NewZine
A N A N N UA L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E T U L A N E S C H O O L O F A RC H I T ECT U R E
GULF OF MEXICO
SALTWATER MARSHLAND ECOSYSTEMS
TARY RIVER
MARSH TERRACING STORM SURGE 25FT
REDUCTION OF HYPOXIA
ISOHALINE
REDUCTION OF NITROGEN POLLUTION
COASTAL WETLAND
Inside the 2023 Issue: pg 10 | New Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering launches pg 12 | A growing School of Architecture pg 34 | Morris Adjmi (‘83) recieves second annual Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award
THE GULF
Contents
2023 New Zine Production Team:
Dean’s Advisory Council
4
School News
5
Program Digest
14
Student News
22
Alumni News
30
Naomi King Englar Editor Catherine Restrepo Photography and Design Nathan Rich (Second year architecure student)
36
Advancement Report
Layout and Design
On the Cover: Cultivating Transitions: Regenerative Agricultural Practices in the Mississippi River Watershed BY BRIANNA BALDWIN (M.ARCH *23)
Made for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Studio, Fall 2022, led by faculty Liz Camuti and Margarita Jover, this project explores the potential benefits of integrating small-scale, ecologically-oriented agricultural practices into the daily lives of people in communities presently dominated by industrial-scale agriculture.
LESS FERTILIZER USED
WASTE COMPOSTED IRRIGATION INLET CANAL PIPE
REFUGE TRENCH
RICE PADDY FIELD
FISH CONSUME EXCESS FERTILIZER
WASTE MANAGEMENT + DENSIFICATION
COMPOST FERTILIZES RICE
RICE + AQUACULTURE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
ION OF NITROGEN RUNOFF REDUCT
FRESHWATER WETLAND OF TION DUC RE
CHEMICAL IMBALANCE CORRECTED IN SOIL
HARVESTED RICE AND AQUACULTURE ARE SOLD LOCALLY + CIRCULATES PROFITS BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY
2
FERTILE SOIL
SCALING UP EXISTING BENEFICIAL AGRICULTURE
COMPOST COLLECTED FROM COMMUNITY
I-10
OUTLET IRRIGATION PIPE CANAL
DENSIFICATION TO SUPPORT NEW AGRICULTURAL TYPOLOGIES
RICE + AQUACULTURE
RE-ESTABLISHED BIOLOGICAL LIFE IN SOIL
REFUGE TRENCH
PETROCHEMICAL
NewZine
REDUCTION OF HYPOXIA
REDUCTION OF HYPOXIA
BAYOU LAFOURCHE
BAYOU TERREBONNE
NITROGEN RUNO FF
RE-ESTABLISHED BIOLOGICAL LIFE IN SOIL
REPOPULATION OF AQUATIC SPECIES
REDUCTION OF NITROGEN POLLUTION
WETLAND
THIBODEAUX
TRIBUTARY COMMUNITIES
Letter from the Dean Dear TuSA community,
I
am writing this letter from a little place in dry Spain this summer, where I reflected on the five years I have had the honor of serving as Dean at Tulane School of Architecture, and planning the next five, exciting years ahead. In this process, I cannot help but be amazed at how much the TuSA community of alumni, students, staff and faculty has accomplished. We have sailed through rough waters and storms – both metaphorical and some of them literal – at an enormous speed of growth and development. In the last year alone, we have hired nine new permanent faculty to respond to the surge of interest that our programs raise among students. And that is what counts most: Young generations see the fields of the built environment as critical to address important issues of our time. This is very welcome news after the decline of interest following the burst of the financial and construction bubble of 2008. And many are choosing Tulane. At our school, unlike most others, we understand the importance of architecture and the allied fields – preservation, real estate, design, social innovation, landscape architecture and engineering, and planning – as a unified cultural
F NI REDUCTION O
and technical discipline that is capable of addressing complex problems in holistic terms. It yields enormous power in preserving or destroying our ecosystems and our social fabrics. In New Orleans, we are at the forefront of the consequences of climate change, and at Tulane we have no option but to find new solutions that will allow us – and millions of people in other vulnerable areas of the world – to keep living in our extraordinary city. New Orleans is one of the most important deltas in the planet, in the third coast of the United States, the extraordinary Gulf Coast. At Tulane we have no time for distractions, for talking to ourselves. We take action: design, build, collaborate with communities, work across schools and departments at Tulane, dive deep in both speculation and technical expertise, all to address real and urgent problems. Only through this commitment to provide new, imaginative and deeply real solutions, can architecture and the fields of the built environment demonstrate our relevance and leadership. New Orleans is not a laboratory. New Orleans is real and where everything happens, every challenge affects us. At the mouth of the Mississippi, we’re at the door to a watershed that encom-
passes half of North America. New Orleans is also one of the most diverse cities in the country and in the world, built by multiple races, cultures and genders. In New Orleans and at Tulane, we pride ourselves on being independent, welcoming and different. I hope you enjoy this brief synthesis of the work of our community during 2022-23 and some of our recent news. We are in an exciting time of rapid development and huge ambitions, in which your support is even more needed and appreciated. Cheers!
I Ñ A K I A L D AY
TROGEN POLUTION RUNOFF IN WATERW AYS
INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
TRIBUTARY RIVER
GULF OF MEXICO
SALTWATER MARSHLAND ECOSYSTEMS
WETLANDS
MARSH TERRACING STORM SURGE 25FT
BRACKISH WATER
REDUCTION OF HYPOXIA
ISOHALINE
REDUCTION OF NITROGEN POLLUTION
HOUMA
WATER QUALITY WITHIN WATERBODIES IMPROVES, AQUATIC HABITATS ARE MORE CAPABLE TO SUSTAIN AQUATIC SPECIES
TRIBUTARY COMMUNITIES
COASTAL WETLAND
THE GULF
NewZine
3
DEAN’S ADVISORY COUNCIL
Thank you, Sonny Shields
THE 2022-2023 COUNCIL Lloyd N. Shields A ‘74, L *77 New Orleans, LA
Angela O’Byrne A ‘83 New Orleans, LA
OUTGOING CHAIR
INCOMING CHAIR
Jose L. Alvarez A *97 New Orleans, LA
Brad M. Meltzer A ‘90 Miami Beach, FL
B Y D E A N I Ñ A K I A L D AY
O
n behalf of the school and myself, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Sonny Shields after his eight-year service as Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Tulane School of Architecture. Sonny has led TuSA’s alumni and supporters through a long, eventful, and exciting period of transformation and growth. He started with Dean Ken Schwartz and agreed to continue another five years, giving me invaluable support and insights. Sonny has been (and hopefully will continue being) my “go-to person” for discussing strategies and visions for the school – most often over cocktails, as it should be in New Orleans! During Sonny’s eight years as DAC Chair, the school and the council have embarked on many efforts, including the long-awaited renovation of Richardson Memorial Hall. Sonny already was a generous supporter during our previous attempts for a renovation; and then he, along with his wife Laura, doubled down for our current renovation, personally and through rallying colleagues and orga-
nizations. As a result, we have raised twice the amount that was thought possible for our fundraising ceiling! With Sonny’s help, we have seen an enormous success in stabilizing the school, setting the foundation for its success, and then three years of exponential growth that has doubled the size of TuSA. An enthusiastic supporter of research and intellectual leadership, Sonny leaves the DAC Chair as the school experiences an all-time high for research productivity and as students are graduating with an extraordinary quality education. This new era of the school demonstrates the essential importance of alumni, faculty, staff and students working together, from very different perspectives and contributions, to the same goal of making TuSA one of the leaders in education and research in architecture and the fields of the built environment. Now Angela O’Byrne (A ‘83), CEO of Perez APC, will steward Sonny’s legacy as the next DAC Chair and help us reach even further.
Eric V. Aukee A ‘82 Sherman Oaks, CA James E. Bry A ‘91 Miami, Fl Jamie H. Bush A ‘93 Los Angeles, CA Michelle D. Chira NC ‘88 Winter Park, FL James L. Dewar III A ‘94 Palm Springs, CA Ronald J. Finvarb Bal Harbour, FL Matthew D. Frank A ‘91 New York, NY Robert G. Hale Jr. A ‘77 Los Angeles, CA Jonathan B. Halle A ‘93 Potomac, MD Brad A. Hastings, AIA, A ‘82 Bishopville, MD Robert Adams Ivy Jr. FAIA ,A ‘76 Columbus, MS
4
NewZine
Stephen J. Ortego A ‘07 Lafayette, LA L. Scott Paden A ‘81 Landisville, PA Paula M. Peer New Orleans, LA Laurie J. Petipas A ‘75 San Francisco, CA Richardson K. Powell A ‘76, A ‘77 Lake Wales, FL Wellington J. Reiter A ‘81 Phoenix, AZ Michelle A. Rinehart EdD, A ‘91
Atlanta, GA Christopher M. Roth A ‘91 Chicago. IL Christopher A. Sgarzi A ‘86 Concord, MA
Gabriel A. Smith A ‘88 Brooklyn, NY
Jay M. Kaplan Houston, TX
David C. Thompson A ‘91 Studio City, CA
Joanna L. Lombard AIA, A ‘75 Miami, FL
Simcha Z. Ward A ‘11 Charlotte, NC
Ann Merritt Masson NC ‘71, G *92 New Orleans, LA
Marcel L. Wisznia A ‘73 New Orleans, LA
Jenifer Wells Megalli A *17 New York, NY
Peter M. Wolf, PhD G *63 New York, NY
SCHOOL NEWS
Structural repairs complete on RMH, new construction begins
T
his past year saw incredible progress for the Richardson Memorial Hall (RMH) renovation. Much of the year involved selective deconstruction and structural repairs to the 115-year-old building’s existing 45,000 square feet. As part of the education experience, TuSA’s RMH Renovation Co-Curators Nicholas LiCausi (Director of Fabrication) and Sonsoles Vela (Assistant Professor) began organizing on-site tours in Fall 2022 for students, faculty, and staff. Summer 2023 saw a turning point in the renovation project, as structural repairs completed, while
steel framing for the 15,000 square foot addition to the back (east) side of the building began. Other noteworthy project milestones this past year include a new copper-flashed slate roof being installed and scaffolding erected along the entire north, west, and south facades of the building. The school also continued documenting the renovation through exclusive drone videos and photos, capturing pivotal steps in this historic moment for our school. (Videos of RMH can be seen on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@tulanearchitecture5132).
TREATMENT THROUGH ENHANCEMENT TED WETLANDS AT AMPHIBIOUS RESEARCH
NATURAL WATER BODY UTILIZED TO TRANSFER TREATED WATER TO RETROFITTED MAIN
WATER PUMP THAT SLOWLY DISPERSES WATER FROM FORMER OIL PIPELINE WATER TANK AT 6 MGD
NATURAL CYPRESS BORDER GROWTH BY 2050
6000 ACRES OF WETLAND SUPPORTED
FORMER SHELL PIPELINE UTILIZED AS WATER MAIN TANK 915 METERS OF PIPELINE SEGMENTED INTO 3 (305 METERS) WITH 20 PIPE OUTLETS FOR SLOW DISCHARGE
PONDLINE WETLAND BUILDING
Leah Bohatch (B. Arch ’23)
NASEM research studio continues into second year
T
Photos by Nick LiCausi and Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
he Tulane School of Architecture received a grant of over $250,000 from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program for the second pilot year of a multi-year interdisciplinary research studio investigating ongoing socio-ecological challenges in the Gulf Coast region. Led by Assistant Professor Liz Camuti and Professor Margarita Jover, the studio program functions as a think tank to reflect on and to remediate the degradation caused by current inhabitation patterns, with a particular focus on industrial-scale land use, in the Gulf Coast Region. Organized as a road map to produce a Climate Adaptation Plan for the region (from Houston, TX, to Mobile, AL) able to catalyze funds for implementation, the second pilot year studio is focused on further formulating major research questions toward design interventions. Students will then test their design hypotheses, drawing upon the expertise of various disciplines throughout Tulane.
NewZine
5
SCHOOL NEWS
TuSA professors and students showcase work at 2023 Venice Biennale
T
ulane School of Architecture showed a strong presence at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, held May 20 through November 26, 2023. Professor Margarita Jover, Dean Iñaki Alday and six TuSA students – Merrie Afseth, Leah Bohatch, Andreea Dan, Sean Fowler, Connor Little, and Megan Spoor – are exhibiting in the Spanish Pavilion at the Biennale. Their work FOODSCAPES includes films, a recipe book, and public dialogues as means to explores the Spanish agro-architectural context to address issues of global scope. It proposes models for feeding the world without devouring the planet. A portion of the exhbition is also installed on the facades of the
Newcomb Quad Pavilions, NQ-4, on TuSA’s Uptown campus. Associate Professor Edson G. Cabalfin, PhD, contributed the essay “Archival Stories: Historical Context and Contemporary Responses” to the exhibition and catalogue of Tripa de Gallina: Guts of Estuary, the Philippine Pavilion at the Biennale, which was curated by Sam Domingo and Choie Funk, and sponsored by the Philippine National Commission for Culture of the Arts, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Loren Legarda. The exhibition discusses the social, environmental, and political challenges of the longest estuary in Metro Manila and its engagement with the local communi-
ties and the city. Senior Professor of Practice Cordula Roser Gray, as CRGArchitecture together with Marcella Del Signore as X.Topia, contributed work at Palazzo Mora as part of Time-Space-Existence exhibition at the European Cultural Center for the Biennale. Their work ENTANGLED MATTER is a multi-scalar urban prototype for microclimate mitigation through dynamic matter conversion and self-sufficient ecologies. The project also included support from Tulane’s Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking, fabrication and engineering from Noumena and LAMÁQUINA, and design support from Tatiana Teixeira with Marcelo Chavez.
Extraction, from FOODSCAPES by aldayjover 6
NewZine
Tulane School of Architecture welcomes nine permanent faculty New faculty hired in first of two large pushes to expand the faculty at TuSA STORY BY MAGGIE WHITE FOR TUSA
A
s the Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA) strives to remain at the forefront of architecture and built environment education, the school welcomes its largest-ever wave of faculty hires. Touting nine permanent, full-time additions, this hiring effort brings diverse perspectives, innovative research areas, and exciting new voices to TuSA’s excellent roster of faculty. This is the first of two large pushes to expand the faculty at the School of Architecture, an effort that will continue during 2023-24 to recruit another cohort of a similar size. Dean Iñaki Alday says of the impetus behind these large-scale hiring efforts, “Responding to the breath and the growth of the school, we are bringing in new faculty in real estate, landscape architecture, preservation, social innovation, and architecture. And, of course, new people equals new perspectives, new reach, and a richer learning environment.” As the faculty expands, the school remains committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in its hiring practices. Edson Cabalfin, Associate Professor, Director of SISE, and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, emphasizes that EDI is top-of-mind as the school pursues faculty growth. “The goal is to increase the number of faculty from historically underrepresented groups–including race, sexuality,
TuSA’s new faculty hires bring with them a range of research interests and practical experience.
gender identity, socioeconomic status, nationality, educational / academic background, and research focus, among others” says Cabalfin. “Diversity can mean many different things.” While TuSA leadership and the hiring committee believe that progress has been made in diversifying the faculty with the first wave of hires, the work must continue. “We’re explicit that this is part of our goal and it’s something we’re working hard
on. We haven’t quite achieved all that we want to yet, but we will continue our efforts with this year’s upcoming faculty search,” says Cabalfin. Dean Alday says further, “We’re very committed to this work because we need our faculty to represent different perspectives, different cultures, different educations, and different experiences. Diversity of thought is what brings excellence.”
NewZine
7
SCHOOL NEWS
Associate Professor of Architecture Adam Marcus’s research centers on the intersection between architecture, computation, and fabrication. Marcus says of his teaching philosophy, “I try to cultivate a broad understanding of computational think-
ing and workflows that is less driven by a formal agenda and more focused on expanding architecture’s capacity to address challenges like environmental performance and material efficiency.”
Heather Veneziano, Professor of Practice in Historic Preservation, works largely in cultural heritage sites, with a particular emphasis on historic cemeteries. “Through exposure to tangible case-studies and research methodologies, I hope to distill the essence of what makes the field of historic preservation so rich and worthy of focus,” states Veneziano. “I also strive to learn along with my students, and from them.” A career real estate developer, Will Bradshaw has been teaching in Tulane’s Real Estate Development program since 2008, now taking on an expanded role as a Professor of Practice, who is looking forward to leaning into the legacy of real estate development education at the school. “We are on the front lines of climate change, living in a city that is defined and threatened by water,” says Bradshaw.
Liz Camuti, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, practices and researches design for climate adaption, with an emphasis on reimagining highly engineered landscapes as sites of ecological cohabitation. “In the classroom, I aim to help students move away from
8
NewZine
Versé Shom, Professor of Practice in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE), is a social innovation designer focusing on equality and inclusivity, community resilience, youth livelihood, and self-sustainable schools. “TuSA is very forward thinking and looking to be at the cutting edge of solving the most crucial problems through the built environment,” observes Shom. “This is evident in the way the school has grown in the last few years.”
solutionist thinking about design problems and toward consideration for new, potential relationships that might unfold over time. This teaching approach positions students as the agents of systemic change,” Camuti says.
Zaid Kashef Alghata focuses on the intersection of built and natural environments, exploring design as a driver of systemic reform. “While at Tulane, I aim to cultivate a more profound ecological consciousness within the architectural discourse,”
Sonsoles Vela Navarro, whose career has included multidisciplinary practice and whose research and teaching largely concentrate on climate and sustainability, joins the tenure-track faculty as Assistant Professor of Architecture. “TuSA strongly commits to sustainability and developing socially conscious and environmentally just models to inhabit the planet,” says Navarro. “Their emphasis on fostering a culture of innovation aligns perfectly with my values and aspirations.”
states Kashef Alghata, who will start as Favrot Visiting Professor of Architecture. “I plan to reshape the political, economic, and cultural forces that underpin our built environment to design-oriented methodologies.”
“Responding to the breath and the growth of the school, we are bringing in new faculty in real estate, landscape architecture, preservation, social innovation, and architecture. And, of course, new people equals new perspectives, new reach, and a richer learning environment.”
Rebecca Choi, Assistant Professor of Architecture History, focuses on architecture’s relationship to race relations in America, paying particular attention to historic social movements’ effect on the field. “I don’t see teaching as a profession, but as a personal commitment,” says Choi. “As someone who will primarily be teaching architectural history, I know that my courses will challenge students to face the social components of their future work.”
D E A N I Ñ A K I A L D AY
Wes Michaels, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, brings a long teaching career and 25 years of experience as a leader in landscape architecture with Speckman Mossop Michaels to TuSA. Michaels’s work centers on building adaptive communities and the ways in which cultural understanding can
shape design and planning decisions. Michaels says, “The Tulane School of Architecture is leading the way in finding synergies between disciplines. The questions we are asking require a 360-degree view of the issues, and Tulane has a culture of bringing people together.”
NewZine
9
SCHOOL NEWS
New Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering launches, creates new field for students STORY BY MAGGIE WHITE FOR TUSA
Research Studio students use models to study proposed water management solutions.
A
s climate change and extreme weather continue to impact communities around the world, the need for professionals skilled in the fields of landscape architecture, architecture, engineering, and planning is growing. In response, the Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), in partnership with the Tulane School of Science and Engineering (SSE), is launching a new graduate dual degree – the Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science in River-Coastal Science and Engineering. The new Landscape Architecture and Engineering program creates a pathway for students interested in pursuing either a career in landscape architecture, informed by a strong
background in science, or a career in engineering, with high design abilities focused on environmental and social issues. This unique program is sure to attract students from across the globe due to its singular and clear interdisciplinary education, not offered in most other programs. TuSA’s Dean Iñaki Alday speaks excitedly about the need for this type of education, saying “It’s going to be a unique degree that has me extremely excited – and it’s going to be a sought-after degree. Everyone in the field who we talk to says, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what we need.’ We need landscape architects with engineering knowledge who are going to be effective technically, aesthetically, and ecologically. We need engineers who
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
can design places for people and ecologies.” The program will be co-directed by Margarita Jover, landscape architect and architect, Professor at TuSA, and Ehab Meselhe, Professor of River-Coastal Science and Engineering at SSE. “The dual degree is a major step forward in our efforts to adequately prepare our students to tackle complex and interdisciplinary environmental challenges,” says Meselhe. Jover says that this partnership between TuSA and SSE has the potential to make an enormous impact through its graduates. “The newly created department of River-Coastal Science at SSE at Tulane gives the Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering the
Opposite: Section through waste treatment plant from the Gulf Research Studio, a precursor to the new Landscape and Engineering dual-degree program. Leah Bohatch (’23) and Megan Spoor (’23) 10
NewZine
opportunity to deepen the education on the water cycle, which is the backbone of all landscapes and human settlements,” says Jover. The dual degree is designed to be completed in three and a half years, with the program beginning in the summer term. Marie Dahleh, Associate Dean of EDI and Strategic Innovation at Tulane SSE, speaks about the School of Science and Engineering’s role in educating future landscape architects and engineers. “The standalone Master of Science in River-Coastal Science and Engineering takes advantage of Tulane’s location on the Mississippi River – which we know is a sort of sandbox for other coastal areas –and having students of landscape architecture and engineering work with our River-Coastal faculty will benefit both disciplines,” says Dahleh. She continues, speaking to the assets of interdisciplinary study, “Often when you’re trying to solve a probBATON ROUGE WASTE TREATMENT PLANT
TREATMENT FACILITY COLLECTION OF SEWAGE WATER
lem, you exhaust the solutions in your own field. When you get to see across to another field, however, you can really innovate and come up with new solutions.” Jover is equally passionate about the effect of bringing together SSE and TuSA – and their unique strengths – to educate the next generation of landscape architects and engineers. “Urban designers, landscape architects, engineers and different professions working within the built environment must focus on ‘desired futures’ and ways to get there,” Jover says. “Melding design and the sciences in this interdisciplinary education will prepare future professionals to design ‘climate adaptation plans’ to support cities and towns nationwide.” The formation of this innovative dual degree is made possible by Tulane’s relatively small size and its administrative structure, which is designed to encourage collaboration across disciplines. “There are structures in place at Tulane that make this type of partnership easy compared to other institutions,” says Dahleh. Dean Alday is proud to help exemplify this tenet of Tulane University through the development of a new Landscape + Engineering field, stating, “It’s very exciting to collaborate with another school and demonstrate what we always talk about at Tulane – working from one school
WATER GARDEN COLLECTION OF URBAN RUNOFF + RAIN WATER
to the other and being highly collaborative – and in doing so, creating a new field at the intersection. There is where innovation will happen.” Heavily affected by the social and economic challenges related to climate change, the Gulf Coast region is in need of interdisciplinary professionals who can help to address these problems. Through this new dual degree, Tulane is doing its part to prepare students to take on these difficult and far-reaching issues. The Landscape and Engineering program will publicly launch in 20232024 and will be recruiting its first cohort of graduate applicants with a deadline of January 15, 2024. Formalization of the degree is expected in Spring 2024 through the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB). It is also pending accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For more information, visit https:// architecture.tulane.edu/landscapeand-engineering. METHODS OF WATER DISTRUBUTION THROUGH FORMER PIPELINES
IMMEDIATE = PUNCTURE
LESS IMMEDIATE = DEGRADE
WETLAND + CYPRESS GROWTH DUE TO WATER DISTRIBUTION
NewZine
11
SCHOOL NEWS
A growing School of Architecture STORY BY MAGGIE WHITE FOR TUSA
F
ields relating to the built environment and design are experiencing a resurgence of interest across the nation, and the Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA) is rising to the occasion. As it welcomes its largest incoming cohort of Architecture students in several years, the school is expanding its course offerings and academics programs, embedding itself in new areas of the city, and honing its distinct identity. Dean Iñaki Alday attributes this widespread interest in architecture and design to several factors, including a surging awareness of the field’s role in addressing today’s environmental, societal, and economic problems. “We are seeing an understanding in many young people that if you want to impact a crisis, like our climate crisis, architecture is one of the most significant ways to be a part of the solution,” says Alday. “Becoming an architect, landscape architect, designer, preservationist, or real estate developer means you can have a say in how we change the way we inhabit the planet.
Architecture’s Resurgence Amidst this national growth, Tulane is becoming a destination for archi12
NewZine
tecture and design students. Between 2022 and 2023, the university has seen a 30% increase in incoming freshmen flagging Architecture as their intended major. Emilie Taylor Welty, Director of Architecture, feels confident in the school’s ability to provide these students with a world-class, holistic architecture education. “Our core curriculum teaches students not just the basics, but all the layered intricacies of being a good designer,” says Welty. “With that solid foundation, they’re able to jump into research studios in their later years, diving deep into their own interests and the myriad research topics of our faculty.” While TuSA is well-known for its innovative research studios – including upcoming offerings in subjects like tectonics, ceramic printing, and housing affordability – Welty is adamant that the core courses are essential to this success. “The faculty who are coordinating and teaching in the core studios are giving our students an incredible footing and skillset that they can build their careers on. That’s what makes our research studios so successful,” Welty says. Like Dean Alday, Welty attributes
much of the growing TuSA population to students’ interest in addressing global issues through design, and believes word is getting out about the “rigorous, lively, experiential, and fun” nature of TuSA’s program. “Students are doing research at an R1 school while also working on small teams on projects out in the city. They’re doing work with direct impact, while also getting an education – which is not always the case,” observes Welty.
Reaching all Tulane Students While some students arrive at Tulane knowing they want to pursue an architecture degree, many choose it for their major or minor after taking one of the school’s introductory courses. These courses, which fulfill certain degree requirements and house many non-architecture students, have become one of the major pathways into TuSA. Professor and Associate Dean for Academics Scott Bernhard, who teaches Introduction to Architecture, has seen countless students discover a new academic passion while taking these courses. “Students are generally aware of the discipline of architecture and design when they come into the class,
Students gather outside the Newcomb Quad pavilions for Food Truck Friday.
but surprisingly few seem to have considered it as a possible path,” he says. In addition to attracting permanent architecture students, these introductory courses incorporate valuable educational methods that can benefit all Tulane students. Based on enrollment data over the past two years, an estimated 80% of Tulane students have taken or will take at least one course at the school before they graduate. “They are introduced to a mode of learning that is project-based, where we look at a single artifact that is large and complex, trying to understand the multifaceted characteristics of that object – how it fits into its historical and cultural contexts,” says Bernhard. “This opens up a whole avenue of learning for people.”
A Growing Footprint As the undergraduate architecture population grows nationally, graduate architecture schools prepare in kind. Ammar Eloueini, Director of Graduate Architecture, and the TuSA team are doing much to distinguish Tulane’s graduate architecture offerings. In fall 2022, the graduate program relocated to the state-of-the-art building operated by the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) in downtown. While Eloueini indicates that the graduate program
may re-merge its physical space with the undergraduate program upon the completion of Richardson Memorial’s renovation, he feels that the current
of undergraduate students will have taken a course from the School of Architecture before graduating
increase in students declaring Architecture as their intended major students, nearly double the student body from 2019
geographical separation between graduates and undergraduates is a helpful tool as his team formulates the graduate program’s distinct identity. “Graduate students tend to have a particular idea of what they’re looking for in a school. They often want to work with certain people or on specific topics and are very deliberate with their applications,” says Eloueini. “It’s important to clarify what we’re doing so that Tulane becomes a destination for graduate students who want the
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
singular experience we’re offering.” Eloueini points to TuSA faculty’s strong practical and theoretical backgrounds and the school’s focus on addressing environmental, social and economic challenges, as well as the hands-on work students do with the community, as prime elements of the graduate program’s identity. “We want to attract students who are interested in having intellectual discussions about design at the highest level, but who also want to go out and implement those designs in the real world.” With its new downtown presence, TuSA’s graduate program can simultaneously expose budding designers to some of the most historic and contemporary architecture in the city. Across many facets, the Tulane School of Architecture is expanding to match the widespread increase in enthusiasm for architecture and design. From undergraduate introductory courses to the most niche graduate research studios, the faculty and staff are united by their mission to introduce students to new modes of learning and being–all positioned within the unique built environment of New Orleans. In the words of Dean Alday, “We should all be enthusiastic students of the built environment because that’s what allows us to live and live comfortably, live healthily, and live justly.”
NewZine
13
SCHOOL NEWS
Program Digest 14
NewZine
Design studio light sculpture exhibit, November 2022. Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
Architecture
D
ean Iñaki Alday and faculty members Omar Ali, Nimet Anwar, Edson Cabalfin, Margarita Jover, and Kentaro Tsubaki presented at the 111th ACSA Annual Meeting this Spring. Professor of Architecture Margarita Jover traveled with ten undergraduate and graduate architecture students as part of the Housing Studies Seminar in Barcelona, Spain. This course offered a unique opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students to expand their knowledge of collective housing and domestic space. Margarita also spoke at Carnegie Mellon’s symposium “Architecture’s Ecological Restructuring.” The new book, Cities & Rivers, details years of work from Professor Margarita Jover and Dean Iñaki Alday through their practice aldayjover architecture & landscape. Dean Iñaki Alday spoke and represented Tulane at the United Nations Water Conference 2023 sponsored event “CONDENSATIONS Designing In Water,” one of numerous presentations of work and research by faculty and students in venues around the world and right here in New Orleans. Associate Dean for Research Richard Campanella authored the book Draining New Orleans: The 300-Year Quest to Dewater the Crescent City, published by LSU Press, which examines the centuries-long quest to engineer the hydrological footprint of New Orleans. The Oslo Architecture Triennale 2022 included work from the Addis Ababa River City Research project, a Saul A. Mintz Research Studio, led by Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urbanism Rubén García Rubio. The Triennale’s “Neighbourhood Index” project included work
Margarita Jover and students in Barcelona
by student Michael Clifton titled “Floodwater as Catalyst for Resilient Neighborhoods.” The AN Interior Top 50 firms for 2022 included the New Orleans-based practice OJT, led by Fall 2022 Favrot Visiting Assistant Professor Jonathan Tate. Director of Architecture Emilie Taylor Welty and Design Program Director Tiffany Lin, along with Tulane Psychology faculty Lisa Molex, earned the First Award in the Global Architecture & Design Awards 2022, for their exhibit “Public Space & Scrutiny: How Do We Remember?” The exhibit, held at the AIA New Orleans Design Center, served as a platform for conversation around using public spaces to commemorate historical figures, and it showcased student work, grounded in research on the history and typologies of monument design. Emilie and Tiffany also received the Convergence Award at the 2022 Tulane Research, Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Awards for their interdisciplinary
Akhil Singh, TuSA
work related to researching impacts of public memorials and monuments, especially those inherited from exclusionary and racially unjust histories, and methods for community-informed and socially just spaces. A new publication entitled FABRIC[ated]: Fabric Innovation and Material Responsibility in Architecture features an essay by Professor of Architecture and Harvey-Wadsworth Chair of Landscape Urbanism Judith Kinnard, Senior Professor of Practice Irene Keil, and the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design’s Nick Jenisch. Published by Routledge, FABRIC[ated] explores the ways in which research and development of fabric can, and historically has, influenced and revolutionized architecture, teaching and design. The book features Small Center’s Hollygrove Greenline Shade-Water Pavilion, designed by Judith and Irene, including the project’s long process of engaged design and implementation of water management features.
NewZine
15
SCHOOL NEWS
lane Research, Innovation and Creativity Summit (TRICS). The poster sessions, which were exhibited over the course of both days of the event, featured over 350 ongoing and finalized research projects.
Design
V
isiting Assistant Professor in Design Meghan Saas was named Associate Director of the Design Program and Professor of Practice. In Fall 2022, Saas founded the Adobe Lab at Tulane, a collaborative space grounded in feminist pedagogy, where students can hone their digital design skills. Adjunct Lecturer of Design Manol Gueorguiev received a grant to participate in an institute seminar supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities at the Newberry Library’s Smith Center for the History of Cartography. Additionally, Manol’s article on design and public space amidst the pandemic was published in MIT’s academic journal Design Issues.
Above: Day Care Center for People with Alzheimers by faculty Rubén and Sonsoles Vela Navarro Photo courtesy of studiovra Below: Dean Iñaki Alday presents at the Bienal de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de Chile Photo Courtesy of Iñaki Alday
Favrot Visiting Professor and alumnus Cristóbal Molina served as co-curator of the Bienal de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de Chile in January. The event took place in an inflatable pavilion, designed by contemporary architect Smiljan Radic, who is the anchor figure for one of our history/theory courses being led by Cristóbal. Dean Iñaki Alday also gave one of the keynote talks inside the pavilion.
16
NewZine
Through their practice studiovra, Rubén and Sonsoles Vela Navarro won 2nd Prize in the Competition for an Auditorium & Theater in Luanco, Spain. Their built work Daycare Center for People with Alzheimer’s was shortlisted for the 12th Dedalo Minosse International Prize and is currently exhibited in the Basilica Palladiana in Italy. More than a dozen TuSA faculty and more than 50 students exhibited their research at the inaugural Tu-
Two new textile design courses began in Spring 2023, led by Professor of Practice Bo Choi. Textile Construction offered an advanced studio in product design, construction with patterning, and draping. Textile Design mixed lecture and studio to produce a collection of digitally engineered patterns with a textile printer. Tiffany Lin, Favrot V Associate Professor of Architecture and Design and Director of the Design Program, was featured in a national podcast: Kelly Corrigan Wonders - Live from College series. The conversation showcases how Tiffany brings her whole self to every class, teaching the kind of empathic thinking that all good design reflects.
Design Lecturer Jill Stoll was featured in Katie Blake’s book What Kind of Collage Is That? The book features more than 270 collage processes and definitions shared by artists and historians alike. Jill’s featured artwork, ‘Woman Standing Alone with Silver Lining’ (2018), is a stunning example of her unique artistic style. The Design program held its first ever Design Showcase + Fashion Show this Spring, a first-ever popup exhibit and celebration of student work from the school’s Design program. Projects from eight courses and more than 100 students were featured, including infographics, illustrations and branding proposals, furniture prototypes, lighting sculptures, digitally printed textiles, wearable designs, and bags. Tulane School of Architecture hosted its fourth annual Summer Design Competition in Summer 2023 through Instagram. The competition covered six categories of representation styles, design, making and art. Six juries of school faculty and staff voted each week for the top five winners. New to the competition this year, winners will also have their submissions published in the next issue of our school’s The ReView book, published by Actar Publishers.
Symposium on Climate and Equity. Jackie, President/CEO of Green Coast Enterprises, served as Chair of Louisiana’s 2022 Energy Code Commission and was instrumental in updating building codes to improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs. Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture Z Smith, Principal at EskewDumezRipple, also spoke at the RISING Symposium. In addition to his numerous media interviews and research publications over the year, Favrot II Associate Professor Jesse M. Keenan received the Spirit of Tulane Award at the 2022 Tulane Research, Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Awards for embodying the Tulane motto: Non sibi, sed suis. Jesse also headlined a panel on climate change at the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. John Huppi, an alumnus and Associate Director of Real Estate Development, renovated a historic retail space on Magazine Street’s commercial corridor to open ErgoFit, a boutique fitness studio. The project combines Huppi’s real estate
expertise with his passion for fitness, including his extensive background in national and international rowing competitions alongside his wife, Hannah Huppi, also a Tulane alumna.
Historic Preservation
F
allon Samuels Aidoo, Assistant Professor of Real Estate & Historic Preservation, was selected to serve on the first-ever Expert Advisory Committee for the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The ACHP promotes preservation and sustainable use of the nation’s historic resources and advises the U.S. President and Congress on historic preservation policy. Then-director of Historic Preservation and Christovich Associate Professor Dr. Brent Fortenberry, along with former Research Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Jane Ashburn, were recognized by the Bermuda National Trust with Heritage Awards for their analysis of paints used on historic Bermuda buildings. Their findings resulted in a palette of historically appropriate
Real Estate Development
V
isiting Assistant Professor Will Bradshaw was named Interim Associate Director of Real Estate Development. While also serving as Visiting Assistant Professor, Will supported graduate students while fellow Associate Director John Huppi continued to support undergraduates. Jackie Dadakis, Real Estate Development Adjunct Assistant Professor, gave the opening keynote at the AIA COTE New Orleans RISING
Students admire cardboard backpack designs at the Spring 2023 Design Showcase + Fashion Show
Amelia Kolp, Tulane University
NewZine
17
SCHOOL NEWS
paint colors, now being used on sites owned by the Trust for a more accurate glimpse into the colors of the island’s past. Graduate Historic Preservation students traveled to Bridgetown, Barbados, in January 2023 for a twoweek training opportunity alongside students from the U.K. and Barbados. The Historic Preservation program served as lead academic partner with the Commonwealth Heritage Forum (CHF) for the research studio, as part of a multi-year, multi-site program led by the CHF. This is a part of the Commonwealth Heritage Skills (CHS) Training Programme.
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
T
he Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) Program is launching a Graduate Certificate in Public Interest Design in Fall 2023. It aims to educate future practitioners in public interest design, especially for his-
torically disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Graduate students in Architecture and Historic Preservation programs can add this new certificate to their degree. Director of the Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) Program Edson Cabalfin recently released the second edition of his children’s reference book What Kids Should Know About Filipino Architecture. Edson’s book introduces examples of Filipino architecture and aims to foster an appreciation of architecture culture, history, and heritage in the country. The second edition has been updated and expanded. The first edition was a finalist in the “Arts Category” at the 2016 Philippine National Book Awards. Alongside students, faculty members Edson Cabalfin, José Cotto, and Meghan Saas participated in the “Design Futures Public Interest Design Student Leadership Forum” at the University of Oregon - College of Design in summer 2023. The 5-day
Graduate students in the Historic Preservation program on a field trip in Bridgetown, Barbados.
18
NewZine
interdisciplinary event aimed to explore radical futures by examining the impact of systems of oppression and inequality on the built environment and design. With their expertise in the field, they contributed to the discussions and collaborative environment of the event. The Design Futures Leadership Forum offered students and faculty an opportunity to exchange innovative ideas and network with other professionals in the field. They delved into the complexities of the built environment and its connection to social issues, with the aim of crafting a brighter future through design. The forum brought together students and faculty from various institutions to reimagine a more equitable and inclusive future. Their love for design and dedication to bringing about positive change in society drove these talented individuals. On a trip to Ecuador for the Sustainability in the Tropics Research Studio (Saul A. Mintz Global Research Studio), students and studio
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
faculty – SISE Director, Professor of Practice, and Associate Dean for EDI, Edson Cabalfin, along with Ann Yoachim, Professor of Practice and Small Center Director – met with Ecuadorian nonprofit FCAT and partners to plan strategies for conserving the area’s biodiversity.
URBANbuild
T
his year, the URBANbuild program, led by Byron Mouton, completed the second phase of a 4-year-plan for a multi-family complex, marking the completion of its eighteenth home, UB 18. The multi-family housing master plan is in partnership with the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of New Orleans, the oldest historically Black Evangelical Lutheran church in the continental United States. UB 18 is a two-bedroom, two-bath home that continues the work of creating a low-income housing community for families dealing with illness. The URBANbuild team celebrated UB 18 with an Open House in May 2023.
Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design
T
he international Architecture & Design Collection Awards 2022 selected the TuSA design-build project Apothecarts as the Silver Winner in the Pop-ups and Temporary Architecture Built category. Two Apothecarts were created in partnership with the nonprofit Prisoner’s Apothecary in Fall 2020 through the design-build research studio facilitated by the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design. The Small Center’s 2021 design-build research studio outdoor classroom for Sugar Roots Farm received a 2022 Honor Award for Small Scale Projects from AIA New
Above: Contruction begins on UB18 Photo courtesy of Byron Mouton Below Left: Completed entry to UB18 featuring sliding wooden panels to control privacy Catherine Restrepo, TuSA Below Right: Award winning Apothecart project by the Albert and Tina Small Center Photo courtesy of Small Center
Orleans. José Cotto, adjunct lecturer and Collaborative Design Project Manager at the Small Center, continued working on his personal art as one of the Joan Mitchell Center’s 2022 artists-in-residence. The Small Center held the Spring 2023 exhibit “EXTRACTIVSM,” curated by artist/filmmaker Jazmin
Miller and artist/writer Anya Groner. The exhibit highlighted both artists’ years of work documenting the history of Cancer Alley along the Mississippi River. The Small Center hosted a Pop-Up Video Installation by Nailah Jefferson and Laurie Sumiye, called ‘Rising: Climate in Crisis Artists in Residence.’
NewZine
19
SCHOOL NEWS
and networking opportunities. Registration for the 2023-24 mentorship program is now open
Fabrication Labs
T Career Explorations in Architecture final review
Career Explorations
F
or the first time since 2019, TuSA hosted a fully in-person Summer 2023 Career Explorations in Architecture program during July 2023. The pre-college program was the largest program yet with a total of 74 students, representing 8 states and 3 countries. The program also provided the largest amount of financial aid ever, designed to increase access to architectural education to students from outside and within the New Orleans area. The two 2-week sessions covered Tactile and Digital Design and were led by TuSA Faculty members Omar Ali, Hannah Berryhill, and Hannah Kenyon.
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
day in-person event included a job fair and individual interviews with students – great opportunities to gain valuable professional development. Fun fact: 56% of the in-person Career Days 2023 attendees were TuSA alumni, providing further opportunity for alumni to connect with current students. Save the Date for Career Days 2024: January 31-February 2. Career Services also offered a TuSA Alumni & Student Mentorship Program that connected 33 alumni & students for guidance
his year, the TuSA Fabrication Labs opened a supply shop in Newcomb Quad Pavilion 1 (NQ-1), where students can purchase various materials such as museum board, cardboard, chipboard, glue, and X-acto blades. The Fabrication Labs collaborated with the Theatre Department’s Scene Shop to share their space for the wood shop and laser cutting during our renovation. Student Charlotte Kelley (B.Arch ‘25) and Director of Fabrication Nicholas LiCausi worked together on a virtual reality exhibition of the future Fabrication Labs in the renovated Richardson Memorial Hall. Students were able to walk around the new Wood Shop and Digital Fabrication Lab and see diagrams and renderings of the space.
Career Services
T
he school’s Career Services, led by Assistant Director of Student Affairs Kristen Jones, held 12 workshops, panels, and employer meet & greets during the 2022-23 school year on topics such as resume and portfolio building, architecture licensure, job interview tips, salary negotiations, and much more. Career Days 2023 brought a record-high 76 offices and firms to Tulane in February 2023, both in person and virtually (with 57 of those in-person!). The two-
20
NewZine
Jefferson Island Environmental Education Center, model by architecture graduate student Elliot Slovis, for ARCH 6021. Photo courtesy of TuSA Fabrication Labs/Elliot Slovis
GRAHAM OWEN
MICHAEL CROSBY
EMMANUEL OSORNO
NIMET ANWAR
ANDREA BARDÓN DE TENA
OMAR ALI
JUAN MEDILLA REVILLA
Thank you to departing faculty!
L
ike many years at Tulane School of Architecture, the school saw the retirement of dedicated faculty and welcomed early career faculty. Michael Crosby retired following 40 years teaching studios, as well as technology and cinema related courses. After 25 years of teaching, research, and service to the school, Graham Owen
took a leave of absence from faculty duties in 2023 that will extend until his retirement in 2024. The school also hosted young faculty who now go on to exciting opportunities. Omar Ali and Nimet Anwar completed their positions in summer 2023 and go on to tenure-track position at Syracuse School of Architecture. Architecture and Social Innova-
tion Fellow Emmanuel Osorno also completed his fellowship and moves on to a position at Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media and Design. Andrea Bardón de Tena and Juan Medina Revilla return to Spain to their practice and complete their doctoral programs at Technical University of Madrid, ETSAM.
NewZine
21
STUDENT NEWS
Commencement Awards 2023 On Saturday May 20, hundreds of friends and family members packed the Dixon Concert Hall to celebrate the impressive achievements of the class of 2023. Featured on the opposite page are students and faculty who were recognized at the ceremony.
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA 22
NewZine
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
AWARDS AND ACADEMIC HONORS Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award Morris Adjmi, M.Arch
Graduate Design Excellence Award Giuliana F. Vaccarino Gearty, M.Arch
Tulane 34 Award Lean Nicole Bohatch, B.Arch
Graduate Leadership Award Kaylan Robin Mitchell, M.Arch
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Award Kaylan Robin Mitchell, M.Arch
Thesis Commendations Merrie Kathryn Afseth, B.Arch Alyssa Kaitlyn Barber, B.Arch Leah Nicole Bohatch, B.Arch Andreea Dan, B.Arch Clara May Nguyen Gardner, B.Arch Giuliana F. Vaccarino Gearty, M.Arch Olivia Huber Georgakopoulos, B.Arch Camille Therese San Juan Kreisel, B.Arch Alex Langley, B.Arch Seth A. Laskin, B.Arch Ethan Samuel Lewis, B.Arch, BS James Connor Little, B.Arch Samuel Braun Spencer, B.Arch Tess Nalani Temple, B.Arch Thanathep Thepkanjana, B.Arch Daniel Patrick Tighe, MSRED, M.Arch
Senior Honors Scholar Grace Noelle Daniels, BS Newcomb Tulane College Student Athlete Award Amelia Marie Vasquez, BA William Wallace Peery Society Andreea Dan, B.Arch ARCHITECTURE American Institute of Architects Medal for Academic Excellence Andreea Dan, B.Arch Yao Zhang, M.Arch American Institute of Architects Louisiana Celebrate Architecture Scholarship Leah Nicole Bohatch, B.Arch Camille Therese San Juan Kreisel, B.Arch Alpha Rho Chi Medal Olivia Huber Georgakopoulos, B.Arch Thomas J. Lupo Awards Andreea Dan, B.Arch Tess Nalani Temple, B.Arch Mitchell D. Hubbell, MS John William Lawrence Memorial Medal Camille Therese San Juan Kreisel, B.Arch Outstanding Thesis Award Leah Nicole Bohatch, B.Arch Camille Therese San Juan Kreisel, B.Arch Megan Louise Spoor, M.Arc
Tau Sigma Delta Benjamin Evan Bailey, BSA Alyssa Kaitlyn Barber, B.Arch Raymond Asher Behar, BSA, BS Andreea Dan, B.Arch William Spencer Embree, BSA Clara May Nguyen Gardner, B.Arch Giuliana Francesca Vaccarino Gearty, M.Arch Olivia Huber Georgakopoulos, B.Arch Ethan Samuel Lewis, B.Arch, BS Abigail Baker Lovins, M.Arch, MPS Erin Sue Matsuoka, BSA Kayla Nicole Mitchell, BSA Megan Louise Spoor, M.Arch Yao Zhang, M.Arch
Design Innovation Award Grace Noelle Daniels, BS Faculty Design Award Madeleine W. Rubin, BA Capstone Award Amanda Faith Vitt, BA
HISTORIC PRESERVATION Distinguished Thesis Award Eric William Spinrad, MPS Outstanding Pursuit of New Directions in the Field Award Mary Helen Porter, MPS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT GPA Award Raymond Asher Behar, BSA, BS Most Outstanding Senior in Real Estate Sophia Rose Baser, BSA Academic Achievement Award Ethan Samuel Lewis, B.Arch, BS Julia Caitlin Singer, BS “The Palace” Academic Distinction Award Daniel Patrick Tighe, MSRED, M.Arch Graduate Leadership Award Mario Nitin Das, MSRED, M.Arch Graduate Service Award Alyssa Paige Galindo, MSRED Graduate Research Awards Alyssa Paige Galindo, MSRED Erin Patricia Joseph, MSRED Jiaqi Luo, MSRED, M.Arch Woods Walker Novak, MSRED
DESIGN
FACULTY
Design Excellence Award Amelia Marie Vasquez, BA
Malcolm Heard Award for Excellence in Teaching Juan Medina Revilla, Ph.D. candidate NewZine
23
STUDENT NEWS
24
NewZine
Design focus at Tulane inspires architecture graduate Leah Bohatch (‘23) STORY BY MARIA CLARK, TULANE UNIVERSITY
L
eah Bohatch (B.Arch ‘23) found early inspiration from the colorful architecture and rich blend of cultures in her hometown of Miami. That same spirit and energy drew her to New Orleans five years ago as an undergraduate at Tulane. In May, she will graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture, a five-year professional degree, from the Tulane School of Architecture. In her time at Tulane, she has become well known for her artistic ability and eye for color. Bohatch credits her parents for fostering her love of art from an early age. “Growing up in Miami, we had so much access to an amazing art scene. My parents also never limited me in my artistic passions—they would take us to all of these art museums and landmarks all over the world,” she said. Bohatch said she especially loved Tulane’s studio culture and its emphasis on design. At the School of Architecture, she was supported by professors who helped her explore not only how to make beautiful drawings, but to use design to solve problems. She credits architecture
Leah Bohatch, 2023 graduate from the School of Architecture, will bring her love of art and eye for color to a New York architecture firm.
professor Margarita Jover and Iñaki Alday, dean of the School of Architecture, for never limiting her ideas. “They both have this strong background in landscape architecture and showed us how it can influence our projects so people can inhabit and enjoy a project from the exterior and interior,” she said.
Roman Vaulin, Tulane University
Bohatch recalls the energy she felt working with her peers at Richardson Memorial Hall on the uptown campus before it closed due to the pandemic and later for renovations. “I miss those days where all the architecture students were in the same building working or hanging out,” she said. “So many friendships were formed in that building.” Bohatch has accepted an offer at SHoP Architects in New York, which just won the 2022 American Prize for Architecture and are leaders in utilizing design and fabrication as tools to create such projects as the Barclays Center. “Sometimes I think of architecture and my career in a fantastical way — I want to be able to do work that is important in the industry. I want to be at firms that are looking to be leaders in future and current conversations,” she said.
Work from Bohatch’s collaboration with TuSA Fabrication Labs to visualize interior of RMH.
NewZine
25
STUDENT NEWS
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
Dean Iñaki Alday and Kaylan Mitchell at the TuSA 2023 Commencement ceremony.
Kaylan Mitchell (*23), EDI Award recipient, leads by example and follows passions STORY BY OLIVIA ROGINSON, TULANE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
C
oming from a small town south of Baton Rouge, Kaylan Mitchell (M.Arch ‘23) grew up surrounded by rural landscape that led to her fascination with occupied space. The idea of gesture in that landscape eventually inspired her to pursue a career in architecture. “Making an impact on my community was my first draw to Tulane. I think that being from the state is important, and I really wanted to contribute local knowledge,” Kaylan said. Kaylan, who graduated with a Master of Architecture and Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation,
26
NewZine
received the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award at the 2023 Commencement for her efforts as a leader in creating an inclusive community at the school. During her time at Tulane, Kaylan served as president of the Tulane School of Architecture Graduate Government (TSAGG), participated in architectural conferences and conducted extensive research into community building restoration. “When I started at Tulane, I was the only Black woman in the [graduate architecture] program. I really wanted to be a voice of representation, and serve as a guide for future
students who will be joining throughout the years,” Kaylan said. Kaylan began her term as President of TSAGG in the spring of 2021, when the decrease of in-person studios due to Covid-19 precautions had led to a decreased sense of unity among the graduate student body. She advocated for greater community involvement, urging for collaboration across the different graduate disciplines. She aimed to create a space “where students could gather, voice concerns, and feel listened to.” Passionate about developing the school’s network with local professionals, Kaylan worked closely with
TuSA faculty to plan interactive events. She played a pivotal role in the 2023 Colloquium, where she successfully helped to bring several experts on New Orleans housing, planning, and sustainability to speak with students. She was also part of the student cohort that attended the 2022 NOMA Conference in Nashville, where she felt a strong sense of community among her peers. She worked with Edson Cabalfin, TuSA’s Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, to discuss ways to make TuSA a more inclusive space. As the school continues to grow she hopes for developments of new and existing EDI efforts, such as the Tulane Affinity groups, as well as greater interaction with the New Orleans community. During her time as a student, Kaylan’s interest in placemaking and architectural storytelling developed. She joined the research team for Transformative Preservation, a restorative reuse project led by TuSA architecture faculty Andrew Liles and former historic preservation faculty Laura Blokker. The project aimed to identify abandoned African American schools throughout Louisiana, and investigate opportunities to adaptively reuse the buildings to support local community needs. “That [research experience] drew me to preservation and adaptive reuse because the buildings that we have now all have such stories to tell. Placemaking is extremely important to me and everything I do,” Kaylan said. Kaylan will bring this interest in preservation and adaptive reuse to her new position as an Architectural Designer at Williams Architects, a local New Orleans firm. With a disciplined work flow as her foundation, she plans to incorporate storytelling, sustainability, and community-centric goals into her future projects. Above: Kaylan Mitchell has an interest in preservation and adaptive reuse. Images courtesy of Kaylan Mitchell.
NewZine
27
STUDENT NEWS
Student Digest
Graduate students in the Historic Preservation program on a field trip in Bridgetown, Barbados.
T
he 2022 TuSA Boudreaux Scholarships were awarded to graduate students Analiese De Saw, Thais Emilia De Four, and Monique Brown. This scholarship program supports students from historically underrepresented groups (such as first-generation college students, veterans, students that are financially/economically disadvantaged, etc.) and who will, therefore, contribute to the diversity in the professions of the built environment. A team of students, led by Seth Laskin and Ethan Lewis, designed and constructed Sukkah 14, an outdoor pavilion for dining and living,
28
NewZine
on Tulane’s Uptown campus in Fall 2022. Th project is an annual partnership between TuSA and Tulane Hillel, which provides funding for the Sukkah to be built for the eight-day Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Dual-degree Architecture and Sustainable Real Estate Development graduate students Jiaqi Luo, Daniel Tighe, and Sean Fowler received 3rd place in the international Voen Foundation competition for Lagos, Nigeria. The competition focused on issues of seasonal flooding, sea level rise, housing, equity and sustainability in Lagos, one of the largest and fast-
Catherine Resrepo, TuSA
est-growing cities in the world. The Charrette published its annual student-led publication of student and faculty work, using a specialized risograph printing process. Several TuSA students were paired with baking students at NOCHI (New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute) for a first-ever competition in December 2022 to design, bake, and construct gingerbread structures. Competition judges included Steve Dumez (EskewDumezRipple), Megan Saas (TuSA), Carla Briggs (NOCHI), and Matt Serkes (Windsor Court).
Real Estate student Reginald “Reggie” Brown and Design students Nataurean “Phat” Watts, Larry Brooks, and Armoni Dixon were part of the Tulane’s football team’s victory at the Cotton Bowl in January 2023. Design student Grace Ostendorf also supported the team as Tulane Athletics’ Communications and Social Media Intern and was selected as a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Student Ambassador. Students organized and hosted the Annual Student Gallery and Auction in February 2023 in the Newcomb Quad Pavilions. The Gallery and Auction is an excellent opportunity each year for students and faculty to display and sell creative work and support Tulane Architecture Student Government (ASG) initiatives. Students kept 80% of profits from their work, and 20% went to Tulane ASG for first year supplies and future events. The Tulane ASG and Design Symposium committee hosted their annual symposium, themed “Material World: Futures of Tactile and Digital Expression,” on March 25-26, 2023. This year’s symposium explored the roles of materiality and representational mediums within the disciplines of architecture and design. Tulane Women in Architecture designed and laster-cut acrylic jewelry featuring the TuSA “T” logo during a collaborative making event with Tulane’s Society of Women Engineers. More than 50 students worked on faculty-led research projects that were presented at the inaugural Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit (TRICS) in March 2023 in downtown New Orleans. In March 2023, students presented their work from travel fellowships (John William Lawrence Travel Fellowships, Class of 1973 Travel Fellowship, and RAMSA Travel Fellowship): Karan Sharma presented “Earth as a Construction Material in Spain”;
Seth Laskin presented “Through the Looking Glass: The Interplay of Film and Architecture in the Worlds of Wes Anderson”; Chris Kolodey presented “Frank Gehry Concert Halls”; Ethan Lewis presented “Jerusalem: Post-Mandate Development & Conflict In The City of Peace”; and Giuliana Vaccarino Gearty presented “Sicily’s Historic Tuna Fisheries”. Dozens of student work images were selected for the school’s book The ReView: How and what for, published by Actar in 2023. Graduate Architecture student Akhil Singh organized the 100 Faces of TuSA project during 2023 and displayed his project 100 Faces of TuSA at the school’s 2023 Commencement Reception. Undergraduate Architecture student Leah Bohatch’s perspective renderings were featured in TuSA’s flythrough animation of the renovated Richardson Memorial Hall. Students showcased their work at the first-ever Design Showcase + Fashion Show, hosted by TuSA’s Design Program. Projects from eight courses and more than 100 students were featured. Event sponsors included Aidan Gill, AOS Interior Environments, and Precision Sewing Machines.
program and site and guided by faculty thesis advisors. The 2023 School Show featured work by undergraduate students Merrie Afseth and Connor Little, Alyssa Barber and Olivia Georgakopoulos, Andreea Dan and Tess Temple, Alex Langley and Sam Spencer, Seth Laskin, Tiger Thepkanjana, Leah Bohatch and Camille Kreisel, and graduate students Giuliana Vaccarino Gearty, Megan Spoor and Daniel Tighe. Students Emily Brandt, Charlie Crawford, Analiese De Saw, Rene Guillot, and Kristin Hamilton attended the annual Design Futures Forum, held at the University of Oregon in June 2023. Student work was recognized during the fourth annual TuSA Summer Design Competition in 2023, an Instagram-based contest held over six weeks that included prizes for first place and finalists. Design prompts included variety of style, design, making, and art, with a new jury of Tulane faculty judging the submissions each week. First place winners were Clara Gardner, Daphne Vorel, Zaynab Eltaib, Lucy Salas, and Tiger Thepkanjana.
Architecture students Brianna Baldwin, Andreea Dan, and Ethan Lewis were selected for Metropolis magazine’s Future100, featuring the top graduating architecture student sin the U.S. and Canada. Thesis projects from undergraduate and graduate Architecture students were highlighted in the 2023 Dezeen School Shows series. On both academic levels, students engaged in two-course series to research an architectural topic and develop a thesis to be tested through design, later exploring their hypotheses through a
The Continuous Canteliever Chai Instagram Summer Design Competition winner Lucy Salas (DESG ‘24) NewZine
29
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Updates Morris Adjmi, FAIA, M.Arch ’83, received the 2023 Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award at our May 20 Diploma Ceremony (See our story on Page 34), and won the ICFF Designer of the Year Award. Muhanad AlFardan, MSRED *19, delivered a TEDx presentation in Cairo, Egypt, where he spoke about findings from his research about self-driving cars and their influence on urban housing. He analyzes that autonomous vehicles could minimize the need for parking in compact areas, creating space for affordable housing developments. Calla Bardwell, M.Arch/MSRED *17, has joined the AIA Louisiana Associates and Emerging Professionals Committee while also Co-Chairing the AIA New Orleans Small Firm Exchange. Michelle Barrett M.Arch ’19 and Caroline Garfield, B.Arch/MSRED ’20 were recently promoted at Multistudio, an architecture, brand expe-
Muhanad AlFardan (MSRED *19) presents at TEDx in Egypt rience, city design, education design, and interiors firm founded to serve complex, and even contradictory needs of clients and communities. Michelle was promoted to Senior Associate in their Kansas City office, and Caroline was promoted to Associate in their New Orleans office.
Michelle Barrett, M.Arch ’19, and Chris Daemmrich, M.Arch ’17, received a Graham Foundation grant for their work with Emergent Grounds for Design Education (EGDE), a collective they co-facilitate with UVA Architecture alum My-Anh Nguyen. EGDE is a co-generated archive of ongoing student and alumni work to organize for antiracist, feminist education in the built environment and design professions. Two alumni-led firms were listed among the AN Interior Top 50 firms for 2022: Assembledge+, led by David Thompson (M.Arch ’91, Dean’s Advisory Council member), and SO-IL, led by Jing Liu, M.Arch ’04. Several other firms on the list have alumni on staff, including Deborah Burke Partners, Brooks + Scarpa, HASTINGS, Olson Kundig, and Utile.
Las Americas Social Housing project, designed by SO-IL in 2016
30
NewZine
Alumnus and former professor Robert P. Dean Jr., FAIA, M.Arch ’68, was inducted into the Paul Tulane Society, which honors generous
benefactors who have supported Tulane with gifts of $1 million or more. Over the past decade, Dean and his husband, Robert A. Epstein, have supported student scholarships in the School of Architecture as well as the RMH renovation. Sherri Gutierrez, M.Arch ’96, was profiled in a Q&A piece for Mansion Global. She spoke with the digital publication about solar-powered buildings in Miami, the next level of luxury and the art of the rooftop pool. Sherri is the principal and Miami office manager of Arquitectonica, and she has been in the business for 30 years. NANO LLC, led by Terri Hogan Dreyer, M.Arch *01, and Ian Dreyer, M.Arch *01, partnered with VergesRome Architects, which also has alumni partners Stephanie Calamari, M.Arch *98, and Anthony J. Taffaro Sr., B.Arch ’72, M.Arch *04, on repairs to the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium. The city selected the firms to stabilize the dilapidated historic venue. Calvin Gallion, M.Arch ’17, has been Co-Chairing the AIA New Orleans Small Firm Exchange and was selected to participate in the 2023 Emerging Leaders Institute presented by AIA Louisiana and ACEC of Louisiana. Mark Heck, M. Arch ’06, has been elected as 2023 Vice President/President-Elect for AIA Louisiana and will serve as the President of AIA Louisiana in 2024. He was also recently honored with the AIA New Orleans Emerging Professionals Young Architect Award. Austin Hogans, M.ARCH/MSRED *20, is working to lessen the financial burden of pursuing an education in architecture and design. Through the National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA) Louisiana
Solar-powered high rise in Miami designed by Sherri Guitierrez, M. Arch ’96
chapter, Hogans launched a campaign to collect donations – supplies and monetary – to help students obtain necessary design supplies for their first year. John Huppi (MSRED *14, SSE ‘11) renovated a historic retail space on Magazine Street in New Orleans to be home to ErgoFit, a boutique fitness studio. The project includes his wife, Hannah Huppi, a fellow Tulane alumna (Freeman, B ‘11). Alan Karchmer, M.Arch ’78, celebrated his retrospective exhibition
“The Architects’ Photographer” exhibit at the National Building Museum at a reception held in conjunction with TuSA’s graduate sustainable real estate student Field Study trip to Washington, D.C. The evening will include a brief welcome from Alan Karchmer, curator of the exhibit G. Martin Moeller, Jr., M.Arch ’84, and TuSA’s Director of Real Estate Development, Casius Pealer (A ‘96). Alison Landry, M.Arch ’09, has been selected to serve as the inaugural Associate Commissioner for Alternative Delivery, a NewZine
31
ALUMNI NEWS
Adrianne Steichen, M.Arch ’01, of San Francisco. A big thanks to Simcha Ward, M.Arch ’11, for his years of leadership on the council as he stepped down after 3.5 years as CoChair.
Where Earth Meets Sky Erin Handley
newly created position with the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Alison is a former associate at Handel Architects, and currently serves on the TuSA Alumni Council. Joanna Lombard, AIA, M.Arch ’75, and TuSA Dean’s Advisory Council member, won a Distinguished Professor Award from the ACSA 2023 Architectural Education Awards. A long-time supporter of the school, Joanna is also a registered architect in Florida and a Professor in architecture at the University of Miami with a joint appointment in the Department of Public Health Sciences. The Johns Hopkins University Press published the sixth edition of the AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, DC, by G. Martin Moeller, Jr., M.Arch ’84. Numerous alumni and faculty presented at the 111th ACSA Annual Meeting, including TuSA Alumnus Azadeth Raoufi, MSARC *22. James Rolf, MPS *16, of New Orleans recently stepped into the role as TuSA Alumni Council Co-Chair to serve alongside fellow alumna 32
NewZine
Emily Handley, M.Arch ’10, has launched an art practice which builds on her years of experience as an architect working in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. She continues the tradition of great female painters working in watercolor en plein air. Through her paintings and drawings, she seeks to illuminate the connection between buildings, human culture, and the natural environment, as well as the complex issues facing our civilization and the natural world. Miriam Salas, M.Arch ’97, AIA, LEED AP, was promoted to partner at Campo Architecture and Interior Design in New Orleans. Salas began as an intern at the firm and worked her way up to Studio Director. She is one of the founding members of the Women In Architecture AIA New Orleans chapter and Young Architects Forum.
Neal Talaske, MSRED/MBA *21, who is a Project Developer at Tesla, envisioned and led his team to open a sustainable Tesla Supercharger station in Arizona. While not the first Tesla station he’s worked on, it’s the most exciting in its technology and sustainability, featuring solar panels, extensive battery storage, and 40 charging posts – a closed-loop system resulting in zero emissions. Marcel Wisznia, M.Arch ’73 and TuSA Dean’s Advisory Council member, and Dan Weiner, M.Arch ’90, celebrated 30 years of working together at Wisznia Architecture + Development. Dan credits Marcel with being his mentor and providing support in a job with new challenges every day. This year’s New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane, included a new book from Peter M. Wolf (TuSA Dean’s Advisory Council member). The Sugar King is a biography of Peter’s great-great-grandfather, a French Jewish immigrant. We want to hear from you! Submit your news, promotions, awards, and updates through our online form: bit. ly/Share-Your-News-With-TuSA
ALUMNI IN MEMORIAM Ron Filson Dean of the School of Architecture (1980-1992) Thomas S. Meric (A ‘52) Dorothy McCabe Kueber (A ‘56) Edmond J. Bendernagel Jr. (A ‘57) Henry A. Hearne Jr. (A ‘59) Richard T. Simoni Sr. (A ‘59) Thomas W. Gravois (A ‘61) Terry P. Gauthier (A ‘62) Jesse M. Lyons Sr. (A ‘62) Wade T. Verges Sr. (A ‘66) Leonard F. Benckenstein II (A ‘68) Thomas A. Greer (A ‘68)
Steven A. Trompeter (A ‘69) Joseph D. Coleman (A ‘74) John L. Schackai III (A ‘80) Scott D. Andres (A ‘84) Gerard T. Creedon (A ‘84) Shelly Ditta Doucet (A ‘88) Eric M. Grieshaber (A ‘93) Michael L. Thiele II (A ‘98) Victor J. Saraceno II (A ‘99) Charles Elliott Perkins V (A ‘00)
Alumni Council Formed in 2019, the Tulane School of Architecture Alumni Council is a global group of committed alumni. Together they initiate events that strengthen local networks of current alumni, provide mentorship and support to further the careers of students and graduates, and leverage their collective influence to ensure a diverse and inclusive future for the school. The council also has the following three standing subcommittees: Communications, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, and Student Engagement. The council is currently chaired by Adrianne Steichen (A ‘01) and James Rolf (MPS ’16). The council leadership and membership is listed below. Alumni Council Co-Chairs Adrianne Steichen (A ‘01) AIA, LEED AP BD+C & HOMES Principal of PYATOK architecture + urban design Oakland, CA James Rolf MPS *16 Louisiana Recovery School District/ Rolf Preservation Works, LLC New Orleans, LA
Devin Weaver A *11 Perkins + Will
New York
Braham Berg A ‘18, MSRED *18 BBB3rg LLC
Honolulu
Frank Xiong A’14 WJE
Keristen Edwards A ‘20, MSRED *20 Ennead Architects
International
Ashley Gaudlip MPS *17 FEMA
Katherine Allen A ‘15 Henning Larsen, Denmark
Alumni Council Members
Kansas City
Wells Megalli A *17 Selldorf Architects
Atlanta
Michelle Barrett A ‘19 Multistudio
Ian Rosenfield A ‘15
William Trakas A*12 BNIM
Anthony Vanky A *07 Columbia University
Stacey Lucas A *00 Collins Cooper Carusi Architects, Inc. Kyle McCluskey A ‘09 Jacobs Amber Stewart A *09 Jacobs
Los Angeles
Jake Lazere A *14 Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects
Austin
Jeffrey Zolan A ‘16 DLR Group
Lucas Elser MSRED *18 Project Management Advisors, Inc.
Miami
Boston
Alexandra Mangimelli A ‘09 Strang Design
Leland “Lee” B. Berman A *12 The Berman Company
New Orleans
Arielle Scher A *18 HGA
Sean McGuire A *12 Gensler Joshua Mings A’10 Aggregate Studio Co-Chair- Student Engagement Subcommittee Me’osha Solsberry A*18, MSRED *18 Fitzgerald Associates Architects Dallas
Sarah Cumming A ‘14 Page
Jordan Matthews White A*13 Walt Disney Imagineering Phoenix
Chris Cody MPS *14 Arizona State Historic Preservation Office Nicole Mehaffey A ‘16 Multistudio Salt Lake City
Chris Daemmrich A ‘17 Tulane University Co-Chair- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Subcommittee
Chicago
Deirdre Clein MSRED *18 Murphy Real Estate Services Co-Chair- Communications Subcommittee
Orlando
Celeste Favrot MSRED *18 First Lake Properties
Kelly Holland A ‘09 Arch Nexus Seattle
Nick Vann A ‘09, MPS *09 Washington State, Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation St. Louis
Meghan Murphy MPS *16 City of New Orleans, LA Catherine “Katie” Nguyen A *16 EskewDumezRipple
Kekeli Dawes A *18 Lamar Johnson Collaborative Co-Chair- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Subcommittee Washington, DC
Lane Rapier A *18 Farouki Farouki Brook Tesler MPS ‘14 VCC Foundation Co-Chair- Student Engagement Subcommittee
J. Marshall Brown MPS *16 Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning Co-Chair- Communications Subcommittee Brinda Sen Gupta A ‘11, MSRED *12 World Wide Technology
Interested in learning more about or becoming involved in the Alumni Council? Reach out to Kristen Jones, Assistant Director, Student Affairs at kjones41@tulane.edu. NewZine
33
ALUMNI NEWS
Morris Adjmi (‘83) receives second annual Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award Visionary Architect Shapes Communities and Embraces the Future BY NAOMI KING ENGLAR, TUSA
A
lumnus Morris Adjmi (M.Arch ‘83), FAIA, an accomplished architect based in New York City and known for his innovative designs and commitment to sustainability, was recently honored with the Tulane School of Architecture’s second annual Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award. With a career spanning four decades, the founder and owner of Morris Adjmi Architects has left a significant mark on the field of architecture, blending history, art, and an understanding of community needs in his projects. From a young age, Adjmi felt called toward architecture, a passion that blossomed in elementary school during a class trip to the French Quarter in New Orleans. The intricate grillwork caught his attention, and he realized the power of architecture to shape spaces and evoke emotions. “There’s a language of order in architecture that made me look at everything differently,” Adjmi said. “I started noticing details and differences that made certain places special.” Choosing Tulane University to pursue his architectural studies was a natural decision for Adjmi, having grown up in the city. Among his fondest memories as a Tulane student, Adjmi points to the vast resources, camaraderie, and shared passion among his fellow students. “The collaborative energy among the students [at Tulane] and the long discussions about design were truly
34
NewZine
remarkable,” Adjmi said. It was also the flexibility and support he received at Tulane that allowed him to craft his own study plan, which ultimately led to a transformative year of studying in New York. There he met influential figures like Aldo Rossi, who became his mentor and professional partner for 10 years. Now in a position to reflect on his career and provide guidance to young designers and professionals, Adjmi said he emphasizes the importance of focusing on one’s passions while maintaining a long-term view and having patience in the process of establishing one’s portfolio of work. That involves following instincts, learning from mistakes, and staying true to one’s ideas and direction. “You have to love what you do, no matter what,” Adjmi said. “Then you can do good work.” In his own design practice, Morris Adjmi Architects, he said he’s always been influenced by his roots in New Orleans, where he developed an appreciation for the city’s architecture and typologies. He aims to create designs that bridge the gap between the past and the present, without trying to replicate historical styles. While integrating sustainability and artistic elements into his work, Adjmi said he aims to create architecture that stands out while fitting seamlessly into its context – ultimately designing spaces for people and communities to thrive. As an active alumnus of Tulane School of Architecture, Adjmi has consistently given back to the institution that helped shape his career. His involvement ranges from creating fellowships to serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council, delivering lectures, and providing career opportunities for Tulane graduates through internships and employment. Adjmi said he sees Tulane as continuing to be a leader in architectural education, particularly with its focus on interdisciplinary studies and its focus on the pressing issues of climate change and
Selected works from Adjmi’s multidisciplinary, award-winning firm, which has designed over 27 million square feet of built space in more than 25 cities throughout the United States and abroad. Photos courtesy of @morrisadjmiarchitects
sustainability. “The most exciting aspect at the School of Architecture for me today is the way the school is growing out of architecture – the way the school is able to weave architecture into a whole host of other disciplines,” Adjmi said. “I see an exciting hotbed of thought and ideas coming together.” Receiving the 2023 Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award, Adjmi said, serves as a humbling reminder of his journey and the impact Tulane had on his development as an architect. “It’s always nice to get an award – for one that reflects what I’ve become, but also how I came to be who
I am,” Adjmi said. “When you’re a young kid, you’re not thinking about the long term. Now I understand that I am what I am today because of that experience.” Angela O’Bryne (M.Arch ‘84), the award’s namesake, said she was equally honored to be involved in establishing the ongoing recognition of accomplished alumni. “It gives the young people hope when they see not only successful people,” she said, “but it gives them optimism to see successful people who can directly attribute their success to their education at Tulane.”
NewZine
35
A D VA N C E M E N T N E W S
Advancement Report
BY THE NUMBERS:
F Y 2 0 2 3 ( J U LY 1 , 2 0 2 2 – J U N E 3 0 , 2 0 2 3 ) raised this year, over Your support allows the Tulane School of Architecture to build an environment of excellence, provide transformational teaching, and work with our community to promote meaningful change. Every gift is important and makes a difference. With your continued help, we are poised to move to a new level of achievement by building on our strengths and capitalizing on the momentum of our successes.
higher than the 5 year average.
the amount raised in FY 2023
alumni donors
To l e a r n m o r e a b o u t h o w y o u c a n c o n t r i b u t e , c o n t a c t J o s h D a v i s , D i r e c t o r o f D e v e l o p m e n t f o r t h e Tu l a n e S c h o o l o f A r chitecture, at jdavis46@tulane.edu.
Yo u c a n a l s o v i s i t g i v i n g .t u l a n e . e d u /A R C H
total donors, also higher than the 5 year average.
Spring 2023 Alumni Reception
36
NewZine
Catherine Restrepo, TuSA
raised through corporations and foundations compared to 106,250 raised in FY 2022
TuSA alum Brad Meltzer aims to inspire through generosity BY MARY SPARACELLO, TULANE ADVANCEMENT
B
rad Meltzer (A ‘90) still remembers his first project at the Tulane School of Architecture. It was a study of different shapes, and what he anticipated would take a few hours of work turned into an all-nighter. Afterward, he learned that his professor intended the exercise to be about more than just a study of shapes. Rather, it illustrated that even though Meltzer and his classmates began with identical starting points, their unique ideas led them down distinct paths. That assignment serves as a metaphor for the diverse trajectories Tulane architecture students are equipped to embark upon after graduation. “More than anything, the School of Architecture teaches you how to think,” Meltzer says. Although Meltzer did not practice architecture post-graduation, the School of Architecture gave him a versatile foundation for his successful life journey. While still a student, Meltzer interned at Plaza Construction, which translated into a full-time job after graduation. After moving to Miami and leaving Plaza, he founded his own construction company. Years later, he joined forces
Meltzer (top left) celebrates Cotton Bowl victory with fellow alumni. Photo courtesy of Brad Meltzer
with Plaza Construction once again. Eventually, Meltzer became CEO of the nationally recognized and New York City-based construction management and general contracting firm. In January of 2021, Meltzer parted ways with Plaza, leveraged his experience in architecture and construction, and became president and partner at South Florida-based Two Roads Development. His firm is currently developing six different large-scale luxury projects around the country. “Now I go from the early stages of design development through execution, so it’s more full circle for me, and I’m enjoying the process.”
“More than anything, the School of Architecture teaches you how to think.” B R A D M E LT Z E R ( A’90)
Along with an excellent education, Meltzer says he made lifelong friends at Tulane, mostly through the architecture school and the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. At Tulane, Meltzer also met his wife, Suzanne (Richard) Meltzer, with whom he shares three children. “You can say Tulane shaped my entire future.” Meltzer has been a long-time supporter of the School of Architecture. He started donating his expertise and time early in his career, serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He credits architects John Williams, Billy Sizeler, and Marcel Wisznia with being especially welcoming when he first joined
Photo courtesy of Brad Meltzer
the board. Throughout his career, he has felt strongly about guiding the future generations of architecture students. His advice? “Embrace the things that your professors are trying to impart to you. Think outside the box. Now is your opportunity to push the envelope.” He also advises “to search for great internships. Not ones that check a box but ones that you think will impact what you want to do. Don’t just get a job; find one that you think will be inspiring and something you want to see your life unfold into.” As his career grew more successful, he started supporting the school financially, and he and his wife have pledged to sponsor scholarships for architecture students. Reflecting on the transformative impact of his education, Meltzer views his contributions to Tulane as a gesture of gratitude for the invaluable foundation the university provided him, and he hopes he can inspire other alumni to give back, too. He states, “Tulane fundamentally prepared me to start my career and lead a fulfilling life... and I always want to give back in some way, shape, or form.”
NewZine
37
38
NewZine
NewZine
39
F NITROGEN POLUTION RUNOFF IN WATERWAY REDUCTION O S
BAYOU TERREBONNE
MUNITIES
INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
TRIBU WETLANDS
BRACKISH WATER
HOUMA
TRIBUTARY COMMUNITIES
WATER QUALITY WITHIN WATERBODIES IMPROVES, AQUATIC HABITATS ARE MORE CAPABLE TO SUSTAIN AQUATIC SPECIES
@TulaneArch
@TulaneArch
@tulanearch
Tulane School of Architecture 6823 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70118 architecture@tulane.edu | 504-865-5389 | architecture.tulane.edu