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Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans

Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans expanded its Uptown campus within the historic St. Henry’s Church complex. As design consultant to Woodward Design-Build, Trapolin-Peer Architects modernized mechanical, lighting, and interior systems while revealing original details—supporting the school’s growth within its historic setting.

Category Education
Adaptive Reuse + Modernization

Location New Orleans, LA

Year 2023

OPPORTUNITY

Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans, a French immersion school serving early childhood through middle school, occupies a collection of historic buildings and courtyards along a dense Uptown corridor. To accommodate growing middle school enrollment, the school sought to expand within its existing campus footprint at the St. Henry’s Catholic Church complex.

STRATEGY

Working as design consultant to Woodward Design-Build, TPA provided design, construction documents, and contract administration for upgrades to multiple buildings—including the Administration, Annex, Music, and Convent structures. The scope prioritized modernization of mechanical systems and lighting while revealing the buildings’ historic fabric. Suspended ceilings were replaced to expose transoms and corridor windows, restoring the character-defining features of the former German Catholic church complex.

Outcome

The renovation improves building performance, accessibility, and comfort across the campus while preserving architectural integrity. Through careful coordination and historic tax credit management, TPA helped Ecole Bilingue adapt its heritage buildings to support modern learning environments and continued growth.

Awards

The Team

Kevin Barns

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