Tulane students design for desert, Gulf Coast and New Orleans
Architecture students in New Orleans are designing from desert to delta. Graduate work from Tulane University in New Orleans was featured by design site Dezeen on 30 September 2026, spanning sustainable settlements in Chile's Atacama Desert, historic preservation on the United States Gulf Coast and a community plan for New Orleans itself. Dezeen
The feature appears as part of Dezeen School Shows, a series that presents student work from architecture and design schools. The institution named is the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment. The work comes from graduate studios and courses in Architecture, Historic Preservation and Real Estate Development.
One thread heads to South America. Tulane students visited Chile to develop proposals for the Atacama Desert Project, according to the university. Tulane School of Architecture The student schemes look at how to improve urban quality and historic preservation and strengthen the city's links with water bodies. Tulane describes the Atacama as one of the driest and most ecologically distinctive environments on the planet.
That is a tough brief. The university notes the area supports nearly one million inhabitants and is important for copper and lithium mining and renewable energy production. Student designs respond with ideas for sustainable urban settlements that can live with scarcity.
A second thread stays close to home. Preservation students documented historic buildings across the Gulf Coast region. That included Latrobe's on Royal in New Orleans, where the Spring 2024 Preservation Studio II produced a Historic Structure Report, a detailed record of a building's history, condition and repair needs.
The building carries layers of paperwork. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name Louisiana State Bank. It is also a contributing property within the Vieux Carre Commercial District, meaning it adds to the historic character of the protected French Quarter area. It is associated with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
The third thread is about daily life in New Orleans. One community-oriented proposal combines affordable housing with healthcare and co-working facilities. Housing here means homes priced within reach of local incomes. Co-working means shared work space. The point is practical: live, get care and work in one place.
Tutors credited across the projects are Fallon Samuels Aidoo, Alex Barthel, Liz Camuti, Ruben Garcia Rubio, Adam Marcus, Cristobal Molina Baeza, Mark Rabinowitz, John Renne and Heather Veneziano.
What makes this stand out is the range. Three programmes, one city base, and sites that stretch from desert mining towns to Quarter streets. Readers can browse the full set of drawings and reports in the Dezeen feature.
