Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

11. Facilities
Despite its also being listed as a 'weakness' due to its being of another time and place,
Richardson Memorial is a building of elegance and grace. It provides clear didactic
lessons on organization, spatial proportion, and daylighting among many other
fundamental architectural qualities. It is also relatively adaptable; the adoption of new
infrastructural technologies in recent years has upgraded the facility, thereby facilitating
new forms of pedagogy.
B. Weaknesses
1. Financial Resources [NAAB VTR 2002]
According to the most recent VTR, "the central and continuing areas of concern all relate
to the limited financial resources of the school and are, by no means, simple and easily
resolved issues. Progress on this front will involve thoughtful and patient deliberation on
the part of the entire school community, tough decisions, and of course compromise,
based on sharing and mutual respect. It will also involve hard work, on the part of the
dean, certainly, with the university administration in raising money, but also the faculty in
becoming even more entrepreneurial in program development and implementation,
identification of research opportunities, and no doubt, even more delayed gratification."
Yet while also a historic 'weakness' of the program, recent additions to the program have
furthered the financial development and fundraising opportunities of the School. With the
recently inaugurated new administration, which includes a Dean dedicated to a much
greater degree to fundraising and the full-time dedication of an internal Office of
Development, the School is now poised to promote its promise as a School of the 21 st -
century. This is a key element of the current Strategic Plan.
2. Physical facilities [NAAB VTR 2002]
While Richardson Memorial's architecture and spatial character is one of the strengths of
the program, the building is also one of its major weaknesses. According to the most
recent VTR, "past visiting teams have noted the problems with Richardson Memorial
Hall, and some changes have been made and noted. Much, much more needs to be
done as the state of the building is now clearly adversely affecting the program and the
education Tulane can provide. There are no or limited faculty offices, institutional support
space, and modern shop quarters, material lab spaces, mock-up spaces, and spray
booths. Code violations and ADA violations are rampant. The profession of architecture
is exceedingly competitive. The state of the building restricts the school's ability to
produce students that can excel in it. The team has no doubts about the university's
capacity to resolve the building's problems. In the last several years, the university has
built new law, business and medical buildings."
3. Information and Design Technology [NAAB VTR 1999 and 2002]
Aided by the University, the School has made some headway in employing the latest
information and design technologies. In the past decade, computing technology has