HONORED ARCHITECTS Three alumni were elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. They are H. Mortimer “Tim” Favrot Jr. (A ’53) of Favrot & Shane Architects of Metairie, La.; Tom Brutting (A ’77) of HKIT Architects of San Francisco; and Angela O’Byrne (A ’83) of Perez Architects of New Orleans.
T U L A N I A N S
Green Audits Since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has had an opportunity to rebuild with an emphasis on energy-efficient homes. But the question out there is, how “green” are the new buildings? Corey Squire (A ’12) is working to find some answers to questions about energy efficiency by conducting surveys of area homes to gather data on energy usage and comfort. Squire is a research fellow with Eskew+Dumez+Ripple architecture firm in New Orleans. He collaborated with Z Smith, director of building performance and sustainability for the firm and an adjunct architecture professor, who teaches the course Building, Climate and Comfort. This spring, Squire led Smith’s students to measure relative humidity, temperature and light inside homes and commercial buildings. They also surveyed the buildings’ occupants to create energy assessments. A $13,000 grant from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards provided the students with data-logging equipment. The results of the research are “surprising and interesting,” says Squire. “There is a huge amount of variation in energy usage depending upon how the occupants use the space. It can amount to a two to three times difference in houses that are identical.” Thus, for houses to be the most sustainable, Squire says, occupant education is key. “A whole roof of solar panels alone is not enough.” Because New Orleans has a notoriously hot and humid climate, the research results may guide design of structures in areas around the world with a similar climate, where a building boom is taking place. Squire says that the goal of architects committed to sustainability is to provide occupants, “the most comfort with the least use of resources.” —Fran Simon
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J UNE 2013 TULANE MAGA ZINE
Energy Efficiency Corey Squire (A ’12) (left) directs students in an evaluation of the uptown home of architecture professor John Klingman to see how “green” it is.
BON APPETIT Students partake of home cooking at a dinner hosted this spring by Arman Sadeghpour (TC ’96, G ’07) and his parents, Dr. Bahram Sadeghpour (PHTM ’78) and Dr. Malektaj Yazdani.
The Tulane Office of Alumni Relations has implemented a new program offering networking opportunities for students at dinners hosted by alumni. Dinner With 12 Tulanians is a Tulane Lifelong Learning program that’s a natural for New Orleans because “we know how to do food right,” says Ken Tedesco, director of lifecycle programs for alumni relations. Students receive special invitations to the dinners based on recommendations from staff members in the student affairs and admission offices and by responses to ads in The Tulane Hullabaloo. “The student might be a bit homesick, might be having a tough time in school and maybe needs some nourishing,” Tedesco says. “The students receive the message that everyone is doing this for you. Alumni share what they’ve learned, the mistakes they’ve made ... it’s making a difference in the students’ lives.” Meredith Beers (’07, PHTM ’11) opened her St. Charles Avenue home to a student group for a dinner this spring. Beers is still a student herself—she is pursuing a PhD in the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. The dinner she hosted “was a great way to meet students and to hear about all the things going on,” Beers says. Tulane alumni who are interested in hosting or joining dinners are encouraged to contact Tedesco, ktedesco@tulane.edu.—F.S.
TYLER KAUFMAN
RYAN RIVET
Dinner Dates