The Graduate Hub

Why is the school adding a facility separate from the uptown campus?

The Graduate Hub's 24,000 square feet will provide additional space and specialized resources that support the school's long-term academic and strategic goals for graduate education. Undergraduate courses and studios will remain based in Richardson Memorial Hall on Tulane University's uptown campus.

The Graduate Hub will include a dedicated event space, expanded student lounge areas, collaborative workspaces and advanced fabrication technologies designed to enhance the graduate student experience.

Over the past eight years, the school has experienced significant growth in student enrollment and instructional activity, creating a need for additional classroom, studio, fabrication and event space.

The school also maintains a long-term lease at 1725 Baronne St., home to the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design. The Small Center will continue supporting nonprofit and community partners through design services and collaborative programming. The close proximity of the Small Center and the Graduate Hub will create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and shared fabrication resources.

Is the school leaving the uptown campus?

No. The Graduate Hub will complement, not replace, the school's facilities on Tulane University's uptown campus, including Richardson Memorial Hall, which reopened in March 2025.

The school and Tulane University remain committed to maintaining a strong presence on the uptown campus while expanding opportunities for graduate education through additional facilities and programs.

Why was this location selected?

The location was selected because of its proximity to the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design at 1725 Baronne St. The restoration and redevelopment of the historic building also support the school's mission and strategic priorities, including creating a distinctive graduate student experience and providing an urban setting that enriches architecture and design education.

The school looks forward to expanding its presence to the historic Central City neighborhood, which is known for its locally owned businesses, restaurants, cultural institutions and community organizations along the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor.

What is the building's history?

The Graduate Hub will occupy two adjoining historical buildings at 1831-1833 Polymnia Street. Both are three-story former warehouses with decorative brick facades. The left unit dates to the early 1890s, while the right unit was built around 1900, according to Senior Professor of Practice Richard Campanella, historical geographer with the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment.

The structures are often referred to as “the German school,” based on a reference in the Orleans Parish Assessors database drawn from the 1971 New Orleans Architecture—Lower Garden District volume, which speculated that the left unit was “probably…a school for the German Presbyterian Church…on Dryades Street,” now Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

According to the 1885 Sanborn Map, a German Methodist Episcopal Church stood around the corner on Dryades Street, and had a small schoolhouse behind it, on part of the 1831 Polymnia parcel. A decade later, the church still stood, but the schoolhouse had been wholly replaced by what is now the left unit of the Graduate Hub.

Around 1900, the Episcopal Church and adjacent parcels on Dryades were razed for Kaufman’s Department Store. For decades, 1831-1833 Polymnia Street served as a furniture warehouse for Kaufman’s, and briefly in 1959 as the Lawrence Upholstering Company.

In 1961, Kaufman’s closed, and since then, the old warehouses on Polymnia Street have been mostly vacant. In 1989, Dryades Street was renamed Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, and in 1998, the former Kaufman’s Store became home to the Ashé Cultural Arts Center.

In 2013, the Louisiana Landmarks Society flagged 1831-1833 Polymnia as one of “New Orleans’ Nine” most endangered historic sites.

In fall 2025, planning, permitting and design work began to transform these 130-year-old structures into the Graduate Hub. Construction is scheduled to start in fall 2026.

How will students benefit from the new facility?

The Graduate Hub will expand opportunities for collaborative studio work, fabrication and research, experiential learning, exhibitions and graduate student engagement with peers, as well as practicing professionals and partners.

Students will have access to spaces and technologies designed to support contemporary architectural education, research and innovation at an advanced level.

Graduate students will gain access to expanded fabrication resources, including plans for a large robotic arm, a dedicated outdoor fabrication area and a laboratory focused on historic preservation and materials research.

The school has formed an internal committee of students, faculty and staff, focused on planning plan student life resources, programming, and events to support and meet the needs of those using the Graduate Hub building.

Will the Graduate Hub include studio space and fabrication labs?

Yes. The Graduate Hub will include a fabrication lab, a large studio and collaborative workspaces designed to support design instruction, interdisciplinary learning and project-based education. The woodshop in the adjacent Small Center building will be updated and accessible to graduate students working in the Graduate Hub.

Studio: The building’s dedicated studio space will be on the third floor with views of the Mississippi River, Lower Garden District, and downtown New Orleans. The studio includes 116 individual workstations, moveable pinup panels and dedicated review rooms and meeting spaces along with a generous hallway for larger design reviews.

Fabrication: The school’s new Advanced Digital Fabrication Lab will occupy nearly half of the first floor, supporting a wide range of fabrication equipment: plotting, laser cutting and 3D printing resources that match equipment currently available at Richardson Memorial Hall. This new lab also includes space for a large-scale robot arm and other equipment not previously available at the school, such as an industrial SLS 3D printer. A shaded courtyard on the first floor will connect to the Advanced Digital Fabrication Lab through glass garage doors to be used for outdoor fabrication projects.  Across the easement, the school’s Small Center woodshop will get an upgrade with new equipment and a full-time staff to open the shop to graduate students at the Hub.

Will students be required to attend classes at the new facility?

Specific academic programming and scheduling details are still being finalized. School of Architecture and Built Environment courses and studios for graduate degrees in Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Landscape Architecture and Engineering will be held at the Graduate Hub. The School of Architecture and Built Environment will communicate clearly with current and incoming students about how the facility will be integrated into coursework, studios, events and other academic activities. A Graduate Student Town Hall will be held in September 2026 to share more details and to answer questions for graduate students.

Will transportation be provided between campus and the Graduate Hub?

The school is working with Tulane University to add the Graduate Hub as a stop on the Green Line shuttle beginning Fall 2027. The Green Line shuttle generally operates from 7:15am-11:00pm during the academic year, with abbreviated service hours in the summer. The St. Charles Streetcar also has a stop within 500 feet of the Graduate Hub.

Will parking be available?

Yes. Parking will be available with an on-site parking lot that is first-come, first-served and shared with Gulf Coast Housing Partnership’s staff. Public street parking is also available directly in front of the building and its side streets. Covered and uncovered bike parking is also available on site. Additional transportation solutions are being developed as part of the project development process, such as shuttle service on the university’s downtown shuttle line to support students, faculty, staff and visitors. Additional details will be communicated in advance of The Graduate Hub’s opening.

How will safety and access to the building be addressed?

The School of Architecture and Built Environment is in close consultation with Tulane University and Tulane Unviersity Poice Department (TUPD) to design safety and access plans for the Graduate Hub. The school plans to have a security officer present on the first floor of the Graduate Hub Monday-Friday 5:00pm-1:00am and Saturday-Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm. The building will be secured with Splash Card access for faculty, staff and students. TUPD will also regularly patrol the area surrounding the buildings.

The Graduate Hub is being designed and will operate in accordance with applicable safety, accessibility and building standards to provide a welcoming environment for all users.

Will faculty and staff offices move to the new facility?

Space planning decisions are still under review. The Graduate Hub will include faculty and staff offices and there will be staff assigned to work at the Graduate Hub. The school will provide updates as operational and academic planning continues.

What types of activities will take place at the facility?

The facility is expected to support a range of activities, including:

• Graduate studios in architecture, landscape architecture and historic preservation 

• Graduate courses 

• Research initiatives 

• Fabrication and prototyping 

• Lectures, exhibitions and events 

• Interdisciplinary collaboration 

Will the facility support research initiatives?

Yes. The Graduate Hub will help expand opportunities for faculty and student research, including interdisciplinary and externally funded initiatives related to design, sustainability, urbanism, materials, technology and community impact.

How will The Graduate Hub engage the community?

The school envisions The Graduate Hub as a space that encourages dialogue, collaboration, and engagement through school-sponsored exhibitions, lectures and design initiatives that connect the school with the surrounding community.

Will members of the public have access to the facility?

The Graduate Hub will not be available for renting or booking events outside of the school or Tulane University. However, some programs and events may be open to the public, including exhibitions and lectures. Access policies and programming details will be shared closer to the facility’s opening.

How will the project benefit the surrounding area?

The Graduate Hub is expected to contribute to educational and economic activity in the area while creating opportunities for collaboration among students, faculty, organizations and partners. The new facility will restore the vitality of an historic building in a culturally significant neighborhood.

The project has received approval from historic restoration oversight entities, such as the city’s Historic District Landmarks Commission and Louisiana’s State Historic Preservation Office. Project developer Gulf Coast Housing Partnership has a 20-year legacy of transformative development with the intention of creating vibrant, high-quality communities that are socially and economically integrated, affordable and sustainable.

How were stakeholders consulted?

Developer Gulf Coast Housing Partnership has held meetings with neighboring businesses, nonprofits and local government offices since the early stages of the project’s development and provided updates as needed. Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment has regularly gathered feedback through a working group of faculty, staff and students since fall 2025. The School of Architecture and Built Environment will communicate clearly with all graduate students about how the new facility impacts their coursework, studios, events and other academic activities. A Graduate Student Town Hall will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 5pm at Richardson Memorial Hall to share more details and to answer questions for graduate students.

What design principles are guiding the project?

The Graduate Hub is being developed with a focus on flexibility, innovation, sustainability, historic preservation, and collaborative learning. The design reflects the School of Architecture and Built Environment’s commitment to creating spaces that support creativity and experimentation. The facade of the building will be thoughtfully preserved with plans to incorporate the four large, exterior structural support beams bracing the south side of the building as this feature is strongly connected to the building’s history and identity. Interior plans are focusing on safekeeping the historic brickwork and large windows wherever possible.

Will sustainability be incorporated into the project?

Yes. Sustainability is an important priority for the project. The university is exploring design strategies and operational approaches that support environmental responsibility, resilience and long-term performance.

Who is designing the facility?

The project team includes Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, serving as developer; CCWIV Architects and Colectivo, serving as architects; and RNGD, serving as general contractor. Additional information about project partners will be shared as planning progresses.