School of Architecture: General Information
2008-2009 Academic Year
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architecture, leading to the Bachelor's degree, was established in the College of
Technology (Engineering) in the academic year 1907-1908. At that time Samuel
S. Labouisse, Moise H. Goldstein, and Allison Owen joined the staff. In 1912,
Professor Nathaniel Cortlandt Curtis was appointed head of the newly
independent Architecture Department; he was succeeded by Professor John
Herndon Thompson in 1921 and Professor Buford L. Pickens in 1946.
At the conclusion of the Second World War, the faculty and enrollment increased
to accommodate returning veterans, and the school continued to grow throughout
the next two decades. John Ekin Dinwiddie was appointed dean of the School of
Architecture in 1953; he was succeeded by Professor John William Lawrence in
1960. In 1971 the School of Architecture moved into its present facility, the
Richardson Memorial Building, and experienced another increase in enrollment
that continued throughout the seventies. Professor William Kay Turner became
the dean in 1972, and in 1975 a small graduate program was initiated, offering a
course of study leading to the Master of Architecture II as a post professional
degree. Ronald Coulter Filson became dean in 1980. In the summer of 1990 the
School began a program offering a Master of Architecture as a first professional
degree for students with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines. Donna V.
Robertson succeeded Dean Filson in 1992. Tulane faculty member Donald F.
Gatzke was appointed Dean of the School of Architecture in 1997, just as the
School initiated its new Masters in Preservation Studies. Also in 1997 a
supplemental Certificate in Preservation Studies was offered to undergraduates
for the first time. In 2003, the School eliminated the 5 year Bachelor of
Architecture degree, replacing it with a 5 year Masters of Architecture as the
professional degree. Former Architecture magazine editor-in-chief Reed Kroloff
became dean in October, 2004. In 2005 the School initiated the Tulane City
Center, its urban research and outreach program, as well as URBANbuild, which
helps rehabilitate neighborhoods through urban design and the construction of
student-designed and built housing prototypes. The School is expanding its degree
offerings and international study opportunities, and has initiated a drive to fully
integrate digital design throughout the curriculum.
The School of Architecture at Tulane University enjoys the advantages of two
worlds, as part of a major private research university, and as a distinct institution
with its own administration, faculty, staff, students, and physical facilities. The
diversity and resources of the university support the School's curriculum, which
emphasizes the broad-based concerns of architecture and its relationship to other
disciplines.
Our historic building, Richardson Memorial, is located on the most historic and
attractive quadrangle of the Tulane campus. This unique and pleasant
environment, combined with Tulane's low student/faculty ratio, engender a
personal, informal, and engaged community for learning.