Small Center announces 2018-19 community project partners

Three girls working on construction project, aligning wood beams

The Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design announced today selected projects from its 2018 request for proposals, an interactive outdoor classroom space for Groundwork New Orleans and a building renovation vision for the International High School of New Orleans. These community-driven projects will receive pro bono design services from Tulane University School of Architecture faculty and students during the upcoming academic year.

Design/Build

Groundwork New Orleans is an environmental nonprofit that engages youth and community groups in environmental stewardship and advocacy. Small Center will work with the organization to design and build a covered area with seating at their Earth Lab facility, an outdoor learning laboratory site on the St. Claude Ave corridor. The new space will allow Groundwork New Orleans to host school groups at Earth Lab for hands-on field trips.

Visioning/PlanningThe International High School of New Orleans is an open-enrollment charter school and the first in the city to offer the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. IHSNO’s 80-year-old building on Carondelet St. in the Central Business District is outdated and does not meet the needs of a diverse student population. Small Center and the high school will work together to create a full renovation vision for a modern, energy efficient and accessible learning environment. Organizational leaders will use this plan to build fundraising support for the project.

Small Center projects are chosen through an annual request for proposals from local nonprofit and community-based organizations. This year’s RFP jury included Alexandra Miller, Alvin David, Andreanecia Morris, Ann Yoachim, Ben Smith, Casius Pealer, Charles Allen, Randy Hutchison, Rashidah Williams, Sharon Courtney and Suzanne Mobley. For more information on the RFP process, visit http://small.tulane.edu/participate/application-process/.

A generous gift from Johnson Controls Incorporated helps fund the Small Center’s education, advocacy and project design services.