2025 NewZine + RMH Special Insert

NewZine

ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF TULANE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT Inside the 2025 Issue:

pg 8 | New Name Reflects a Changing School

pg 10 | School Welcomes Ten Faculty

pg 29 | Kris Smith Wins 2025 Leadership in Core Values Award

On the Cover:

Symbiotic Architecture: Flexible Living for a Speculative Future

BY JOEY THOMSHE (B.ARCH '25) AND EVAN UNRUH (B.ARCH '25)

Produced in fulfillment of their undergraduate thesis, students Joey Thomshe and Evan Unruh designed a housing complex that addresses homeowners' needs while achieving thermal efficiency. Designed for symbiosis with seasonal change, the complex relies on innovations like a sliding greenhouse to capture winter heat and a folding balcony to provide summer shade. Their project aims to integrate buildings, often designed as energy-intensive, closed-loop systems, into the ecological networks of their settings.

LETTER FROM THE DEAN

Dear Tulane community,

As I write this letter, our makeshift home in Newcomb Quad is being disassembled. The Five Temporary Pavilions, built to expand the Tulane facilities and allow for social distancing at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, became our home for almost four years. While Richardson Memorial Hall (RMH) was being renovated, we shared some challenges and plenty of joy. The experience bonded us together, and we now have the opportunity to bond in a new way, sharing the great fortune that is Richardson Memorial Hall. After close to 120 years, the building, which was once a medical college and has served as the school of architecture since the end of the ‘60s, is finally fully renovated and reopened this March 2025. We could not wait to come back— even in the middle of the semester—so that everyone (especially the graduating students) could enjoy our magnificent building. Even though moving during the week of Mardi Gras and spring break was

"Many aspects link every field at the school, but the most relevant is service."

nearly as impossible as it seems, our extraordinary staff, helped by faculty and students, made it happen. If this suggests that our plate was full for the semester (the months of planning, the move, and 1,100 students adjusting to a brand-new building), RMH has been only a fraction of the school’s focus for the year. We onboarded nineteen new faculty, six new staff members, and searched for six new faculty to start in July. We prepared and launched the new Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering program, its first cohort having started last June, and the new Bachelor of Science of Sustainable Urbanism, starting in August. True to these and other new programs, we expanded our name to better reflect who we are and who we want to be, a leading School of Architecture and Built Environment.

Many aspects link every field at the school, but the most relevant is service. We are professions of service; we provide service. However, we do not just educate “service providers” at Tulane. While working for clients, our buildings, furniture, lands, and

materials may have owners, but they use energy, water, air, and resources that belong to everyone. Our decisions impact comfort, ecology, workers, and equity, making the world better or worse. Ultimately, we serve society, not just clients. Therefore, it is our responsibility, as professionals of the built environment, to practice in service to society. We do not work to enhance our egos or to make money as fast as possible, but to leave the place and people better than before we came. This is what distinguishes Tulane students and graduates. We learn it in classrooms, working with communities, and exercising holistic and caring thinking in every field: from clothing, graphics, and furniture, to buildings, public spaces, historic structures, developments, cities, and landscapes. Our ambition—caring leadership—is well-represented in the extraordinary students whose education and future are at the core of our mission.

IÑAKI ALDAY

Amy

Lenkiewicz

Executive Editor

Emily Capdeville Writing

Catherine Restrepo Editor

Karl Dixon Layout and Design

Nathan Rich Art Director

Fran Frutkin + Nico Eckstein

Photography Co-Curators

Akhil Singh

Photography Contributor

Abe Passman

Photography Contributor

NEWZINE PRODUCTION TEAM

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

IAngela O’Byrne (A ‘83)

FAIA, LEED AP

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, Dean’s Advisory Council Chair

President, Perez APC

n April 2025, it was gratifying and exciting to return to campus to join alumni in the newly renovated and expanded Richardson Memorial Hall (RMH). After years of meeting in other venues downtown, being in RMH for the biennial DAC meeting, the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment renaming ceremony, and the first ever Awards Gala meant returning home.

I continue to be deeply impressed by both the quality and growth of the school’s programming, faculty, and students, all progressing towards Dean Iñaki Alday’s vision. Since Dean Alday arrived, and I became Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) Chair, the number of majors has increased from 440 to 673 and the number of students enrolled from 1417 to 2683.

Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment is no longer a well-kept secret. Architectural industry leaders and journals have taken note, lauding the school’s progress in recent years, especially for its: Focus on Innovation and Addressing Contemporary Challenges. Running initiatives like the new Tulane Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, the school is recognized as a leader in addressing climate change and social justice.

Emphasis on Real-World Issues and Community Engagement. Since Hurricane Katrina, The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment has committed to addressing real-world problems and leading efforts to help communities rebuild. Focusing its research into river and delta

urbanism on community empowerment, The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment develops community-driven solutions for at-risk regions.

Strong Student Publication. The school’s student-run publication, The Charrette, received the prestigious 2020 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals, lauding its exploration of design through media such as architecture, art, and writing.

Growth and Expansion. The recent renovation and expansion of Richardson Memorial Hall shows the school’s commitment to improving its facilities as Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment faculty and staff numbers grow. Increasing student enrollment has been fueled by new academic offerings such as the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Urbanism and the dual-degree Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering.

Strong Identity and Leadership. The school’s identity is deeply rooted in addressing urgent problems through innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is recognized as a leader in addressing significant contemporary challenges through design that pushes boundaries.

The prevailing sentiment is that Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is a dynamic and forward-thinking institution, committed to innovative education, addressing real-world problems, and contributing to the advancement of the built environment professions.

THE 2024-2025 COUNCIL

Eric V. Aukee AIA, LEED AP, A ‘82 Sherman Oaks, CA

Stacy Aretha Bourne FAIA, A ‘90 St Thomas, VI

James E. Bry A ‘91 Miami, FL

James L. “Jamey” Dewar III A ‘94 Palm Springs,CA

Steve L. Dumez New Orleans, LA

Ronald J. “Ronny” Finvarb Bal Harbour, FL

Matthew D. “Matt” Frank A ‘91 New York, NY

Robert G. “Bob” Hale Jr. A ‘77 Los Angeles, CA

Jonathan B. “Jon” Halle A ‘93 Potomac, MD

Brad A. Hastings AIA, A ‘82 Bishopville, MD

Nicole C. Hobson-Morris A *01 Baton Rouge, LA

Robert Adams Ivy Jr. FAIA , A ‘76 Columbus, MS

Jay M. Kaplan Houston, TX

Joanna L. Lombard AIA, A ‘75 Miami, FL

Leonardo E. Marmol Los Angeles, CA

Ann Merritt Masson NC ‘74, G *92 New Orleans, LA

Jenifer Wells Megalli AIA, LEED AP, A *17 New York, NY

Brad M. Meltzer A ‘90 Miami Beach, FL

Angela O’Byrne A ‘83 New Orleans, LA

Stephen J. Ortego A ‘07 Lafayette, LA

Laurie J. Petipas RA, A ‘75 San Francisco, CA

Richardson K. “Rick” Powell A ‘76, A ‘77 Lake Wales, FL

Welling ton “Duke” J. Reiter A ‘81 Phoenix, AZ

Michelle A. Rinehart EdD, A ‘91 Atlanta, GA

Christopher M. “Chris” Roth A ‘91 Chicago, IL

Christopher A. “Chris” Sgarzi NCARB, LEED AP, A ‘86 Concord, MA

Lloyd N. “Sonny” Shields A ‘74, L *77 New Orleans, LA

Jonathan P. “BJ” Siegel A ‘92 San Francisco, CA

Gabriel A. “Gabe” Smith A ‘88 Brooklyn, NY

Ione Rubenstein Stiegler FAIA A ‘83 La Jolla, CA

David C. “DT” Thompson A ‘91 Studio City,CA

J. David Waggonner III FAIA New Orleans, LA

Simcha Z. Ward A ‘11 Charlotte, NC

Marcel L. Wisznia A ‘73 New Orleans, LA

Peter M. Wolf PhD, G *63 New York, NY

Dean’s Advisory Council Awards Gala Celebrates Honorees

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE, TULANE UNIVERSITY

The Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment hosted its 2025 Awards Gala this April in the newly renovated Richardson Memorial Hall. The gala raised funds for student scholarships, underscoring the school’s commitment to supporting future architects and designers, while celebrating the achievements of the school’s faculty, staff, and students. The festive evening honored four distinguished individuals for their leadership and advocacy.

Honorees included: Errol Barron, FAIA (A ’64), recipient of the inaugural

Faculty Luminary Award, for his outstanding contributions to architecture and education; Gayle Benson, honored as a Friend of the School for her civic leadership, major philanthropic investments, and transformative regional impact; Robert Ivy, FAIA (A ’76), recipient of the first Distinguished Alumni Award for his influential leadership in AIA and Architectural Record; and Mitch Landrieu, recipient of the Advocate for Architecture and the City Award, for his significant public service to the city of New Orleans.

Photos courtesy of Cheryl Gerber (Tulane University)

New Enrollment Skyrockets

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE, TULANE UNIVERSITY

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment welcomed 106 new undergraduate Architecture students in the fall of 2024, the largest incoming architecture class since the 1990s. Not only has the school seen an increase in enrollment, but retention is also at an all-time high. These achievements have resulted from the joint recruitment efforts of the university admissions team and the school’s faculty and staff, along with the school's signature student support initiatives.

Close collaboration between the Tulane Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment admissions team led to the recruitment of students interested in studying across the school’s expansive offerings. University admissions have long focused on Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment’s reputation as a pioneer and innovator in architectural education, and students looking to do interdisciplinary work have taken notice. Dean of Admission Sean Abbott and his team have noticed a “rising interest among students in the De-

sign and Real Estate programs.” Associate Director of Admissions for Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, Michael J. Cusanza, recognizes this enthusiasm for cross-program collaboration in the prospective students he meets. He adds that students are drawn to the school because, in the cohorts, creativity is fostered through community, rather than competition.

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment faculty works closely with the admissions team to actively evaluate design portfolios, a key factor for admission. As Abbott

explains, “Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment faculty are more instrumental than ever before in [...] helping us to make more positive admission decisions for students who have demonstrated authentic interest in the architecture-related fields.” Cusanza describes how the faculty are deeply interested in the process students undertake in creating their designs, seeing their way of thinking as indicative of their potential to grow within the school. This increase in numbers, then, is more than just a statistic; it reflects the portfolio strength and ar-

Photos courtesy of Catherine Restrepo

tistic promise of these new students. The support offered within the school is another point of attraction for prospective students. While they are impressed by the historical details and modern technology available in the newly renovated Richardson Memorial Hall, they also learn that the school’s student services team offers tailored support to matriculated students in order to increase retention and create a “student learning experience is as robust and supportive as possible,” according to Allison Cruz, Assistant Dean for Academics. The team strives to provide resources that are targeted to the specific needs of architecture and built environment students, while capitalizing

on synergies across Tulane, such as the university’s Academic Learning and Tutoring Center. There, highly trained tutors are available to help with technical software programs. Initiatives like the peer support program also help build community among cohorts while providing mentorship.

Of course, New Orleans plays a role in helping to recruit and retain students. Admissions counselors regularly describe the excitement among prospective students when considering life in New Orleans, which Cusanza often describes as “not just a backdrop, but a ‘sandbox.’” As Abbott explains, “The city's architectural history, creative communities,

and environmental challenges are so closely aligned with our academic programs that one would be hardpressed to identify another university in the world that is home to a college that is so inextricably connected to its host city!"

All of these factors have driven this unprecedented growth, which is not just important for ensuring a robust diversity of ideas and perspectives in the classroom. For Iñaki Alday, the increase in enrollment and retention also contributes to the school’s ability to “keep adding new extraordinary faculty with great research and a continuous flow of new ideas,” a feat which is especially important in these challenging times.

Photo courtesy of Catherine Restrepo

Expanded Name Reflects a Changing School

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE, TULANE UNIVERSITY

In March 2025, the Tulane School of Architecture was renamed to the “Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment,” encapsulating its evolution into a center of teaching and research across a wide array of interconnected disciplines. Like the reimagined, and newly reopened, physical home of the school, the new name aligns with its mission and vision: one of innovation, impact, and integration, ready to address pressing issues in today’s world. According to Iñaki Alday,

Dean of the school, “This evolution is more than a name – it is a commitment to the interdisciplinary nature of the built environment, recognizing the impact of those who shape our world.”

Tulane Provost Robin Forman, at the reopening of Richardson Memorial Hall, framed this leadership as part of the school’s very identity, dating back to its origins in 1894 when, “Tulane began offering its first courses in what was then called architectural engineering.” At this time, Tulane

was one of only twelve other universities around the country offering such courses. Within half a century, then, as the U.S. population doubled, the school was well-positioned to respond to an explosive need for new construction, ranging from housing to schools to office buildings.

The new name also underscores the school’s reputation as a forerunner in disciplinary innovation and its inclusion of perspectives beyond architecture. It presages shifts in the field, positioning the school to be at

Photo courtesy of Akhil Singh

the forefront of these changes. As Dean Alday shared, “Architecture will continue to expand into a multidisciplinary approach to improve how we live in, and engage with, the environment around us.” The decision to rename the school was rooted in the recognition of contributions from multiple disciplines in shaping the spaces in which we live, while still honoring the school’s foundation within the field of architecture. The school has already expanded to include related disciplines, such as Sustainable Urbanism, Landscape Architecture, and Design, among others. The new name will generate a sense of inclusion, value, and equity among those who study and research within these other disciplines. It will also open opportunities for the entire university to collaborate, as it recog-

nizes and encourages the growing interests of students, faculty, and staff in other fields, from social sciences to the arts, and beyond. As Alday explained, “The expanded name is not just a reflection of who and what the school is today, but, rather, it is also a reflection of where the school wants to go.”

The process of renaming the school was made with deep consideration, informed by faculty, students, alumni, and industry leaders. The team examined peer institutions, debated the impact of the change on the school’s legacy, and ensured that architecture remained at the heart of the school’s identity. Ultimately, the name signals the school’s continued leadership in interdisciplinary education with a clear focus on improving the future of design, urbanism,

and more.

As Tulane President Micheal Fitts proclaimed, “This new designation is driven by the school’s broadening mission and scope, which play a vital role in the unprecedented success and momentum Tulane is experiencing in every aspect of university life.” He went on to conclude that, “This new identity highlights the role of our students, faculty and staff in improving the human condition by creating the future buildings, streets, landscapes, cities and regions of the world.” The School of Architecture and Built Environment takes this charge seriously, aiming to be known as the place to design, influence, and transform the built environment through innovation and imagination, impacting our community and the world.

Photo courtesy of Catherine Restrepo

School Welcomes Ten Faculty

Assia Crawford, whose work sits at the intersection of architecture, biology, and critical theory, joins Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment as an Assistant Professor of Architecture. Currently researching mycelium-based textiles as environmentally friendly alternatives to leather, Crawford looks forward to exploring bio-design as a tool for ecological repair and narrative expression. She describes New Orleans, “not as a backdrop, but as a co-author in architectural education” and an ideal place for these investigations.

Yeonhwa Lee, Assistant Professor in Real Estate Development, looks forward to establishing a research program that both responds to the urgent challenges concerning housing in New Orleans and contributes to broader national policy conversations about housing. In her teaching, she “plan[s] to draw extensively from the rich case study that New Orleans provides, not only in terms of challenges and pressures but also in terms of solutions and possibilities.”

Recognizing the need to “simplify construction assemblies and localize material sourcing,” Chris Meyer joins the faculty as Associate Professor of Architecture. His current research project examines “southern yellow pine forests stretching across the southeastern U.S. as a renewable source for various construction materials,” considering pines’ entire life cycle. He is excited to work not just in New Orleans but in the equally important surrounding territories, such as the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Deltas.

Darryl Glade, Professor of Practice in Real Estate Development, wants to use this new position, having previously taught as an adjunct lecturer at the school, to enable students to see real estate as more than a transaction and to embrace its entrepreneurial potentials. Through courses on technology and artificial intelligence, he hopes “to build [students’] confidence to think creatively, solve problems, and take action,” while demonstrating the diverse approaches students may take in pursuing a career in real estate. He’s especially excited to teach in a place that pushes people to think differently, the same mindset he fosters in the classroom.

Shawna Meyer, Professor of Practice in Architecture, co-founded Atelier Mey, a practice that explores contemporary issues, such as energy, efficacy, and craftmanship, through an embrace of slowness, allowing deep consideration of the forces that shape our environments. She sees New Orleans as a location ripe for exploring the tensions between place and identity, “look[ing] forward to exploring and contributing to the discourse in New Orleans with care and humility.”

Richelle Allen, Professor of Practice in Real Estate Development, joins the permanent faculty after working as an adjunct lecturer and having a successful career in Real Estate Development at HRI. She will bring her expansive experience to the classroom, having worked her way up from an entry-level Financial Analyst position to serve as Vice President of Development at HRI. She will also leverage her experience at Stonehenge Capital, a national firm specializing in federal and state tax credit syndication.

Leah Kahler joins Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment as Research Assistant Professor for the NASEM Research Studio to co-produce a volume about how extractive systems have shaped landscapes and plant cultivation practices across the Gulf South. Her research will focus on the politics and geographies of living resource extraction and their interconnected production systems in the Gulf. A native of South Louisiana, she is “excited to learn from the rich networks […] who are working towards just futures for the region and its communities.”

Jess Vanecek, Research Assistant Professor on the Yamuna River Project, will use her expertise in multi-scalar watershed research and representational methods to research the ecological and cultural restoration of the Yamuna River. She hopes to expand her work to include related studies of the impacts of infrastructure and climate change on the Gulf Coast region. She views New Orleans, which “offers a convergence of environmental vulnerability, cultural richness, and deep-rooted connection to place” as a rich location to pursue her work.

Pankaj Vir Gupta returns to the school with a three-year appointment as the new Katz Professor of Architecture and Urbanism. His firm vir.mueller architects has just completed the Humayun’s Tomb Site Museum in New Delhi, the first contemporary museum to be designed and built at a World Heritage Site in India. Also co-director of the renowned research initiative, The Yamuna River Project, Gupta looks forward to teaching in New Orleans in order “to be present and to engage actively in the conversations on advancing policy and implementation of on-ground solutions in this fragile equilibrium."

Engaging with ecological urban infrastructures, Sean Fowler will continue his work with the New Orleans Public Space Project research studio at Tulane as a Research Assistant Professor. Enhanced by its engagement with New Orleans, the studio emphasizes “using public spaces and streets to manage water, address urban heat, and reintroduce green spaces into the city to make more beautiful, functional, and healthy spaces for people.” This work will contribute to larger conversations regarding urbanism, infrastructure, and ecology.

Photo courtesy of Pankaj Vir Gupta

Image courtesy of Leah Kahler

Photo courtesy of Jess Vanecek

Image courtesy of Sean Fowler

Photo courtesy of Assia Crawford

Photo courtesy of Chris and Shawna Meyer

URBANbuild Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The URBANbuild program celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, marking two decades of its transformative impact on both New Orleans’ neighborhoods and Tulane students. URBANbuild is a collaboration between Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment and community partners. Addressing the needs of communities around the city and contextualizing social issues, the program pro-

vides students with handson experience in design and construction. Over the last twenty years, the program has innovated home design, materiality, and energy-efficiency, while fostering neighborhood investment and stable housing opportunities. The stewards of URBANbuild, looking to the future, continue to evolve the program’s approach while highlighting the value of community-engaged design.

The Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design, nationally and internationally recognized as a leader in the field of community-engaged design, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Founded just prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Center’s strong reputation and excellence in teaching comes from its commitment to transparency, community responsive -

ness, and collaboration with stakeholders. Within Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, the Center strives to be a resource for community-engaged scholarship and its applications across disciplines. The Center seeks to engage stakeholders in all its projects, guided by the belief that “[e]ach of us should be empowered to shape the places we live, work, and play.”

Photo courtesy of URBANbuild 20 Studio

Photo courtesy of Small Center

Congratulations to NOMA Competition Winners

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment students Nia Fletcher (B.Arch ’27), Miguel Alvarez Gamez (B.Arch ’27), and Kris Smith (B.Arch ’25) earned first place in the Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition at the 2024 National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) conference in Baltimore. The students had to propose a plan for a new, multi-modal transit cen -

ter to service the West Baltimore community, while including community input. “Restoring Common Ground,” which they began working on in June 2024, reimagined a transit hub over a highway cutting through a historically Black neighborhood, confronting land appropriation with a bold site consolidation strategy. Their win underscores the power of research-informed, equity-driven design.

CCU Awards Inaugural Curriculum Prize

The Center on Climate Change and Urbanism (CCU) has chosen the winners of the Tulane Prize for Climate Change Curriculum in the Built Environment. Founded to foster ingenuity in the development of curricula, the prize is awarded to faculty who develop exceptional curricula on climate change and the built environment. The 2024 honorees include: Professor David Hsu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for his course, Urban Energy Systems & Policy; and Professors Bradley Cantrell and Leena Cho, University of Virginia, for their studio, Foundation Studio IV – Prototyping the Bay: Landscape as Medium. To foster further innovation, the CCU will make these syllabi, and those of additional honorees, publicly available at architecture. tulane.edu/climate/syllabus-bank.

Photos courtesy of David Hsu, Leena Cho, and Bradley Cantrell

Photo courtesy of Tulane University

Photo courtesy of NOMAS Tulane

School Debuts Exciting New Sustainable Urbanism Undergraduate Program

The new Sustainable Urbanism undergraduate program, offering both a major and a minor, launches in Fall 2025. The program’s roots in urbanism and sustainability will prompt students to explore the impacts of the built environment on human wellbeing and the health of ecological systems. The program seeks to address the many challenges caused by population shifts and rapid urbanization, including the lack of affordable housing, social inequality, and environmental degradation. Students will use an interdisciplinary approach to identify problems and develop strategies to increase social justice, accessibility, and environmental sustainability.

New Dual Degree Launches: Master of Landscape Architecture & Engineering

In partnership with Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering, Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment officially launched its graduate, dual-degree Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science in River-Coastal Science & Engineering, welcoming its inaugural cohort of students in Summer 2025. Co-led by Professor Margarita Jover and Professor Ehab Meselhe, the program will train the next generation of professionals to address climate change’s impact on the built environment. The program focuses on three critical fields: urban design and landscape; ecology and evolutionary biology sciences; and river and coastal science engineering. This interdisciplinary training will equip graduates to address the most pressing environmental and social challenges.

Photo courtesy of John Huppi

Photo courtesy of Liz Camuti

Program Digest

Photo courtesy of Liz Camuti

Architecture

Dean Iñaki Alday was elected to the Academia Europaea, recognizing his leadership in architecture and landscape design, particularly on climate change and urban resilience.

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment cohosted the Association for Collegiate Schools of Architecture's (ACSA) 113th Annual Meeting in March, convening educators, practitioners, and students from around the world. Numerous faculty and one student presented, including: Scott Bernhard, Iñaki Alday, Emilie Taylor Welty, then-graduate student Akhil Singh (M.Arch *25), Sean Fowler, and others moderated panels or tours, including Kentaro Tsubaki, Nick Jenisch, Ann Yoachim, Steve Dumez, Edson Cabalfin, Patricia Fraile Garrido, Ruben Garcia Rubio, Casius Pealer and Tyler Antrup.

Associate Professor Adam Marcus received an inaugural Faculty Innovation Grant from the Tulane University Innovation Institute to support his Spring 2025 research studio “Ecological Tectonics: Ceramic Assemblies for Climate Adaptation.” With Margaret Ikeda and Evan Jones, he contributed the chapter “Floating-With: Buoyant Ecologies of Collaboration and Solidarity” to Transpecies Design: Design for a Posthumanist World and with Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment alumnus Andrew Kudless (M.Arch '98), he co-authored Drawing Codes: Experimental Protocols of Architectural Representation.

Ammar Eloueini, Director of Graduate Architecture and Professor of Architecture, was named in Forbes' inaugural list of America's Top 200 Residential Architects for 2025. His JHouse was also honored in the international Future House Awards. Eloueini’s dedication to “manifesta-

tions of unique design philosophies grounded in the physical and cultural contexts of their regions” has positioned him as a leader in redefining contemporary residential design.

Senior Professor of Practice Cordula Roser Gray’s Entangled Matter was a finalist in the Special Projects category of THE PLAN 2024 Awards. With an intent to transform urban spaces into eco-friendly environments, the project proposes a vision where cities act as active solutions to environmental stressors, replacing adverse interactions with harmonious ecological processes.

Professor Margarita Jover and Dean Iñaki Alday’s project "Madrid Metropolitan Forest,” was recognized by UN Habitat as one of the four global winners of the Water as Leverage City Champion Challenge. Jover also authored a book chapter about the forest in Forest Urbanisms: New Non-Human and Human Ecologies for the 21st Century, and published an article, "The hydraulic Technosphere" in Log 60: The Sixth Sphere.

Associate Professor Edson Cabalfin contributed to the First Ctrl+P Journal/Contemporary Art Biennale with his exhibition "Engage, Speculate, Embed," which challenges the hegemonic model of biennales as a mode of presenting art and architecture. Professor Cabalfin highlighted various practices of architecture engaging with the community in his exhibition. Cabalfin also served as a Juror of the Selection Committee for the Philippine Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale for 2025.

Assistant Professor Sonsoles Vela won the ACSA Course Development Prize in Architecture, Climate Change, and Society for her research studio, “Carbon Budget Zero | Climate Positive,” which sets out to use embodied and operational carbon as design parameters in new environments. Vela and Associate Professor Rubén García Rubio presented “New Recipes for Clay Bricks by Implementing Circular Strategies” at the Architectural Research Centers Consortium and “Environmental Impact of Wood, Steel, and Concrete in

Photo courtesy of Catherine Restrepo

Residential Buildings” at the International Conference on Environmental Design.

Assistant Professor Rebecca Choi received a Graham Foundation Grant for her research: “Black Architectures: Race, Pedagogy, and Practice, 1957–68,” which counters historical narratives that frame architecture as politically disengaged during the racial uprisings of the 1960s, showing how Black architects strategically deployed architectural thinking to challenge institutional power and advance community control.

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment's multi-year research studio, "New Orleans Public

Built Environment organized the Gulf Coast: Desired Climate Futures Symposium to discuss visions and tools to advance climate adaptation and decarbonization. Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment facilitated the symposium, Green Infrastructure, Food Systems, and Building Climate Resilience in New Orleans

Real Estate Development

John L. Renne, Ph.D., AICP, the Henry Shane Professor and Director of the Real Estate Program, is completing his Master’s degree in Computer Science, focusing on AI, driv-

Space Project," led by Research Assistant Professor Sean Fowler and Dean Alday, is a finalist for the World Architecture Festival's 2024 GROHE Water Prize which "awards visionary projects pushing the boundaries of design within the built environment and water."

In collaboration with the Tulane School of Science and Engineering, Tulane School of Architecture and

ing initiatives that integrate large language models, computer vision, and multimodal machine learning into real estate development and urban planning.

Renne is also leading national conversations on the future of AI in planning and real estate by serving on an AI guidance committee for the American Collegiate Schools of Planning, and in Spring 2026 he will chair Tulane’s conference, Artificial

Intelligence: From Code to Consequences.

John Huppi, Professor of Practice and Associate Director of the Real Estate Development program, was interviewed by RealtyTrac and was also selected for Gambit magazine's 40under40 list. In July, he was part of a team that rowed 584 nautical miles across the Arctic Ocean, setting a new world record by beating the previous mark by more than five days.

Students from Real Estate, Architecture, and Design participated in a community design workshop to gather local insights for a green stormwater management project in the Pressburg East neighborhood of New Orleans East. This initiative is part of a service-learning component in the Water Management + the Built Environment course, taught by Visiting Assistant Professor Tyler Antrup.

Jesse M. Keenan, the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning and Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, was cited in a piece by Claire Weisz in the latest issue of AIA New York's magazine Oculus. He was also a guest alongside the U.S. Government Accountability Office on the America Adapts podcast. His most recent peer-reviewed publication, exploring how the war in Ukraine and other global conflicts are slowing down climate infrastructure publications in the United States, was published in the Journal of Infrastructure Systems Keenan continued to provide incisive commentary about climate change to news outlets such as The Guardian, ABC News, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, World Economic Forum, The New York Times, The Daily Show, Architectural Digest, Reuters, CNN and many others.

Design

Jill Stoll, Design Lecturer, and

Photo courtesy of Akhil Singh

Nicholas LiCausi, Director of Fabrication, contributed work to the Louisiana Contemporary 2024 exhibit at the Ogden Museum. Stoll’s work explores sustainable design, while LiCausi’s pieces utilize 3D-scanned stones cradled by custom-designed, 3D-printed clay connectors.

The program welcomed Natasha Jen, Partner at Pentagram, for the 2024-25 Azby Fund Endowed Lecture. Jen, who is well known for her work on brands such as Reddit, Waze and Google, spoke about the design tensions created at the intersection of media and money.

Edson Cabalfin, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Meghan Saas, Professor of Practice in Design and Design Program Associate Director, and José Cotto, Small Center Collaborative Design Project Manager and Design Futures board member, attended the Design Futures Forum in St. Louis, Missouri, accompanied by Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment students Shanelle Brown, Corwin Almo, Kris Smith, MJ Lauland, and Saskia Teterycz.

Professor of Practice in Design Hannah Berryhill led a group of 11 students to Barcelona, Spain to study Exhibition Design while visiting various museums, including the Design Museum of Barcelona and the National Museum of Catalonian Art. In their Exhibition Design Studio, students proposed an exhibition design of their own, focusing on spatial design strategies to influence human experience and reiterate their curatorial narrative.

Landscape Architecture

Liz Camuti, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, authored a paper in the new “Worlding. Energy. Transitions.” theme issue of the Journal of Architectural Education,

Spring 2025 Design Showcase and Runway Show

(Akhil Singh)

titled "Another Gulf Is Possible: Desired Futures Beyond Petrocolonialism" and focusing on the Gulf of Mexico and its status as a sacrifice zone for the oil and gas industry. Camuti was also elected to serve on the national Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Board of Directors. Camuti and Professor Margarita Jover have been awarded a $749,961 grant from the Gulf Research Program (GRP) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to support the “Gulf Coast Climate Futures” studio.

Wes Michaels, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, received the 2024 American Society of Landscape Architects National Honor Award for Analysis and Planning. Through his practice, Spackman Mossop Michaels, he collaborated with the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, alongside the EPA and FEMA, to create a Hazard Mitigation Plan, blending traditional knowledge and cultural values with technical expertise, centering around the Tribes' spiritual connection to their land, sacred water sources, medicinal plants, and bison herd as assets of resilience.

URBANbuild

Byron Mouton, Lacey Senior Professor of Practice and Director of URBANbuild, received the Convergence Award at the 2024 Tulane Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Achievement Awards ceremony. This award recognizes a Tulane scholar who successfully collaborates across schools, units and departments to surpass traditional academic disciplines and further the research mission.

The URBANbuild team also received a Commendation at the AIA New Orleans 2024 Design Awards for UB 19, designed by Mouton’s firm, bildDesign. This project marked a new challenge in the program’s research studio: prefabricated, affordable housing. Mouton’s team conceptualized, built, dismantled, then installed on-site UB 19’s small house, the first in URBANbuild’s history.

Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment hosted the national annual Design Futures Student Leadership Forum, through the leadership of SISE Program Di-

rector Edson Cabalfin and Design Program Associate Director Meghan Saas, along with Ann Yoachim and Brandon Surtain of the Small Center for Collaborative Design. The school welcomed 75 students and 25 faculty from schools across the United States to focus on public interest design, social innovation, and design justice.

Newly appointed Director of the SISE program Verse Shom attended the Banathy Conversation retreat, hosted by the Creative Systemic Research Platform Institute, held in Fairfield, Iowa.

Historic Preservation

Heather Veneziano, Director and Professor of Practice in Historic Preservation, was interviewed by the Detroit Free Press about the restoration of the Michigan Central Station, which opened in 2024 after several years of renovations. She also helped establish a restoration project in St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 to repair and restore the tomb of the Société des Arts et Métiers, which was on the verge of collapse. Historic Preservation Master’s students collaborated with Veneziano, and her firm, Gambrel & Peak, to help create the Louisiana Register of Historic Cemeteries, a comprehensive GISbased database documenting and preserving the state's vast collection of cemeteries.

Emeritus Professor John Stubbs co-authored, along with William Chapman, Julia Gatley, and Ross King, the latest book in the Time Honored Architectural Conservation Documentation series, Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands; National Experiences and Practice.

Ann Masson, Dean's Advisory Council member and longtime supporter of the school, was the first profile in "The Guardians" series by The Times-Picayune/New Orleans

Photo courtesy of Tyler Antrup

NewZine 21

Photo courtesy of Aarthi Janakiraman

Advocate, describing in detail her lifelong work to restore and preserve the city's architectural heritage.

Aarthi Janakiraman, Assistant Professor of Preservation and Urbanism, received the Gill-Chin Lim Award for the Best Dissertation on International Planning. She was also awarded a faculty grant from the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, for her work "Coastal World Heritage and Climate Change: Conservation as Adaptation?"

Fallon Samuels Aidoo, Assistant Professor of Real Estate and Historic Preservation, provided commentary for a piece on NPR's nationally syndicated Marketplace radio show. The topic – the history and contexts of shotgun houses – is one Fallon explored in her "Housing as Heritage" course in spring 2023. Aidoo received a faculty grant from the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism for her project, "Behind the Numbers of America’s “Most Endangered Places”: Artificial Intelligence and Actionable Insights into Coastal Heritage Protection" and was awarded the Edilia and François-Auguste de Montêquin Fellowship from the Society of Architectural Historians.

Eugene Cizek, FAIA, Emeritus Professor of Architecture and founder of the Historic Preservation program, was interviewed in an episode

of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's podcast Preservation Perspectives, speaking about aspects of his career and work.

The Historic Preservation Program and the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation partnered to host the “Resilience & Revival: Historic Trades in the Gulf South” workshop and panel session aimed to address the looming shortage of skilled craftspeople in the historic trades and building arts and the subsequent impacts on our region’s ability to maintain and restore historic structures. The program also hosted “Changing Federal Preservation Approaches to Improve Community Resilience,” a lecture presented by Sara Bronin The lecture was supported by Laura and Sonny Shields Preservation Lectureship

The program launched its new video campaign, "Preservation is Culture" to highlight its emphasis on sustainability, community engagement, and cultural heritage, and its impacts on the future.

Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design

The Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design team, including Emilie Taylor Welty, José Cotto, Ann Yoachim, and Nick Jenisch won the Design-Build Award in the 2025 ACSA Architectural Education Awards which honors best practices in school-based design-build projects.

The center hosted the exhibition "What Matters Here.?!" in its storefront space in September, which centered on material legacies across the Gulf Coast, exploring histories of resource extraction and showing transformative uses of steel, clay, glass and sand. The exhibit culminated in the unveiling of a 3-D printed ceramic facade prototype designed to slow and absorb stormwater, designed and fabricated by faculty members Adam Marcus and Liz Camuti.

Explorations in Architecture and Design

The pre-college program offered by the school is the oldest offering among the university, enrolling 101

Photo courtesy of Small Center

Photo courtesy of Catherine Restrepo

PFACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Carol M. Reese

BY IÑAKI ALDAY, DEAN & KOCH CHAIR IN ARCHITECTURE

rofessor Carol McMichael Reese, PhD, has chosen to retire at the end of the academic year 202425, after twenty-six years of service to Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment. Professor Reese began as an assistant professor in 1999, earning her promotion to full professor in 2015. Thanks to her academic brilliance and contributions to the field of architecture, she since achieved Emerita status.

Professor Reese has long been a major intellectual authority at the school. As an art, architectural, and urban

historian, she contributed uniquely to the education of our students. She designed several required courses in the architecture curriculum, directed M.Arch. thesis students, and directed the City Culture and Community interdisciplinary Ph.D. program.

Professor Reese’s recent scholarship has been admirably active, including her forthcoming book tracing the history of the Canal Zone and her Visiting Senior Fellowship at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. As a faculty leader, she served as chair of the executive committee and founded the Bachelor of Science in Sustain-

able Urbanism.

Professor Reese never “wound down” and continued to be a force of nature until her very last day… and will continue to be so beyond it! She is still committed to Tulane as an advisor and faculty mentor. From what I have personally observed, Professor Reese is an outstanding example of leadership and dedication and should inspire faculty at Tulane and across the nation. Her standard is a mirror that I hold up to myself. On behalf of faculty, staff, current and former students,

THANK YOU, PROFESSOR REESE!

students from 21 states and 4 countries. The program immerses high school upperclassmen in the multifaceted, high-impact ideas and practices of architecture and the built environment. Students in the program analyze the fundamentals of design and thinking at the architectural scale in courses taught by program director Hannah Kenyon, and faculty Ira Concepcion, Marion Forbes, Adam Newman, Jason Blankenship, Sean Fowler, and Andrew Liles

Career Services and Student Affairs

Student Affairs and Career Services, led by Director Kristen Jones, hosted over 50 events this year, including the return of Lagniappe Wednesday and Graduate Nights. A standout was the Welcome Home to RMH Lagniappe Wednesday, the first

Photo courtesy of Nico Eckstein

in the newly renovated Richardson Memorial Hall, featuring free commemorative coloring books, a New Orleans-style lunch, and a visit from President Fitts.

Career Days 2025 brought 56 companies to The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment for three days of information sessions, an in-person job fair, and student interviews. This event offers all students valuable professional development and career connections. Thank you to our alumni who participated—Career Days 2026 will take place February 4–6.

Nine travel fellowships were awarded to ten undergraduate and graduate students—our largest group of recipients to date. Thanks to expanded funding and donor support, students traveled and conducted research across four continents in Summer 2024.

Dean & Epstein Fabrication Labs

The Dean and Epstein Fabrication Lab supports Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment students with both coursework and personal projects, offering access to advanced tools like laser cutters, 3D printers, plotters, paper and material cutters, and assembly work tables. Students can purchase materials onsite and submit digital files for production. The lab’s location in the newly renovated building streamlines access to key resources, fostering collaboration and faster design iteration. This hands-on work enhances students’ understanding of fabrication processes, bridging the gap between digital models and physical making.

Catherine Restrepo

Heather Veneziano, Professor of Practice, has been named Director for the Historic Preservation Program. Veneziano’s research focuses on vernacular architecture, deathscapes, ritual, craft, and architectural/landscape preservation. In addition to her academic work, she is the founder of consulting firm Gambrel & Peak so that she can work directly with clients to help them understand their properties and render them sustainable. A nationally respected preservationist, educator, and cultural heritage advocate, Veneziano brings more than two decades of experience to this leadership role and will guide the program into a new era of academic excellence and community impact.

Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanism Rubén García Rubio has been appointed as the Program Director for Sustainable Urbanism, succeeding the founding director Emerita Professor Carol McMichael Reese. Rubio joined Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment after teaching architecture across Europe and the Middle East, experiences that will enrich the program's exploration of international perspectives on urban ecosystems. Co-founder of the practice, StudioVRA, he is also the Editor-in-Chief of the architectural blog, Cajon de Arquitecto.

Versé Shom is the new Program Director for Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, bringing to the role his longstanding passion for creating impactful programs that address complex social issues. His primary goal is to work to develop solutions to address complex problems like overtly and inequality. He focuses on education, community resilience, livelihoods, economic growth, and sustainable cities. With a Master's Degree in International Development from the Tulane’s Payson Program in Global Development, Shom brings a diverse array of experiences in monetary policy, teaching, and program management in institutions around the world to the SISE program.

Sonsoles Vela Navarro has been named as the Assistant Program Director for Architecture, joining Director Emilie Taylor Welty in strengthening the administration and leadership of the program. Navarro, a practicing architect with nearly 20 years of experience and co-founder and partner of studioVRA, studied Architecture at the University of Valladolid, and also pursued degrees in Business Administration and Energy Efficiency. Her work and research focus on the intersection of the city, architecture, and building technology and aim to develop design strategies to respond to the complexities of today's built environment. Her multifaceted academic expertise, coupled with her years of administrative experience, will be a huge asset to the program.

Catherine Restrepo

Commencement Awards 2025

ALL-SCHOOL AWARDS

Tulane 34 Award

Kayleigh Marie Macumber, B.Arch

Leadership in Core Values Award

Kristian Smith, B.Arch

ARCHITECTURE

American Institute of Architects Medal for Academic Excellence

Kayleigh Marie Macumber, B.Arch

Tracy Lee Jones, M.Arch

American Institute of Architects

Louisiana Celebrate Architecture Scholarship

Kayleigh Marie Macumber, B.Arch

Sophia Goharik Lindahl, B.Arch

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

Sophia Goharik Lindahl, B.Arch

Thomas J. Lupo Awards

Cassie Leah Kadish, B.Arch

Maria Vladamir, B.Arch

John William Lawrence Memorial Medal

Denver Bennett Cornett IV, B.Arch/EVST

Outstanding Thesis Award

Joseph Allen Tomshe, B.Arch

Evan Unruh, B.Arch

Brandon Joachim Gicquel, B.Arch

Cassie Leah Kadish, B.Arch

Outstanding Graduate Thesis Award

Madeline Alexis Shade, M.Arch

Graduate Design Excellence Award

Milagros Huang, M.Arch

Graduate Leadership Award

Akhil Singh, M.Arch

Analiese Nicole De Saw, M.Arch

Bachelor of Science in Architecture Award

Madison Mary Grenauer, BS

Architectural Research Centers Consortium Medal

Nicholas Anthony LiCausi, MS

Thesis Commendations

Denver Bennett Cornett IV, B.Arch

Kristian Smith, B.Arch

Kayleigh Marie Macumber, B.Arch

Sophia Goharik Lindahl, B.Arch

Natalie Nicole Miller, B.Arch

Sigurd E. Peterson, B.Arch

Margaret Olivia Bowers, B.Arch

Leo Ianis Dumoteil Cabañas, B.Arch,

Emily Rose Brandt, M.Arch

Daphne Vorel, M.Arch

Mackenzie Jenny-Mae Melvin, B.Arch

Leandra Gabriele de Aguiar

Goytizolo, B.Arch

Charlotte Joan Love, B.Arch

Tau Sigma Delta

Brandon Joachim Gicquel, B.Arch

Madison Mary Grenauer, BS

Jack William Levine, BS

Ariel Shoshana Levine, BS

Kayleigh Marie Macumber, B.Arch

Elena Mota, BS

DESIGN

Design Excellence Award

MJ Lauland, BA

Design Innovation Award

Elizabeth Parker Small, BA

Faculty Design Award

Saskia Francesca Teterycz, BA

Capstone Award

Joseph Henry Jacobs, BA

Design Honors Thesis Award

Corwin James Hines Almo, BA

HISTORIC

PRESERVATION

Distinguished Thesis Award

Catherine Restrepo, MS

Outstanding Pursuit of New Directions in the Field Award

Allyson Marie Hinz, MS

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

Most Outstanding Senior in Real Estate

Julia Legakis, BS

Katherine Joy McKinney, BS

Academic Achievement Award

Elizabeth Frances Flaherty, BS

Academic Distinction Award

Madeline Claire Wilson, MSRED

Graduate Leadership Award

Lawanda Shante' Jackson, MSRED

Graduate Service Award

Alec Shea Rovner, MSRED

FACULTY

Malcolm Heard Award for Excellence in Teaching

Meghan Saas, MFA

ALUMNI

Angela O’Byrne Alumni Award

Jing Liu, M.Arch

Photo

Photos courtesy of David Armentor

Kris Smith Wins 2025 Leadership in Core Values Award

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE, TULANE UNIVERSITY

Kris Smith, B.Arch ’25 and recipient of the 2025 Leadership in Core Values Award, arrived at Tulane to study Architecture, galvanized by her experiences growing up in a low-income community. She recognized the poor design and pervasive neglect of the built environment around her, including vital spaces like homes and schools. Her community noticed, too. She identified Architecture as the path to create a more equitable built environment

While studying at the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, Kris was a board member of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS). Inspired by the previous NOMAS president, who made a point of attending the NOMA National Conference each year, Kris continued the tradition. This opportunity to joyously connect with other minority designers and

builders around the country became a vital part of Kris’s undergraduate experience.

Not only did her participation in the NOMA conference underscore the importance of mentorship and collaboration with like-minded individuals, but it also challenged her to develop the necessary skills to articulate the exigency of her vision and to advocate for her constituents. Preparing for the conference meant working alongside her NOMAS co-president and Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment staff to develop clear, compelling messaging to internal and external organizations to secure travel funding. Reflecting on this experience, she says that she learned “the importance of collaboration with others, as well as being able to advocate on behalf of your organization.”

Kris is now working as a Summer Intern with Waggonner & Ball Architects

and as a Building Manager at Tulane Campus Recreation before she begins the Master’s of Science program at Penn State University. Her exposure to coastal resiliency and technology at Tulane helped her chart her path. She explains that “[r]esearch studios such as Adam Marcus' Ecological Tectonics and Liz Camuti's Gulf Coast Climate Futures have inspired me to continue learning about the intersection of computational design with architectural and regional design strategies.” She aims to return to New Orleans after she completes her Master’s degree. During her time at Tulane, she built a vibrant community of faculty, staff, and fellow students. This incredibly supportive network pushed her to work hard and to positively impact others. For this effort, Kris received the 2025 Leadership in Core Values Award. Best of luck, Kris, and we’ll see you when you return to New Orleans!

Photos courtesy of Kris Smith

Kayleigh Macumber Receives Coveted Tulane 34 Award

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE,

Kayleigh Macumber, recipient of the 2025 Tulane 34 Award, grew up in rural Kentucky in a family that prioritized social justice. Exposed to both the arts and engineering in high school, she wanted to combine these academic interests with her family’s “deep care for and centering [of] humanity.” Equally important to her was finding a college that reflected the diversity she cherished among her classmates at home. In her college search, the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment stood out for its commitment to interdisciplinary learning and its location in the vibrant, community-driven city of New Orleans.

Upon entering Tulane as an Architecture student, Kayleigh described being inspired—and admittedly a bit intimidated—by the talent of upperclassmen. The Peer Mentor Program proved pivotal in helping her find her footing. Her mentor offered both practical and emotional support, from providing needed materials to leaving cheerful sticky notes at her

desk. More importantly, the experience introduced Kayleigh to the teaching assistantship program, in which she would serve every semester from sophomore year through graduation. The experiences of being both mentee and mentor solidified her belief in the power of peer support.

Academically, one of the most formative experiences of Kayleigh’s time at Tulane came through Professor Liz Camuti’s National Academies Research Studio. Encouraged by Camuti, Kayleigh began exploring the industrialization of the Gulf South and its reliance on the use of carceral labor. Her research critiqued the architecture of prison systems and how it can reinforce systemic injustices, leading her to develop an abolitionist framework to guide future design practices. This project was further enriched by access to coursework in complementary disciplines such as Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) and Environmental Studies.

This challenging academic environment, along with the support from both peers and professors, defined Kayleigh’s Tulane experience. One small but telling tradition among her cohort involved passing around a pair of sunglasses during critique sessions—an inside joke turned into a symbol of solidarity. To Kayleigh, the sunglasses represented more than comic relief. She explains, “I was able to pursue success because of the non-competitive kind of culture in my cohort. It was very special.” They were a reminder that no one had to navigate the difficulties of the curriculum on their own.

Now, as she supports the launch of Tulane’s new Dual Master’s Program in Landscape Architecture and Coastal Engineering, Kayleigh remains focused on achieving social justice and equity through collaboration. As she weighs her next steps— whether to enter professional practice or further her research—this value remains firmly at the center of her path forward.

TULANE UNIVERSITY

Photos courtesy of Kayleigh Macumber

Design Grad Supports Local Businesses and Community

BY MARIA CLARK, FOR TULANE NEWS

MJ Lauland always knew she was a creative person. So, when it came time to choose a college, Tulane University and a major in design felt like the perfect fit.

Lauland grew up in Metairie, and she was familiar with Tulane. She knew that it was a close community where she would be able to connect with professors and students. But Tulane’s design program in the School of Architecture and Built Environment exceeded her expectations.

“The studio environment, the close attention and being able to talk about [her] work,” are some of the top attributes of the program, according to Lauland.

A highlight of her Tulane experience was landing an internship in

which she ended up working with one of the city’s most popular Carnival krewes. It all began with an assignment in a graphic design class in which students got to pick a topic for which they could advocate.

“I wanted to focus on supporting New Orleans’ local businesses,” Lauland said.

She developed a brand guide and campaign for a theoretical local mobile application that would function like Yelp, except searches would only yield results showcasing local businesses.

When Lauland presented the campaign in class, her professor put her in touch with the Urban Conservancy of New Orleans, a non-profit organization, which shared a similar vision

of strengthening local businesses. To support its Stay Local Program, the Urban Conservancy created an internship position for Lauland where she used her graphic design skills to highlight some of the less apparent sustainability goals of local organizations and businesses. One of the successful stories she highlighted was the Krewe of Freret’s decision to eliminate plastic beads this year in favor of sustainable throws.

“These are the connections I want. I want to get to know people. I love being able to get to know the types of people that make up this city,” she said.

Lauland said that she is also interested in furniture and interior design and, in addition, worked as a teaching assistant for Tulane’s Fundamentals of Design class. She eventually worked in the Digital Fabrication Lab at the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, monitoring the 3D printer, plotter and laser cutter machines.

“I am there to facilitate student and faculty projects, but I love seeing what work everyone is doing,” she said. “I like to help and teach people. I see myself returning to the education world eventually.”

While she is not ready to leave New Orleans, she got a taste of life abroad last fall when she went to study at the National University of Singapore.

“I think I grew from going outside of the country. I really want to go back. I felt like I really jumped into the deep end, but of course I will always consider New Orleans/Metairie my home,” she said.

Lauland is currently applying to jobs locally but is also looking forward to a couple of months of rest following graduation.

Photo courtesy of Tulane University

Student Digest

Ten student projects in Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Real Estate Development are featured in the latest Dezeen School Show. These virtual showcases provide a wide platform for students to share their work with Dezeen’s large audience. The featured projects explore critical topics like sustainable design, community resilience, and the future of urban development, including the Small Center’s Materials of Abolition research studio and The New Orleans Public Space Project. Several thesis projects were also featured, including Sarah Capri Quinn’s, “Mapping

Underrepresentation: Recording and Interpreting LGBTQ+ Sites in New Orleans” and Sam Crowley’s “National Register of Historic Places Nomination for the Sophie Gumbel Training School.” Marisa Alter and Alexa Fuhrer shared their work, “Redevelopment of Mercy Hospital: Bayou Revival Development,” undertaken as part of the Sustainable Real Estate Development Program.

The 2024-25 cohort of Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment Boudreaux Scholars was announced: Aliyah Murph (Architecture), Karina Roca (Historic

Preservation), and Lawanda Jackson (Sustainable Real Estate Development). Through the generosity of the Boudreaux Family, Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment launched the scholarship in 2021 to support students from historically underrepresented groups. This year's scholars will focus on the preservation of design practices, the restoration of housing, and the integration of community voices into the design process.

Work by five Bachelor of Arts in Design majors–Rin Hu, Charlotte Ertmann, Coby Selinger, Devin Gutier-

Photo courtesy of Rubén García Rubio and Cristobal Molina Baeza

rez, and Olivia Roginson–along with Meghan Saas, Professor of Practice in Design and Associate Program Director for Design, was recently selected for the Group Miniature Show at NOLA 'Nacular Gallery. The selected pieces, 1-inch hand-bound accordion books featuring original typeface designs, were created in Saas’s Design Studio II: Experimental Typography.

Shanelle Brown, Corwin Almo, Kris Smith, MJ Lauland, and Saskia Teterycz attended the 2024 Design Futures Forum in St. Louis, Missouri, accompanied by faculty members from various Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment programs. The week-long event focuses on reimagining radical futures by understanding systems of inequality in design and the built environment.

After conducting exhaustive research on the Sophie Gumbel School and presenting her findings to the State Historic Preservation Office, Sam Crowley, second-year Historic Preservation graduate student, successfully nominated the site to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This achievement is vital for the building because, in Louisiana, being listed offers valuable benefits such as protection from federally funded projects, national recognition, and eligibility for financial support through the Louisiana Historic Tax Credit—an incentive recently preserved during a special legislative ses-

sion on tax reform in Baton Rouge.

A group of students, along with instructors Rubén García Rubio and Cristóbal Molina Baeza, visited Santiago and the Atacama Desert for a seven-day trip, focused on social, cultural, scientific, and technological projects in Chile. As part of the Atacama Desert Project, students visited La Moneda Palace (the Governmental Palace and office of the President of the Republic of Chile), the La Moneda and Palacio Pereira cultural centers, as well as the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the Fragile Architecture Foundation, and significant works of architecture and urban design. The program offered students the opportunity to participate in working meetings at the Atacama Regional Government and visit significant architectural sites in the region.

Alec Rosen, an M.Arch student, played a key role in the success of

Gaiascope, an immersive installation experienced by over 250,000 people in Arizona. Designed as a series of large-scale kaleidoscopes, the exhibit merges art, technology, and interactive design to create a mesmerizing exploration of Arizona’s natural beauty. Rosen played a key role in the project, serving as the architectural designer responsible for technical drawings, fabrication oversight, and ensuring precise material production. His renderings were instrumental in securing the $50,000 Scottsdale Arts

Convergence grant, making Gaiascope the only first-time vendor to receive this prestigious funding.

The 16th annual Sukkah Project’s design-build grew this year to include two structures: a sukkah on the rooftop of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) in downtown New Orleans and a companion sculpture on Tulane's campus at Pocket Park. Project leaders Cole Schwabacher, Ronen Lavi, and Sophia Atkin, along with their peers, wanted to highlight the themes of peace, nature, and human connection. The Sukkah build provides the opportunity for students to come together and deepen their connections, while offering the project team creative freedom to celebrate the festival.

Cassie Kadish's (B.Arch) visualization, "What is the Ike Dike Actually Protecting?" from the Gulf Climate Futures Studio, has been selected for the 2025 Student Data Visualization contest hosted by the Tulane University Libraries and the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science and was displayed in the lobby of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. The Ike Dike is a proposed 17-mile long, $57 billion dollar storm surge barrier that is slated for construction on Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. If constructed, it will be one of the world’s most expensive infrastructure projects, intended to “protect the entire Houston-Galveston region” from hurricane storm surges.

Photo courtesy of Alec Rosen

Photo courtesy of Sam Crowley

Photo courtesy of Cole Schwabacher

Alumni Updates

This year's annual conference for the Association for Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) included both participants from Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment faculty and many recent graduates. Four new alumni presented their thesis projects: Mitchell Hubbell (M.Arch *23 and former Adjunct Instructor at Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment); Megan Spoor (M.Arch *23); Sean Fowler (M.Arch *23 and current Research Assistant Professor at Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment); and Ethan Lewis (B.Arch/BSRE '23).

Jamie Bush (M.Arch '93) of Bush + Co., along with David Thompson (M.Arch '91) of Assembledge+, were featured in the July/August issue of Architectural Digest. Together, they redesigned a 1920s home in the mountains of Santa Monica into a modern wooden house, using natural, sustainable materials to create a lasting piece of architecture. Bush advised longtime clients to purchase the property, seeing potential despite a dated 1990s renovation. Built in 1923, the home was first remodeled by Neutra in 1937 and finally brought back into alignment with its natural landscape by Bush, Thompson, and their team.

Mia Kaplan’s (M.Arch *21, MPS*22) dedication to preserving Lincoln Beach in New Orleans helped earn it an official place on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally opened in the 1930s, this site served as a recreational area for the African American community during segregation. After its closure in the 1960s, the site fell into disrepair, and only recently have efforts to restore and preserve Lincoln Beach gained momentum. Kaplan’s work highlights the importance of protecting sites that reflect the complex his-

tory of our communities.

Alumnus Andrew Marcus (MSRED *21) launched a new real estate firm and industrial project in Luling this summer. Andrew's work, featured in The Times-Picayune/Advocate, highlights the successes of our Real Estate Development graduate alumni. His plans for the industrial project emerged from his MSRED Directed Research project, completed in partnership with the Port of New Orleans.

The dramedy Lost & Found in Cleveland, directed, written, and produced by alumnus Keith Gerchak (M.Arch '93) and Marisa Guterman and starring Martin Sheen, Den-

nis Haysbert, and June Squibb, had its World Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival. In addition to co-founding Double G Films, Keith is a Principal of TheatreDNA, a theatre design consulting practice with projects around the globe.

The Batture’s opening this year marked a major milestone in the city’s efforts to reconnect communities with the Mississippi River. Once a neglected industrial site, the area has been thoughtfully transformed into a vibrant, mixed-use development that prioritizes both public engagement and environmental sensitivity. A key player in the project was the local firm CICADA. Among

Photo courtesy of David Thompson and Jamie Bush

its team was partner Matt DeCotiis, an Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture and Historic Preservation at Tulane University and an alum of the Master of Architecture program (M.Arch *12). DeCotiis and his team led the historic research and development of the design guidelines, ensuring that the project remained rooted in the cultural and ecological context of the site.

Alumni Todd Erlandson (M.Arch '87), partner Leigh Hoffman (Newcomb '84), and the March Studio team recently celebrated the opening of the Good Samaritan Family Medical Center in Cao Bang, Vietnam, marking the culmination of a 20-year collaboration with Dr. Vien Doan to bring a state-of-the-art healthcare center to a remote community in Vietnam. The design of the medical center required meticulous attention to detail and adaptability to local conditions. This involved translating and reviewing all drawings to ensure they met local standards and were practical for the region's unique needs. The challenges of adapting the building's landscape to local irrigation systems were particularly significant, requiring modifications to ensure both maintainability and accessibility.

Alumna Clara Gardner (B.Arch '23) has made a significant contribution to the academic discourse on sustainable architecture with her recent publication in the University of Virginia's student journal, Lunch18: Everyday. In her article, "Living on

Water: Re-Visioning the Floating Settlements of Chau Doc, Vietnam," Gardner delves into the unique architectural, ecological, and economic challenges faced by the floating fishery communities in the Mekong Delta. She highlights the precarious existence of these communities, whose livelihoods are intertwined with the health of their aquatic environment. Addressing these challenges, Gardner proposes an innovative solution that merges local cultural practices with sustainable development: floating tourist homestays. This initiative seeks not only to improve living conditions through advanced water treatment systems but also to bolster the local economy by tapping into sustainable tourism. Her approach carefully considers the preservation of the area's distinctive cultural and environmental landscape, ensuring that development efforts align with the community's heritage and ecological needs. Gardner's work exemplifies a profound commitment to addressing complex environmental issues through thoughtful, sustainable architectural practices.

Alumnus Ron Carrere (MSRED *24) was elected as Board Chairman of the Urban League of Louisiana. Working with his fellow board members, Carrere helps guide the organization in fulfilling its mission and serving communities across Louisiana. Since 1938, the Urban League has served Greater New Orleans with a mission to assist underserved communities in securing economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil

rights. That mission expanded statewide in 2016 and focuses on programs to ensure quality education and access to information, employment, entrepreneurial and economic inclusion opportunities, and shared dignity under the law.

Alumna Patty Heyda (BArch '95), currently a Professor of Urban Design and Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, has co-authored Rebuilding the American Town, a new book with David Gamble, which explores innovative urban design and planning strategies used by smaller municipalities across the United States to foster meaningful redevelopment amid various contemporary challenges. In Rebuilding the American Town, Heyda and Gamble present a series of case studies from nine U.S. towns, each selected for their unique spatial-economic typologies and geographic traits. The book dives deep into how these towns have creatively tackled issues of metropolitan sprawl, population shifts, economic shortfalls, and climate change, positioning themselves as vibrant, equitable, and viable communities. Heyda also published Radical Atlas of Ferguson, USA through Belt Publishers. The book offers an intensive exploration of how structural inequality is embedded in the built environment. Through over one hundred detailed maps, Heyda reveals the systemic forces and municipal planning policies that have shaped Ferguson, Missouri, and by extension, other suburban areas in

Photo courtesy of Todd Erlandson

Photo courtesy of Catherine Restrepo

Photo courtesy of Patty Heyda

the United States. With a foreword by Estudio Teddy Cruz and Fonna Forman, the book encourages readers to question how urban spaces are planned and for whom they are actually designed.

In her TEDxBuffalo talk, alumna Kalyn Faller (M.Arch *20) explores the idea of rethinking sacred space by sharing the story of a simple Buffalo porch that has connected a decade’s worth of tenants and friends. Through the lens of architecture, community, and faith, she invites us to consider what really makes a space sacred. To an outside observer, the porch is simply an old, wornout structure, but it holds far more meaning for the tenants and friends who have gathered on it over the years, evolving into a space for vulnerability and connection.

Photo courtesy of Kalyn Faller

Photo courtesy of Mia Kaplan

NewZine 37

Photo courtesy of Matt DeCottis

Global Focus and Collaborative Spirit Animate Jing Liu’s Journey in Architecture

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE, TULANE UNIVERSITY

Jing Liu, M.Arch ‘04, co-founder of the acclaimed architecture firm SO–IL and an adjunct professor at Columbia University, has built a career that blends social responsibility with design innovation. Her early experiences growing up in Nanjing, China—where daily life was shared among families in a courtyard home—shaped her enduring interest in communal living and coexistence in physical spaces. Those early memories of overlapping routines and collective resourcefulness continue to inform her approach to architecture today.

Architecture was an unlikely profession–as a child, writing or engineering seemed a more likely path. But a move to New Orleans and exposure to the city’s vibrant culture and historic architecture fostered an appreciation for how design shapes human experience. She explored that interest at Tulane University, learning to view architecture not just as form-making, but as a lens for understanding how people, systems, and places intersect. As Liu explains, “Having lived in several distinct and colorful cities made me appreciate how life shapes architecture and vice versa.”

After completing her degree at Tulane, Liu moved to New York City and gained experience at several architecture and design firms before co-founding Solid Objectives –Idenburg Liu (SO–IL) with Florian Idenburg in 2008. From the start, the firm set out to design projects that were intellectually open, culturally responsive, and materially inventive. Angela O’Byrne, President of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Tulane, describes Liu’s work as “arresting and provocative--simultaneously global and local.” SO–IL's work reflects a curiosity about how architecture functions across different regions and communities, engaging with broader cultural and environmental contexts.

As O’Byrne points out, “Jing Liu burst on the architectural scene at a very early stage of her career, taking competitions by storm.” SO–IL quickly rose to international prominence, beginning with its 2010 win at the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program. Its interactive installation, Pole Dance, explored architecture as something dynamic and responsive—encouraging movement, participation, and sensory experience. That inventive spirit has animated the firm’s portfolio, which includes the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art in California, a major urban district on the Seine in Paris, and the award-winning Kukje Gallery in Seoul, South Korea—a project celebrated for its intricate metal mesh façade and seamless integration of art, architecture, and public space.

Over the years, SO–IL has worked with clients such as the Whitney Museum, Google, Versace, the Guggenheim, and Frieze Art Fair. Across a diverse body of work, Liu has emphasized sustainable thinking, choosing renovation and reuse over new construction whenever possible, protecting both the environment and the existing cityscape. In parallel with her practice, Liu has

been teaching at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation since 2009 and serves on the board of the Van Alen Institute and Urban Design Forum. Her academic work echoes her design principles—focusing on co-living, shared infrastructure, and eq-

uitable urbanism. As Liu describes her philosophy: “I’m convinced that it is in space that the most essential relationships, including those with ourselves, are performed and formed every day. Space is the invisible contracts we live by. So it is essential that we design human,

open and caring spaces.”

In April 2025, Liu returned to New Orleans to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment’s annual gala. The ceremony recognized her far-reaching contributions to architecture, education,

Photo courtesy of SO-IL

Photo courtesy of David Armentor

Photo courtesy of SO-IL

and civic life. As she described the experience, “It was so touching to be called back by the community to celebrate the 2025 graduation together. The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is alive and thriving. It’s really good to see that because I have really fond memories here.”

Liu’s journey—from shared courtyards in Nanjing to the studios of New Orleans and the global stage— reflects a belief in architecture as a collaborative and evolving process. Through her work, she continues to shape thoughtful, inclusive spaces that connect people across cultures and contexts. As O’Byrne implores, we “urge you to check out her work online, both in building practice and interdisciplinary research projects [and we] can’t wait to see what she will do next!”

Photo courtesy of Jing Liu

Photo courtesy of SO-IL

Remembering Ellen Weiss

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 1935-2024

BY SCOTT BERNHARD, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMICS

Emeritus Professor Ellen Weiss was a deeply valued member of the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment faculty from her arrival in New Orleans in 1987 until her retirement in 2011. She passed away in October 2024 at her beloved home in Martha’s Vinyard and is sincerely missed by those at the school who remember her well.

One of the school’s highly credentialed architectural historians, Ellen taught both large, required history classes and compelling seminars in topics related to her research. Ellen was valued for her enthusiasm for bringing history into the studio and participating in the broader life of the school, involving herself in other degree programs. She always worked to bring the deep and profound potentials of spatial experience home to her students through historical examples—a capacity routinely celebrated by her students in teaching

Photo courtesy of Architect Magazine

evaluations and at school galas.

Ellen was a very active member of the Society of Architectural Historians (serving on SAH’s board from 1989-1992). She authored the SAH Archipedia Classic Buildings of Alabama and contributed to SAH's book series Buildings of the United States, particularly Buildings of Mississippi

and Buildings of New Orleans. Most importantly, Ellen authored critical, original research on a variety of historical topics. Her most recent major work, Robert R. Taylor and Tuskegee; An African American Architect Designs for Booker T. Washington (2011), took the first step in documenting a seminal figure in the world of Black architects in the United States.

She also had a great love for her “summer world,” her home and community from May to August each year, Martha’s Vinyard. Ellen’s book, City In the Woods, The Life and Design of an American Camp Meeting on Martha’s Vineyard (1987), was a pioneering examination of the Wesleyan Grove Methodist camp’s meetings, nationally known as a model city in miniature.

Ellen will be deeply missed by communities of friends, former students, and scholars from the islands of the northeast to the city of New Orleans.

Sean Cameron Huff (A ‘25)

Russel Irwin Burgdahl (A ‘69)

Joel Robert Scheer (A ‘79)

Walter George Schleh (A ‘58)

JULY 2024 - JUNE 2025

Lawrence Earl Kaatz (A ‘60)

Raymond Deryl Reed (A ‘53)

Henry LeRoy Johns, Jr. (A ‘48)

Hugh Joseph Howat (A ‘61)

Albert Sikes Hulett (A ‘86)

Karl Hoblitzelle Clifford (A ‘82)

Luis Ernesto Arocha Osorio, Sr. (A ‘55)

Alumni Council

ATLANTA

Amber Stewart M. Arch *09

Jacobs

Kyle McCluskey M. Arch ‘09 Jacobs

Stacey Lucas M. Arch *00 Collins Cooper Carusi Architects, Inc.

AUSTIN

Oren Mitzner M. Arch ‘12 Barley | Pfeiffer Architecture

BOSTON

Arielle Scher M. Arch *18 HGA

Sam Naylor M. Arch ‘16 Utile

CHICAGO

Carolyn Issacson M. Arch *18 AtlusWorks, Inc.

Emma Jasinski M. Arch *14 DesignTrust Chicago

Josh Mings M. Arch ‘12 Aggregate Studios

Me'osha Solsberry A/MSRED *18 Fitzgerald Associates Architects

Sean McGuire M. Arch *12 Gensler

DALLAS

Sarah Cumming M. Arch ‘14 Overland Partners

HONOLULU

Frank Xiong M. Arch ‘14

Wiss Janney Elstner Associates Inc.

KANSAS CITY

Kekeli Dawes M. Arch *18

Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Michelle Barrett M. Arch ‘19 SLATTERY Design + Architecture

LOS ANGELES

Jeffrey Zolan M. Arch ‘16 DLR Group

Nathan Leonard M. Arch ‘19 Metropolis Technologies

NEW ORLEANS

Brook Tesler MPS *14 Archdiocese of New Orleans

Austin Hogans M. Arch *20 Trapolin Peer Architects

Celeste Favort MSRED *18 First Lake Properties

Chris Daemmrich M. Arch ‘17 Tulane University

Kaylan Mitchell M. Arch *23 Williams Architects

Meghan Murphy MPS *16 City of New Orleans

Nick B. Kallman M. Arch ‘20 Mirambell Realty

NEW YORK

Braham Berg M. Arch ‘18, MSRED *18 BBB3rg LLC

Ian Rosenfield M. Arch ‘15 NY State Real Estate Ventures

Julia Gorodetsky M. Arch ‘02 Kids In Design

Kyle Graham M. Arch ‘16 Welltower

Leah N Bohatch M. Arch ‘23 SHoP Architects

Wells Megalli M. Arch *17 Person Place Thing

Anthony Vanky M. Arch *07

Columbia University

Ashley Gaudlip M. Arch *17

FEMA

Keristen Edwards M. Arch ‘20, MSRED *20

Spectacular/Black Spectacles

ORLANDO

Jordan Matthews White M. Arch *13

Walt Disney Imagineering

PHOENIX

Chris Cody MPS *14

Arizona State Historic Preservation Office

Nicole Mehaffey MPS ‘16 The Ranch Mine

SALT LAKE CITY

Kelly Holland M. Arch ‘09 Arch Nexus

SAN FRANCISCO

Kathryn Callandar M. Arch ‘15 University of Edinburgh

SEATTLE

Nick Vann M. Arch ‘09, MPS *09

Washington State, Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation

WASHINGTON, DC

Brinda Sen Gupta M. Arch ‘11, MSRED *12 World Wide Technology

J. Marshall Brown MPS *16

Loudoun County, Virginia, Department of Planning and Zoning

Nick Cusimano M. Arch ‘13

Marriott International

Interested in learning more about or becoming involved in the Alumni Council? Reach out to Ben Neal, Executive Assistant, at bneal1@tulane.edu or visit architecture.tulane.edu/alumnicouncil.

Advancement Report

BY THE NUMBERS

In FY25, the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment raised

$2,446,888

FY25 saw well over three-and-a-half times the amount raised from corporations and foundations as the previous fiscal year.

276

Alumni Donors

538

Total Donors

WHO GAVE

3.5x

14

Donations from corporations or foundations

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Mintz Family Honors Alumnus with Touching Tribute

BY MARY SPARACELLO, TULANE UNIVERSITY

For Saul Mintz (A ’53), architecture was more than a profession: it “taught him discipline and the ability to look at problems from multiple perspectives,” said his wife, Jean Strauss Mintz (NC ’55). Together, they built a life marked by family, community service, and enduring dedication to Tulane University. “More lifelong friendships than I can count began during our time there,” Jean said.

Jean, raised in Monroe, Louisiana, attended Newcomb College, where her romance with Saul began. “We ran into one another at the Tulane bookstore... It wasn’t long before we became pinned... and then engaged.” Saul, a New Orleans native, was inspired by his father’s career in design.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

As co-founder of Hurwitz Mintz Furniture Company, his father’s design sensibility and business acumen guided Saul to pursue architecture at Tulane.

After marrying, Jean and Saul became leaders in their Monroe community, where they raised three children: Carolyn Mintz Kaplan (NC ’78), Sally Mintz Mann (NC ’84), and Morris Mintz (Roll Tide!). Across three generations, many members of their family have attended Tulane: “It has become part of our family’s DNA,” Jean said.

Their commitment culminated in transformative gifts, including support for Hilel, whose building — the Goldie and Morris Mintz Center for Jewish Life — is named in honor of Saul’s parents. Saul took pride in keeping his ar-

chitecture students at the leading edge of technology and gifted the Mintz Computer Lab. After his passing, Jean recognized that Saul “would have enjoyed allowing students to travel, not only to touch and feel their projects in real time, but also to gain exposure and insight into other cultures, lifestyles, and needs,” and established the Saul A. Mintz Global Research Studios.

“We all share Saul’s hope and commitment to do our part to assure that Tulane and the School of Architecture maintain their preeminence,” said Jean. “Saul and I both owe so much of the good things in our lives to our years there.”

Ronald Finvarb Helps Students Get Creative

BY QUINN ARMSTRONG AND MARY SPARACELLO, TULANE UNIVERSITY

Successful real estate developer

Ronald Finvarb sees Tulane’s School of Architecture and Built Environment experiencing a powerful wave of momentum. “We have a state-of-the-art facility, a spectacular campus, and first-class leadership and talent,” said Finvarb.

As principal of the Finvarb Group in Miami, Ronald Finvarb is known for creating iconic, thoughtfully designed properties. His latest project — Thompson Miami Beach — partnered with renowned French architect Rudy Ricciotti, marking Ricciotti’s first U.S. project.

His connection to the School of Architecture and Built Environment

began with a personal tie — his son, Joshua (A ’25), graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate, while his younger son, Matthew, will begin his studies at Tulane in the fall.

His involvement with Tulane deepened when he joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2022 and, with his wife, Laura, made a generous gift to support Richardson Memorial Hall’s renovation and expansion. The Finvarb Review Space will be a place for future generations of students to learn and experiment. “The review space helps promote creativity,” Finvarb explained. “It’s a place where students can show their creative abilities, display their work to the public and get

critical feedback.”

To aspiring architects, Finvarb shares advice shaped by his own unconventional path: he earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a law degree from the University of Miami but refused to be confined to one field. “Have the drive, determination and courage to think outside the box.” Finvarb is committed to the success of the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment. “These students are going to help shape the way we live, work, and interact with spaces around us,” Finvarb said, “Anything I can do to help point them in the right direction to help accomplish their goals is incredibly rewarding.”

Photos courtesy of Catherine Restrepo, Akhil Singh, Fran Frutkin, Nico Eckstein and UB20

Richardson Memorial Hall Unveils New Renovation

BY EMILY CAPDEVILLE, TULANE UNIVERSITY

Following four years of visionary redesign, restoration, and expansion, Richardson Memorial Hall, home of the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, reopened in March 2025. Constructed in 1908 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, it served as Tulane’s medical college until 1968. The building has evolved from its turn-of-the-century origins to include purpose-built educational spaces and cutting-edge technology, while preserving its storied heritage.

The four-year renovation, launched in 2021, added 17,000 square feet to its original 45,000 square footprint, integrating a modern extension at the building’s rear. While adding an array of new space, the renovation painstakingly preserved the brick façade, interior arches, grand staircase, moldings, and historic windows. Throughout the renovation process, students attended classes in a variety of buildings around campus while they worked out of portable buildings in the Newcomb Quad. Faculty and staff moved around these spaces and other, off-campus locations. The reopening of the building represents a joyous reunification of our students,

Photo courtesy of Kenny Lass NewZine

faculty, and staff.

Trapolin-Peer Architects of New Orleans led the project, and Broadmoor Construction served as the builders. One of their main objectives was to blend modern sustainability practices with historic preservation, ultimately earning the building a LEED certification. The second floor’s original, spacious lobby, including its grand, Y-shaped staircase, puts this beautiful historic preservation on display. The extension of the Fabrication Labs, the building’s first-ever set of review rooms, and a dedicated gallery on the second floor for showcasing student and faculty work show how the contemporary needs of students and faculty were also accommodated. Large studio rooms foster greater collaboration, while the three newly built seminar rooms serve as pin-up spaces for reviews. These pin-up spaces function as vital pedagogical tools across each of the school’s programs.

The reopening in March coincided with the renaming of the school to the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, reflecting its growing reputation as a leader in interdisciplinary design education and its impact beyond the foundation of architecture. This new designation reflects a broadened academic mission—spanning social innovation, landscape architecture, historic preservation, urbanism, real estate development, and sustainable design. At the building’s dedication, Dean Iñaki Alday highlighted the renovation’s alignment with current architectural education and concluded that, “The

Photos courtesy of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Victor Garcia, and Kenny Lass NewZine

new building will be an absolute game changer in terms of quality of the experience and in attracting top-caliber students.”

In a nod to the work that happens inside of the building, Tulane University President Michael A. Fitts used a giant version of an X-acto knife at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in April. The tool, typically used by architects and designers, symbolized the end of the building’s renovation and the reopening of the school’s home. As Provost Robin Forman added, “Richardson Memorial Hall is a place where history and innovation intersect, where research and practice thrive and—most importantly—where the next great architectural leaders will train.”

Welcome home!

Photos courtesy of Kenny Lass and Howard-Tilton Memorial Library (Tulane University)