Inside RMH

Roof repairs and addition steel framing underway at Richardson Memorial Hall

Roof repairs are nearing completion and steel framing has begun on the addition to historic Richardson Memorial Hall, home of the Tulane School of Architecture.

This stage in the renovation marks a turning point, from repairing and revitalizing the 115-year-old building's structure to now beginning the early stages of new construction and the manifestation of updated floor plans.

"They've done a really super job of providing us with a reliable, protective shell for our building," said Senior Professor of Practice Byron Mouton, the school's faculty coordinator for the project. "I think we'll now start to see a refreshing dialogue between the old and the new."

Most of the major repairs to the existing structure and building shell are nearing completion, with work on the roof trusses and the roof exterior being the final steps – as captured in exclusive drone footage by TuSA's Director of Fabrication Nick LiCausi (as shown above and below).

The roof's slate and copper-flashing materials are especially noteworthy.

"To get a true copper-flashed slate roof, that's a top-of-the-line install," Mouton said. "It will last a century."

While roof work finishes following the delivery of slate last week, steel framing has begun that will expand the building by 15,000 square feet and add critically needed space to the historic building's existing 45,000 square feet.

"It's really exciting. The crane's out there, and steel is beginning to go up," Mouton said. "That's pretty cool."

The relationship between old and new is also the focus for the building's technology needs, Mouton said. The renovation project team and IT teams from the university and school have been meeting and working together to bring innovative technology into the school.

"We need to figure out how to coordinate 21st century technology with an early 20th century building," Mouton said.

Work on the historic Richardson Memorial Hall began in spring 2022 and completion is scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year. Tulane Capital Projects is leading renovation project partners Trapolin-Peer Architects and Broadmoor LLC Construction.