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Geography, History & Culture
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Geography, History & Culture

Understanding the influence of geography, history, and culture on houses and neighborhoods can help to explain why housing styles have evolved in the way they have and can help guide your preservation efforts.

Geography and Geology

Louisiana is broken into three basic geologic regions; from north to south they are:  Hills, Terraces, and Alluvial Lowlands. The Lowlands are the most dynamic of all the geographies, as hurricanes and water tend to shape these areas. Historically houses in these areas are built on high ground such as natural levees bordering the river. Homes are built with the constant threat of water in mind, so they are typically raised from the ground and have large sheltering roofs. Such roofs pose problems for high winds in these areas, so special attention must be paid to their design and construction.

Equally important to the design of a home related to geography is the fact that most of Louisiana is in a hot-mixed climate, while only the northeast portion is in a mixed-humid climate. Learn more about the importance of climate by visiting Climate Design Basics under The Ideal Home section of Safer, Stronger, Smarter.

History and Cultural Distinctions

Cultural influences and history also act to define different areas of Louisiana. The French settled much of South Louisiana, bringing along with their city planning ideas and Caribbean rural plantation culture. The crops and the slavery that this system relied on had a strong influence on the buildings, economy, and cultural heritage of the area. There was a diverse mixture of settlers who created the unique culture of the area including African, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, German, British, Acadians, and Caribbean peoples. North Louisiana is predominately Anglo-Protestant and was settled by people from the British colonies and the expanding United States.

All of these cultures and groups of people brought with them ideas and types of buildings that in time were adapted to the climate and landscape.

Greater New Orleans
Through the 19th and 20th centuries, New Orleans remained not only one of the most populous cities in the United States, but also one of its most important ports with its location at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Sportsman's Paradise
Sportsman’s Paradise, in the northern part of the state, is a region well-known for its natural resources.
Crossroads
Crossroads is the region of central Louisiana that is north of the coastal regions and the area around Baton Rouge, but south of the northernmost portion of the state. This region has a long history of cultural exchange.

Plantation Country
Plantation Country is in the southeast region of Louisiana, located between Cajun Country and the Greater New Orleans area.
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Cajun Country
The region of Louisiana known as Cajun Country consists of two areas generally known as the Cajun Coast and the Cajun Prairie. The Cajun Coast is the Creole and Cajun-influenced area that lies along the Southwest coastal stretch of the Gulf of Mexico.
House & Neighborhood
Whether urban or suburban, your home is part of a larger neighborhood structure and you can use these rhythms and structures to help give direction to your rebuilding efforts.
House & Street
In many ways, the street is defined by the houses that front it and act to enclose it as a public space.
Street and Neighborhood
Street and Neighborhood
Portal Page for information about designing homes that maintain the character of the street and neighborhood in which they are built and are mindful of the history and geography of the region.

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