Tulane University School of Architecture

What Tulane University School of Architecture does

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is an academic unit within Tulane University, a private nonprofit research university founded in 1834 and headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in architecture, design, historic preservation, landscape architecture, real estate development, sustainable urbanism, and social innovation, serving approximately 1,000 students. It also offers a Climate Change Minor and a real estate-focused undergraduate major (BSRE) plus an online Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development (MSRED) delivered via synchronous evening classes with in-person field experiences.

The school's research and pedagogy platform is built around a set of specialized centers and programs: the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design (130+ community projects, 600+ students trained over 15+ years), the URBANbuild design/build program for prototyping housing in New Orleans neighborhoods, the Gulf Coast Climate Futures studio funded by a $749,961 NASEM Gulf Research Program grant, and the River and Delta Urbanism Platform spanning projects such as the Quilmes Urban Water and Social Integration Plan and the Yamuna River Project. Faculty includes IPCC Sixth Assessment Report chapter editor Jesse M. Keenan, Barcelona Opera House competition shortlister Iñaki Alday (Dean), and Emmy-nominated Associate Director John Huppi.

The school generates revenue through tuition and fees across degree programs, external research grants (notably the NASEM Gulf Research Program award), and donations including named fellowships such as the Bernard Lemann Fellowship Fund and the John Belle Travel Fellowship. It operates primarily through on-campus instruction at the recently renovated Richardson Memorial Hall on Tulane's uptown campus, supplemented by online delivery (MSRED) and international research studios across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The school has no external investors or venture backing, operating within the public charity structure of the parent university.

Name

Tulane University School of Architecture

Legal name

Tulane University

Website

https://architecture.tulane.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1834

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is a private nonprofit academic unit within Tulane University in New Orleans, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture, design, real estate development, preservation, landscape architecture, and sustainable urbanism to approximately 1,000 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education — Architecture and Built Environment

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architecture education
• Design research
• Historic preservation
• Real estate development
• Landscape architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Graduate and undergraduate tuition revenue from academic programs including Architecture, Design, Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate Development, and Sustainable Urbanism.
2. Research Grants and Funding: External funding from organizations such as National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf Research Program ($749,961 grant), supporting Gulf Coast Climate Futures studio and other research initiatives.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Donations from alumni and supporters, including the Bernard Lemann Fellowship Fund, John Belle Travel Fellowship, and various named professorships and research funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is a private nonprofit academic unit offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Architecture, Design, Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate Development (BSRE, MSRED), Sustainable Urbanism, and Social Innovation/Entrepreneurship, alongside minors in Real Estate, Climate Change, and SISE. It supplements classroom instruction with research centers and studios (Small Center, URBANbuild, Gulf Coast Climate Futures, River and Delta Urbanism) that deliver community-engaged design services and sponsored research in climate resilience and built-environment challenges.

Product overview

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is an academic institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs and research initiatives. The core academic offerings include Architecture (B.Arch, M.Arch), Design, Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture and Engineering, Real Estate Development (BSRE, MSRED, Minor), Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Urbanism, and a Climate Change Minor. Supporting the educational mission are specialized research centers including the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design, URBANbuild design/build program, Gulf Coast Climate Futures research program, and River and Delta Urbanism Platform. The institution also produces The ReView annual publication. The MSRED program is notably delivered through hybrid online synchronous evening classes with in-person field experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Program Graduate and undergraduate degree paths in architecture that prepare students for socially conscious and environmentally just models of inhabiting the planet, grounded in technical competence and research excellence.
• Design Program Academic program introducing students to design as a language, exploration via design thinking, and solutions-based design methodology to address urgent challenges.
• Historic Preservation Program Interdisciplinary academic program teaching urban preservation, leveraging New Orleans as one of America's most historic cities.
• Landscape Architecture and Engineering Program Academic program equipping students to tackle issues through education in urban design and landscape, ecology and evolutionary biology sciences, and river and coastal science and engineering.
• Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development (MSRED) Practice-oriented interdisciplinary graduate program preparing students from diverse backgrounds for real estate finance, design and development, with emphasis on business, economics, sustainable design, urbanism, and legal issues, delivered primarily through synchronous online classes with in-person field experiences.
• Bachelor of Science in Real Estate (BSRE) Comprehensive undergraduate major teaching core concepts of real estate including finance and project management, integrated with design and environmental concerns.
• Minor in Real Estate Academic minor introducing essential knowledge and skills for entry-level positions and careers in the real estate industry, available in Fall/Spring or intensive 12-week Summer format.
• Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) Program Academic program providing students with skills to create a more just and equitable society, comprising a SISE Minor and the Taylor Your Life course.
• Sustainable Urbanism Program Academic program focusing on transdisciplinary knowledge at the intersection of human behavior, physical built environment, and environmental ecology.
• Climate Change Minor Academic minor preparing students with subject matter literacy and analytical competencies for climate change mitigation and adaptation practices.
• Dual Degree Programs Academic programs allowing students to build unique educational experiences with cross-disciplinary studies across undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design Community design center that works with community-based organizations to provide design services for constituencies underserved by architecture and design professions, focusing on equitable processes and inclusive outcomes; has completed over 130 engaged design projects and trained over 600 students.
• URBANbuild Design/build program in which student teams design and construct prototypical homes for New Orleans neighborhoods in partnership with non-profit community organizations such as Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, Make It Right, and Harmony Neighborhood Development.
• Gulf Coast Climate Futures Program Design research studio funded by a $749,961 NASEM Gulf Research Program grant that prepares next-generation professionals to identify, visualize, explore, and propose interdisciplinary design-based interventions to critical challenges in the Gulf of Mexico region through climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
• River and Delta Urbanism Platform Multi-project research initiative comprising the Quilmes Urban Water and Social Integration research project, Yamuna River research projects, and other research studios focused on urban ecology and river revitalization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ engaged design projects completed with community partners over 15 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Gulf Research ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024$749,961 grant funding the Gulf Coast Climate Futures studio, preparing next-generation professionals to address climate challenges in the Gulf of Mexico through interdisciplinary design research.
• Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans (NHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for URBANbuild design/build program, supporting affordable housing development and neighborhood revitalization in New Orleans.
• Make It Right Organization (MIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for URBANbuild program focusing on post-Katrina rebuilding and sustainable housing in New Orleans.
• Harmony Neighborhood DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting neighborhood development initiatives through URBANbuild program.
• Various New Orleans Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 130 community organizations have partnered with the Small Center for collaborative design projects serving underserved constituencies.
• Real Estate Advisory Board MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry professionals including Brad Meltzer (Chair), Remi Bourque, Christian Cobb, Ronny Finvarb, Matthew Frank, Kevin Jackson, Andrew Marcus, Christopher Roth, and John Woodard providing guidance and industry connections.
• University of HoustonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Gulf Futures Challenge proposal selected as finalist for $50 million national grant through NASEM.
• Louisiana Food Policy Council (LA-FPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Gulf Coast Climate Futures studio, supporting food policy advocacy and community-led food systems research.
• Beyer Blinder Belle FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizer of John Belle Travel Fellowship for graduate students in Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Urban Design.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design: Penn Weitzman is a direct peer private-university design school offering architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, and urban planning programs, similar in interdisciplinary breadth to Tulane's Built Environment positioning.
• USC School of Architecture: USC Architecture is a peer private university architecture school offering undergraduate and graduate architecture programs with similar scale and program structure to Tulane's architecture offerings.
• Pratt Institute School of Architecture: Pratt's School of Architecture is a peer private school offering undergraduate and graduate architecture programs with comparable scale and a focus on community-engaged design practice aligned with Tulane's URBANbuild and Small Center initiatives.
• University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning: Taubman College is a leading public university architecture and urban planning school with strengths in urbanism, real estate, and sustainable design—comparable to Tulane in program mix but with a larger research footprint.
• Harvard Graduate School of Design: Harvard GSD is the leading private university graduate school of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning in the US, offering the same core architecture, real estate, urban design, and landscape architecture programs as Tulane but with a far larger endowment and global brand.
• Columbia GSAPP: Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is a direct peer in private-university architecture and built environment education, offering programs in architecture, urban design, historic preservation, and real estate development closely parallel to Tulane's portfolio.
• University of California Berkeley College of Environmental Design: Berkeley CED is a peer architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning school with strengths in environmental design and climate research—directly comparable to Tulane's Gulf Coast climate resilience focus and Built Environment framing.
• MIT School of Architecture and Planning: MIT SAP is a peer private university school offering architecture, urban studies, and real estate development programs with strong emphasis on technology, computation, and climate—closely aligned with Tulane's Built Environment and climate adaptation focus.
• Yale School of Architecture: Yale SoA is a top-tier peer architecture school within a private research university, offering M.Arch and undergraduate architecture programs with a comparable emphasis on design excellence and faculty-led practice.

Regional players

• Tulane Freeman School of Business (Real Estate Programs): The Freeman School of Business houses complementary real estate programs within the same parent institution; while not a design school, it represents an internal peer for Tulane Architecture's BSRE and MSRED programs and a potential collaborator on cross-disciplinary real estate education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TulaneArch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxutkRIo3VqUneKkwir8-9Q?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/tulaneu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tulane-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/tulanearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Tulane University School of Architecture