Historic renovation expands educational space for Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment

The Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment is working with local developer Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) to renovate 24,000 square feet in a historic building that once served as a department store and warehouse in Central City.

Located along the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor, the three-story building at 1833 Polymnia St. will be transformed into an educational facility meant to expand opportunities for teaching, research and collaboration for the school's graduate students.

The new facility, named The Graduate Hub, will include one large studio space, classrooms, a lecture hall, research labs, advanced fabrication labs, meeting rooms, a lounge area and offices to accommodate up to 120 students, faculty and staff.

The Graduate Hub will support the evolving needs of architecture and design education and the school's growing student population. Importantly, it's a complement to, not a replacement for, the school's historic home on Tulane's uptown campus, Richardson Memorial Hall, which reopened in March 2025 after its own renovation.

"Providing this dedicated facility means we will offer a unique graduate student experience within urban contexts that enhance our students' built environment education and enrich our research and community engagement initiatives," said Iñaki Alday, dean of the School of Architecture and Built Environment. He noted The Graduate Hub's plans for a specialized Historic Preservation lab, a dedicated outdoor fabrication space, a large event hall and other research and teaching resources.

Plans for The Graduate Hub renovation aim to restore the vitality of the building, originally built circa 1900, as a contribution to the vibrant and culturally significant Central City neighborhood. The facade will be thoughtfully preserved, including plans to retain four large exterior support beams that have braced the south side of the building for over a decade. The design team is led by local firms CCWIV and Colectivo.

"The design combines the careful preservation of the building with an exciting textile facade that reuses the existing bracings on the side," Alday said. "The intersection of preservation and reuse is present throughout the project, which has been noted with approval and enthusiasm from local historical review groups like the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission and Louisiana's State Historic Preservation Office."

The Graduate Hub's location was selected due to its proximity to the school's longstanding community-based design center on Baronne Street, the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design. The Small Center, which will remain in its building at 1725 Baronne St., has a 20-year history of working with local nonprofits and community organizations to provide design services and educational programming. Having the two buildings adjacent to each other creates opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and shared fabrication resources.

Off-street parking will be available, and the school is working with the university to provide transportation to The Graduate Hub beginning in the fall of 2027.

Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2026 with completion expected in summer 2027 and classes starting in fall 2027. The school will serve as the primary tenant in the building under a 10-year lease with an option to extend.

Building owner and developer GCHP is leading the approval processes for all state, local and federal oversight requirements, including permitting and submissions to the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission and Louisiana's State Historic Preservation Office.

"We are excited to partner with the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment to bring new life to this historic building," said Kathy Laborde, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Housing Partnership. "This project aligns closely with GCHP's mission and builds on our work along the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor, while creating a space that will help educate the next generation of architects, designers, preservationists and developers."

Additionally, GCHP has met with neighborhood businesses and nonprofits to share plans for the renovation and gather feedback, including the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants & Business Association.

"The Graduate Hub can contribute to the vision and the continued growth of the corridor," said Jiarra Rayford, president of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants & Business Association. "I look forward to the foot traffic it will bring, the intentionality behind choosing this part of the community and the economic stimulus it will provide to our small business owners. Most of all, I look forward to the collaboration it creates with the community and residents, and the boost it will bring to our overall quality of life."

New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris (District B), who represents the community where the Graduate Hub will be located, also noted the project's potential for positive neighborhood engagement and economic impact.

"The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment Graduate Hub represents a meaningful investment in Central City and the continued revitalization of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor," said Harris. "I'm excited to see Gulf Coast Housing Partnership and Tulane University invest in a way that preserves our historic built environment while creating new opportunities for education, economic activity and stronger connections with the surrounding community."