Moses Engineers Sponsoring 2023 ASGNO Autism Festival

Moses Engineers is honored and humbled to have the opportunity to sponsor such a wonderful and meaningful event!

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental impairment whose symptoms first appear in very young children. Autism is not a singular illness; rather, it is a broad spectrum of complicated disorders that have various effects on children. Children with ASD have difficulty interacting and communicating with others. ASD’s prevalence rate is increasing, although its reason is unknown.

There are many reasons why April should be recognized as Autism Awareness Month, and it’s crucial to understand that there is no known treatment for ASD. This awareness is being spread not to help collect money to “cure” autism, but rather to properly diagnose young children and give them the resources they require.

The purpose of autism awareness is to ensure that there are services in place to support all children with ASD. Also, it brings up the idea of encouraging inclusiveness and acceptance of all people.

Come out and help us support this wonderful event where autistic individuals of all ages and their families will have the opportunity to make connections with local businesses and nonprofits who provide services to the Autism community, while enjoying food, music, games, and performances in an inclusive environment.

As of 2023, the CDC estimates 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism. This annual Festival not only helps raise awareness about and acceptance of Autism, but it is ASGNO’s main fundraiser to support the Autism community in the Greater New Orleans area. See ASGNO’s 2022 Impact Report here.

Event Info

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Named to New Orleans CityBusiness “Top Construction Projects 2023”

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans is undergoing an extensive renovation and a necessary system upgrade, many of which date back to 1984. In 2018, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans began a five-year renovation of the spacious structure and surrounding area. Massive improvements have since taken shape, but more are currently on the way, according to Convention Center President Michael Sawaya.

Exterior rendering of MCCNO's "intervention" areas. — *Photo courtesy Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.*

To date, approximately $150 million of the $557 million five-year capital campaign has been spent. According to Convention Center officials, an additional $300 million will be spent over the next three to five years.

The first phase of the plan called for the construction of a linear park along Convention Center Boulevard. This project was hampered by pandemic-related delays, and components are still in the works, according to Sawaya. The new roofing system will consist of the same material as the roof of the Caesars Superdome. Since the Superdome’s roofing system is highly rated for hurricanes and other tropical weather, Sawaya said his team found it to be an ideal fit for the Convention Center’s roof.

According to Sawaya, the Convention Center’s 140 meeting rooms continue to be outfitted with technology and design from 1984. Between July and October of 2023, approximately $90 million to $100 million will be spent to gut and rebuild these 140 rooms to modern standards.

Rendering of meeting room — *Photo courtesy of New Orleans CityBusiness.*

Sawaya envisions a concept known as “Lapont,” which is French for “The Bridge,” as the centerpiece of the redesigned Convention Center. On the third floor, between the two spans of the Crescent City Connection, a 40,000-square-foot grand ballroom will be constructed. The massive pillars of the bridge can be seen in the center’s exhibition hall, which was designed to incorporate the original structure.

According to Sawaya, the Convention Center will be revitalized and modernized for decades by the total renovation package that will cost about $300 million.

Top Construction Projects 2023: 4. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center | New Orleans CityBusiness
Project description: The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is undergoing a massive renovation and a much-needed upgrade of systems, some of which date back to 1984. Project cost: $557 million Start date: 2018 Completion date: 2024 Owner/Developer: Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Construction/Architecture teams: Various The New Orleans Ernest N.

New performing arts building at Isidore Newman

Isidore Newman School, located in Uptown New Orleans, has just opened a new Performing Arts Building for students. The local school has a national reputation and has been open since 1903. Isidore Newman School is an independent, co-educational, non-denominational day school for children in early childhood all the way through 12th grade.

The Joy and Boysie Bollinger Performing Arts Building is a 5,500 square foot building that just finished construction this month. It was named after its benefactors who donated $3 million for the project. The entire project cost $6.5 million and includes two rehearsal rooms, three practice rooms, and the Bart Gallery. The Bart Gallery features student artwork alongside the school’s permanent collection and named for Cathy and Morris Bart, who also donated to the project.

Moses Engineers is proud to have been selected to provide the engineering designs for the new building. We previously provided MEP services for their Science and Technology Center and were excited to work for Woodward Design + Build once again. For the Performing Arts Building we provided the following electrical and mechanical services:

Electrical service including new primary service feeders, secondary service feeders, and a pad-mounted utility transformer
Grounding and bonding for the new electrical systems
Low-voltage electrical power conductors and cables
Enclosed switches, circuit breakers, and enclosed controllers
New interior and exterior lighting designs
HVAC system and controls as well as plumbing designs

To read more about Isidore Newman’s new performing arts building check out the article on CityBuisness!

Best Places to Work 2022

Moses Engineers was recently named as one of this year’s Best Places to Work in New Orleans. This annual program was created by New Orleans CityBusiness and Best Companies Group to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in New Orleans, benefiting the area’s economy, workforce and businesses.

To be considered for participation, companies had to have a facility in the New Orleans area, have at least 10 employees working in the eligible areas, and be in business a minimum of one year. Companies from across New Orleans entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in New Orleans.

The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Washington, analyzed the data and determined the final rankings.

Companies will be recognized in the December 16 issue of New Orleans CityBusiness. For more information on the Washington’s Best Companies to Work for program, visit their website. And to see the full list of selected honorees you can visit CityBusiness’ post here!

Second Harvest Food Bank nears completion of $15M renovation

Second Harvest Food Bank became the largest food bank in the world’s history back in September 2005, with the help of America’s Second Harvest, now Feeding America. The New Orleans headquarters temporarily operated from a closed Wal-Mart in Baker, LA until they were able to return home following Hurricane Katrina. They also opened a facility in Lafayette in 2006 in addition to their headquarters here in New Orleans. Second Harvest Food Bank leads the fight against hunger in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response.

Their current New Orleans facility is located at 700 Edwards Ave. in a 200-000 square-foot hub, and it has recently been renovated in a $15 million project. The move to their current building happened in 2010, but they quickly realized a renovation was necessary to meet the growing needs of the community. Renovations to the facility include a new roof, air conditioning, a kitchen, showers, bathrooms, and meeting rooms. These renovations and upgrades aim to double services for those in need, and they currently already distribute 50 million meals a year.

Services Provided by Moses Engineers

Moses Engineers provided the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection designs for this renovation. Thanks to the new air conditioning system the facility is now able to protect the food and also cool the hundreds of volunteers that work at the warehouse. In addition to the ongoing needs of feeding those at risk for hunger, the Second Harvest Food Bank is also a disaster responder. They work alongside the National Guard for anything that may happen in South Louisiana, and during a natural disaster the warehouse is able to turn into a dormitory thanks to the addition of showers.

To read more about Second Harvest’s renovation check out the full article on City Business by Lance Traweek. The architect for the project is New Orleans-based Eskew Dumez Ripple and the contractor is Donahue Favret Contractors of Mandeville.

Historical renovation at warehouse on 4201 Tulane Ave

The historical building at 4201 Tulane Ave revealed their renovations at a recent Preservation Resource Center’s event. The building, originally built in 1924, became the headquarters for Riecke Cabinet Works Inc. The plant was once well-known for manufacturing high-quality custom cabinetry and wooden fixtures, and it was in business for 67 years. After Riecke Cabinet Works closed in 1971 The Lighting Inc. Company acquired it up until 2006. For years after that the building sold and changed ownership several times. Eventually it was divided into storage units that were left to deteriorate.

However, all of that changed when Tony and Katherine Gelderman purchased the property at 4201 Tulane Ave in 2020. They began working on its revival and wanted to give new life to the building while maintaining as much of the original character as possible. The Geldermans worked with Rome Office, Trine Builders, and Urban Properties on the historical renovation project, and Moses Engineers provided all the MEP designs. In addition to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems Moses Engineers also provided the fire protection systems.

More details about the history of Riecke Cabinet Works as well as the historic renovation process can be found in Preservation in Print‘s September magazine issue. Davis Allen wrote the story, and photos were provided by Charles E. Leche as well as the Rome Office. You can view the full story online here, or become a member of Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans for a subscription!

Photo by Charles E. Leche from Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans

Vue Orleans now on Archello

Archello is a business networking platform for the built environment that was founded in 2009. It’s essentially a ‘HUB’ between the creative and making industry that features an open architectural and design product selection tool. On Archello, everyone can tell their story as it is a free and open platform. Its users can expand their network and present themselves to the building industry by connecting with each other, to projects, products, or materials.

Photo from CambridgeSeven’s post on Archello – by Kwesi Budu-Arthur

Vue Orleans, an exhibit and observatory located on the rooftop of the Four Seasons New Orleans, is now on Archello! Vue Orleans just opened this summer, and Moses Engineers provided all of the Four Seasons Hotel with their MEP designs. The mechanical and engineering features for the project included HVAC with bi-polar ionization, heat refrigerant recovery, and MERV 13 Filters. We also provided designs for the hotel’s hot and cold domestic water systems, domestic water distribution, and sanitary waste. The electrical engineering features provided by Moses Engineers include power throughout the residences, lighting design, fire alarm, and also lighting control system integration.

CambridgeSeven, the architectural firm for the project, created the post about Vue Orleans on Archello. Thanks to their post you can now view the full photo gallery and read more about it. Check out the free networking platform and browse through Vue Orleans’ gallery of beautiful photos. Or better yet, if you’re in the area be sure to visit the stunning new cultural attraction to experience the fun in real life!

NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility builds rockets to return to the moon

Michoud Assembly Facility, located in New Orleans, is a world class manufacturing facility owned by NASA. The 832-acre complex is the nation’s premiere site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems. It’s still currently one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world and employs over 4,200 people. Moses Engineers previously provided mechanical designs for their 10,500 ton air conditioning system. We are proud to have them as a former client and enjoy seeing where their manufacturing takes us.

The facility has been involved with every human space flight mission for NASA, and it’s currently building rockets for the Artemis program. The first Artemis rocket will launch on a crew-less mission to orbit the moon on August 29th. The second rocket, set to launch in 2024, will carry two astronauts for a trip around the moon and back. The third rocket being built at the Michoud Assembly Facility will eventually take two astronauts to the surface of the moon. That mission has a projected date of 2025, and it will put the first woman and the first person of color on the moon.

Photos by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate

The Artemis program doesn’t end there though. NASA’s Josh Whitehead announced at a news conference last week that by the 2030s they plan to go to Mars. To learn more about NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility and the Artemis program, check out the full article here.

Next phase of the Convention Center’s $557M upgrade project

Renderings by NANO LLC released this week showcase the next phase of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center‘s upgrade project. The projected renovations include a new third level and a ballroom with a view of the Mississippi River. The overall project has already completed several noticeable upgrades including the 7.5-acre pedestrian park, completely renovated restrooms, upgraded energy-efficient lighting, and new cooling and heating systems.

Moses Engineers provided designs for the original electrical and mechanical systems back when the Convention Center first opened in 1984. We’ve also provided the upgraded designs for it’s renovation and are thrilled to continue to work for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The sustainability upgrades include an overhaul of its lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems – designs which were all provided by Moses Engineers. These upgrades will save hundreds of thousands of dollars and millions of kilowatt hours.

To see more renderings of what the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will look like after the second phase of its renovations for the $557M upgrade project, check out the full article from Nola.com.

Four Seasons New Orleans receives international acclaim

The Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans has received international praise from several design publications, including:

Design Et Al International Hotel and Property Awards

Global Project Award Winner 2022
Hotel Suite Americas & Caribbean 2022 Winner

Hospitality Design Annual HD Awards 2022

Guestrooms Winner
Bar, Club, & Lounge Finalist

LIV Hospitality Design Awards

Winner in Interior Design Hotel – Luxury
Winner in Interior Design North America
Interior Design Cocktail Bar – Chandelier Bar
Interior Design in North America – Chandelier Bar

Moses Engineers provided mechanical and electrical engineering designs for the project which opened in 2021. The Four Seasons Hotel is located in the revitalized World Trade Center, right next to the Morial Convention Center. We were honored to be chosen to work on this project with all other firms involved, including the development team of Carpenter & Co. and Woodward.

To learn more about services provided by Moses Engineers check out our project page. And don’t forget to check out the link below for more information about these international honors and what the hotel’s general manager had to comment!

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Rich Collins

Four Seasons Interiors Receive International Acclaim – Biz New Orleans

“We are elated to be recognized internationally for our style and design and look forward to welcoming guests from near and far to experience the space for themselves.” – Mali Carow

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