Tulane University Center

Abstract

In 1999, James Carpenter Design Associates was approached by Vincent James Associates Architects to collaborate on a large renovation project for the Tulane University Student Center with the common intent of making the program more environmentally sensitive. Over the years, the original 1950s Student Union building had become a sealed box, completely dependent on air-conditioning. Located in New Orleans, know n for its hot and humid weather, JCDA and VJAA proposed creating a more open, flexible, and permeable building, inspired by the French Quarter architecture of the region, in particular the use of fans and the extending of the zone between interior and exterior.