NAAB Architecture Program Report (APR) 2013 - Tulane School of ...

Tulane UniversityArchitecture Program ReportSeptember 2013I.2.4.Physical ResourcesAll of the School’s classes are housed in RMH, while students take many other courses in their generaleducation component and cross-disciplinary opportunities elsewhere on the Tulane Uptown campus.While the building has gone through extensive incremental improvements over the past six years sincethe last visit, fundamental challenges remain. Given the importance of the physical plant, the deanidentified and developed the opportunity of a substantial and ambitious renovation plan for the building.Through an RFQ process with twenty-one firms invited to submit, a team was retained in 2011 todevelop a Pre Design Sustainable Strategies plan for RMH. That commission was completedidentifying the potential for this LEED Platinum project, and the University is in the process of retainingthe architect who will begin Schematic Design in the early fall. Fund-raising for this project is wellunderway with $2.5 million in gifts and pledges already in hand. The University has agreed to pay for50% of the professional fees (matching TSA’s dollars 1 to 1). The goal is to complete the fund-raisingand renovation within five years.43