’re awake. They’re not really ‘on’ until the afternoon — it’s a very different collaboration than, say, some of our residential projects. It’s involved, dynamic, and creatively informed. We find that chefs are very visual. For example, they might get inspiration one night and bring that idea into a conversation the next time we meet. It’s exciting but can sometimes be hard to know when to draw the line, so we actually tape everything out in the space so we can get to a cut-off point faster. We are really knitting the design together because each of us is always thinking about it.
WW: There are so many food and beverage events that come through your city, including Tales of the Cocktail, this summer. What role do you think design plays in differentiating the food and beverage scene in New Orleans?
JW: There is such a wide range of events and celebrations that bring people to New Orleans, which has been so fun to be part of, especially since many of the restaurants and hotels we have designed are prominently featured in such events.
One of the challenges of working in a city known for its tourism is making sure the way we work can both accommodate visitors, but also integrate our food and beverage establishments in ways that allow for long-term success. If a designer from out of state, or one that has a signature aesthetic approach tries to replicate their cookie-cutter design here, it very likely won’t work well long-term. Locals are hyper sensitive to outsiders coming in and doing their thing out of context. You also need to incorporate a bit of grit into your design; you want to bring in this sense of history and make things feel lived in.
Copper Vine Restaurant and Hotel, photo by Jacqueline Marque; Courtesy of Studio West.
We have found that strategic design considerations, especially for food and beverage establishments, has enabled long-term financial success, so we aren’t just thinking about aesthetics in a bubble, we see how all these elements work in concert with one another.
WW: What are some of the projects you are most looking forward to completing soon?
JW: In addition to our work at Algiers Ferry Terminal, we also have a mix of new restaurants opening across the city, which we are super excited to share more information about soon.
Algiers Terminal, Courtesy Studio West.
