LA Department of Transportation & Regional Planning Commission Offices

This 29,120 SF building became an instant landmark; located on the neutral ground of West End Avenue, surrounded on all four sides by major roads. The prominence is exaggerated by the building's elevated height, protecting it from flooding.

Inside, the building houses the regional office of the state Department of Transportation and Development on the first floor, and offices of the Regional Planning Commission on the second floor. The double-height lobby has a transparent connection to the most prominent space that characterizes the building: the traffic control monitoring room, where a gigantic screen displays real time traffic conditions.

• The Year's Best Architecture, New Orleans Magazine, 2010.