Brad Pitt Houses in New Orleans' 9th Ward

Whenever there is a media event in New Orleans, reporters trek to the Lower Ninth Ward where the worst damage from Hurricane Katrina occurred seven years ago. The usual story angle is: The place is still a terrible mess.

And it is. But there have been some definite changes - some in surprising directions.

First, the devastation is still obvious. The Ninth Ward is a low-lying area that held the water like a bathtub. When the levee holding the Industrial Canal was breached, the water not only rushed in - it stayed there for months. Even after the water receded, the entire landscape was just covered in gray mud. Everything, from trees to cars to homes, was coated in mud.

A transplanted Bay Area resident said it reminded her of the remains of the 1991 Oakland hills fire, a flattened, bleak landscape that looked as if it could never recover.

But houses are coming back, along with a few low shrubs. Along with them are some new structures that the Times-Picayune called "architecturally jagged," and that's one way of putting it. They are boxy, odd-shaped and experimental.

In New Orleans they are known as "Brad Pitt Houses," because they are the brainchild of the actor. Pitt formed the Make it Right Foundation, and recruited top architects to design modern but hurricane-proof replacement housing.! He raised $30 million for the project, and the houses, some with flamboyant touches like sweeping metal grillwork that extends from the front roof to the backyard, dot the neighborhood.

In fact, there are now enough of them that tourist bus companies, spotting an opportunity, have begun to offer Brad Pitt Houses tours. In fact, they've become so popular that signs are up requesting that visitors not bother the occupants.

As for the livability of the structures, there have apparently been some quibbles from homeowners, who wanted something a little more basic. On the other hand, they have one clear advantage: Each house is designed with an escape hatch. In case of the next big one, they can go straight to the roof and await help.