Located on Tulane University’s Gibson Quad, Mussafer Hall combines the adaptive reuse of a 1902 brick building with a modern limestone addition. The building is the home of the Center for Student Success, which brings together Tulane’s Academic Advising and Career Services programs.
The 1902 Dutch-Renaissance style building was originally constructed as the college’s first dormitory. The long, narrow building was divided by a double-loaded corridor. The glass-fronted offices and interview rooms lining the hall have windows looking outside to make the building feel open and bright. Two original stairwells have been repurposed as lightwells and, where possible, original brick interior walls were exposed and repointed.
Photo: Sara Essex Bradley.
The addition sits on a tight site between the 1902 building and a 100-year-old oak tree. The 7,600-sf building navigates its site with a series of shifting cantilevered volumes clad in stucco, limestone, and glass. Mussafer Hall’s triangular footprint is set back from the historic building and angled away from the tree to protect its roots and canopy.
Photo: Neil Alexander.
The central ground-floor space is designed to accommodate classes, lectures, meetings, receptions, seminars, and other events. Black millwork panels conceal storage areas, flex space, and marker boards.
Mussafer Hall is the second full building studioWTA has designed on Tulane’s campus and the firm’s 12th project for the School.
Photo: Sara Essex Bradley.
Photo: Sara Essex Bradley.
Photo: Sara Essex Bradley.
Photo: Sara Essex Bradley.
Photo: Neil Alexander.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Sep 17, 2019
St. Louis Community College Center for Nursing and Health Sciences opens to students
KAI designed the building.
University Buildings | Aug 20, 2019
Oglethorpe University officially opens the I.W. 'Ike' Cousins Center for Science and Innovation
Cooper Carry designed the building.
University Buildings | Aug 13, 2019
Columbus State Community College’s Mitchell Hall set to open for the coming semester
DesignGroup designed the project.
Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019
2019 Science + Technology Giants Report: Operational flexibility is a must for S+T buildings
The science and technology (S+T) sector is arguably the industry’s most complex because it caters to a diverse clientele with specific priorities and imperatives, according to Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
University Buildings | Aug 8, 2019
New Student Wellness Center at the University of Chicago begins construction
Wight & Company is providing design-build services for the project.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Aug 6, 2019
St. Edward’s University Recreation and Athletic Center addition adds 12,400 sf to existing athletic center
Specht Architects designed the project.
University Buildings | Jul 10, 2019
Campus costs: Square foot construction prices for student unions
Using RSMeans data from Gordian, here are the most recent costs per square foot of college student unions in 10 college cities across the U.S.
University Buildings | Jul 3, 2019
Duke’s new Chinese campus sits atop a manmade lake
Gensler and LandDesign designed the project.
University Buildings | Jul 2, 2019
New Biomedical Research Center Facility at Northwestern University
Designed by Perkins+Will, the Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center has spaces aiding medical discovery.
Contractors | Jun 15, 2019
Turner tops off new classroom space at Middle Tennessee State University
The building includes a “command center” for training students to interact with emergency personnel.
