New Orleans, LA | March 2009

Each year, the Tulane University School of Architecture hosts a visiting architectural firm to participate in a celebration of design. “Architects Week” involves a lecture, a week-long design-build project and the annual Beaux Arts Ball. In 2009, el dorado was honored to be the selected firm. All five partners visited New Orleans to deliver the lecture, and to work with eight teams of students on a design charette for their projects—benches for the Tulane Campus. After a final design critique on the third day, the students spent the rest of the week collaborating on the actual construction. Four long days (and nights) later, the eight teams presented their bench constructions for consideration. The diverse range of solutions, which explored many types of materials and construction techniques, was inspiring.