Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

esearch and intermittent courses on “Black Architects” are also of note in
this regard. In addition, Professor Gonzalez’s course “Representations of
Culture and Ethnicity,” a history elective, is well-subscribed (AHST 633).
Foreign Study opportunities—which occur by and large in the fourth-year—
allow students to experience the diverse nature of the human condition.
Travel studios in Europe, South America, Central America and East Asia
are all offered to the Masters of Architecture students and Preservation
students alike.
In addition, the focus on New Orleans as a field laboratory ensures that
students will be introduced to the role of diverse cultures on the patterning of
the social and spatial conditions: the myriad cultures and their very real
impact—material, formal, technological, and constructional—on the fabric of
New Orleans and its architecture is a highly visible aspect of the substance of
the curriculum. What is perhaps most instructive for students of architecture is
the ability of different cultures to adapt architecture according to the shape of
their daily lives—needs that are not only concerned with the maintenance of
life, but the rituals and constructs associated with religious, commercial
(economic), and social conduct. Hence, the study of diversity is not confined
to the academic forum, but extends into the fabric of the city. Architecture in
New Orleans is not only engaging, but is demonstrably engaged by its
inhabitants. This is reflective of the flexibility of its vernacular traditions and
the infusion of new and inspired uses over an extended period of time.
The societal roles and ethical responsibilities of the architect, specifically
with respect to human diversity, are foregrounded throughout the required
studio sequence. Community based projects are the subject of several
projects in the First- and Second-years and are often the subject of the
upper-level platforms (see 1. 5. Program Strategic Plan). The advocacy of
diversity issues is compounded by the impact of the Tulane Regional Urban
Design Center, the Campus Affiliates Project now acting as the oversight
for the Housing Authority of New Orleans, and the Masters in Preservation
Studies Program. In addition, several faculty members focus on these
issues not only in their research, but also in the required design studio
sequence and in the review of student work.
The ethical responsibilities of the architect are also treated in the required
Concerns of the Profession (APFC 410) class taught in the Third or Fourthyear
of the students’ curricula.
In addition, Architecture and Social Engagement (APFC 630) and
Architecture and the Underserved (APFC 433) focus on human diversity
issues.
14. Accessibility
Ability to design both site and building to accommodate individuals with
varying physical abilities.
This is a component of the core design studio sequence beginning in the
Second-Year (DSGN 210, 220) and continuing throughout the DSGN
curriculum. Of particular note are the URBANbuild design/build components