Dec 12, 2025
WE START WITH THE THINGS WE FIND
concept & vision
The Black Schoolhouse is a community center in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward, an experimental school focused, in their own words, on ‘teaching Black/PoC students and allies to become radical agents of change’ through art and creative fields at large
design & architecture
five containers form the main volume of The Black Schoolhouse. We designed it in collaboration with New Orleans-based, Black woman-lead Whawn Allen/WAACC and with the community, through a few encounters around design need, conversations, and community engagement to collect insight from neighbors
program & use
the new ground level, lifted 3-foot to protect from flooding, is the main community space, open and flexible for gathering and exhibiting, with a separate kitchen and library/meditation room. These are directly connected to an outdoor deck, one of the outdoor spaces on multiple sides that embrace the New Orleans patio experience and connect to the school gardening community programs. The second level is a classroom space, with a meeting area and an artist-in-residence unit. Outdoor terraces face the widest portion of the garden with the planted raised beds, while a long balcony faces the street. Balconies, wood shutters, iron work, and greenery connect to the city’s rich heritage