CITYbuild Consortium of Schools

What CITYbuild Consortium of Schools does

CITYbuild Consortium of Schools is a non-profit academic consortium founded in Fall 2005 by a coalition of 13 university architecture, planning, and design programs in response to Hurricane Katrina. Hosted by the Tulane City Center (a research center of Tulane University School of Architecture) in New Orleans, the consortium coordinates student-faculty teams from member institutions — including MIT, University of Kansas, Tulane University, USC, Boston Architectural College, University of Kentucky, and others — to deliver design/build, urban planning, and architectural services directly to community development organizations. Notable projects include the Prototype 1 house in Treme (with Neighborhood Housing Services and Tulane URBANbuild), the House of Dance and Feathers museum in the Lower Ninth Ward (Kansas State University/Project Locus), the People's Environmental Center (Wentworth Institute of Technology/Ujamaa CDC), and Gloria's Kitchen restaurant restoration.

The consortium's underlying model is collaborative, multi-disciplinary service-learning: each member institution brings specialized expertise while CITYbuild coordinates complementary — rather than competitive — work in concentrated neighborhoods. It was recognized with the ACSA Collaborative Practice Award for 2007-08 and featured at the 2006 Venice Biennale. The organization was in the process of becoming an independent non-profit, and funding flows through foundation grants (e.g., Baum Teaching Grant, Charles Engelhardt Foundation), corporate donations (notably PEX Universe, which also supplies in-kind plumbing materials), and institutional contributions from member universities. The citybuild.org website also hosts extensive informational content about PEX cross-linked polyethylene plumbing systems, radiant floor heating, and HVAC components (Honeywell, Taco, Grundfos, Little Giant) — a content layer tied to the PEX Universe partnership. The consortium's last documented operating period, based on copyright dates and project timelines, is roughly 2007–2010.

Name

CITYbuild Consortium of Schools

Legal name

CITYbuild Consortium of Schools

Website

https://citybuild.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CITYbuild Consortium of Schools is a non-profit coalition of 13 university architecture and planning programs, founded in 2005 and hosted by Tulane University, that delivers student-led design/build, urban planning, and rebuilding services to community organizations in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Residential Building Construction (2361)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Community design services
• Disaster recovery rebuilding
• Design build education
• Architectural community engagement
• Urban planning collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Donations: The consortium operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants, donations, and support from member institutions and external donors. Revenue comes from foundation grants (e.g., Charles Engelhardt Foundation, Barry Downing Foundation), corporate donations (e.g., PEX Universe supplying plumbing materials), and institutional contributions from member universities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CITYbuild Consortium of Schools coordinates architecture, urban planning, landscape design, and design/build construction services through 13 university programs for community development corporations and neighborhood organizations in post-Katrina New Orleans. Services are delivered as collaborative design/build projects, service-learning studios, and urban planning initiatives carried out on-site in partnership with local non-profits.

Product overview

CITYbuild Consortium of Schools is a collective of 13 national university-based programs (including University of Arkansas, Boston Architectural College, University of Kansas, MIT, Tulane University, and others) working cooperatively to address community rebuilding challenges in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Hosted by Tulane City Center, the consortium provides architectural design/build projects, urban planning, and landscape architecture services through partnerships with local community organizations. The website also contains informational content about PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) plumbing and radiant heating products, including PEX tubing, fittings, manifolds, and tools, as well as related equipment such as circulator pumps (Taco and Grundfos models), heat exchangers, and HVAC components. The consortium's work includes projects such as the People's Environmental Center, Prototype 1 housing, and the House of Dance and Feathers museum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CITYbuild Consortium Programs A coordinated program of 13 national university-based design, planning, and construction programs working cooperatively with New Orleans community organizations on community rebuilding challenges, including design/build projects, urban planning, and architectural services.
• Kentucky New Orleans Architecture Studio A semester-long study-in-action program offering design/build projects for community rebuilding, including sustainable building methods and landscape design, delivered through the University of Kentucky as part of the CITYbuild Consortium.
• House of Dance and Feathers (design/build project) A 500 sq. ft. cultural museum space for Mardi Gras Indians artifacts in the Lower Ninth Ward, delivered as a design/build project by Kansas State University architecture students in partnership with Project Locus and local community members.
• Prototype 1 Housing A three-bedroom, two-bath single-family residence of 1,370 sq. ft. built by Tulane URBANbuild in collaboration with Neighborhood Housing Services for the Treme neighborhood, delivered as a prototype for community housing rebuilding.
• People's Environmental Center An environmental education center and demonstration garden for the Treme neighborhood, developed by Wentworth Institute of Technology in partnership with Ujamaa Community Development Corporation, including soil and water testing and a remediation demonstration garden.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coordinated work in concentrated areas exponentially increases individual efforts to meet scale of need

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PEX UniversecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPEX tubing and radiant heating supplies supplier who donates plumbing materials and tools for CITYbuild rebuilding projects. Provides PEX tubing, manifolds, fittings, pumps (Grundfos, Taco), and other plumbing supplies at no cost for construction projects.
• Tulane City CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center of Tulane University School of Architecture that hosts the CITYbuild Consortium. Provides local coordination, logistics support, classroom space, and serves as the central point of contact in New Orleans for member institutions.
• The Green ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Orleans-based organization that provides in-kind material donations including reclaimed building materials for rebuilding projects. Contributes sustainable materials for housing and community construction.
• Design CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution of the consortium contributing design/build expertise to New Orleans rebuilding efforts. Works with communities on architectural projects.
• Project LocuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution of the consortium. Kansas State University students designed and constructed House of Dance and Feathers museum in Lower Ninth Ward. Partners with local community members like Ronald Lewis.
• The SEED NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork organization supporting social, economic, and environmental design initiatives. Listed as a friend/supporter of CITYbuild Consortium.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging players

• MASS Design Group: Architecture and design non-profit using built work to address social challenges; comparable community-anchored, mission-led design/build practice with academic collaborators.

Direct peers

• Public Architecture: Non-profit focused on architecture serving the public good, engaging students, faculty, and community partners on pro bono design projects; highly comparable mission and academic-community collaboration model.
• Design Corps: A non-profit design firm that connects design professionals with underserved communities; directly comparable as a service-oriented, mission-driven design/build organization with academic-community partnerships.
• Project for Public Spaces: Non-profit planning and design organization helping communities create vibrant public spaces; comparable as an academically-engaged, community-participatory planning and design practice.
• Make It Right: New Orleans-based non-profit founded to rebuild affordable housing in the Lower Ninth Ward after Katrina; directly comparable as a post-Katrina, community-rebuilding-focused organization with design-led residential projects.
• Tulane City Center: Research center of Tulane University School of Architecture that hosts CITYbuild; directly comparable as an academic research unit executing community-engaged design/build in New Orleans.
• The SEED Network: Network supporting social, economic, and environmental design initiatives in underserved communities; directly comparable as a peer organization focused on community-rooted design practice.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: Large, established national non-profit focused on affordable housing and community development; comparable end mission (community-driven housing and neighborhood revitalization) but operates at materially greater scale and with permanent staff.
• Habitat for Humanity: Global non-profit building affordable housing through volunteer-driven construction; comparable volunteer-built, mission-driven residential construction model and donor/foundation funding structure.

Others

• ACSA (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture): Industry body representing architecture schools; comparable as the institutional ecosystem in which CITYbuild operates and which conferred its Collaborative Practice Award.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CITYbuild Consortium of Schools