Audubon unveils first major aquarium renovation in 30 years; Moses Engineers provides MEP services

After undergoing an extensive eight-month renovation, the Audubon Aquarium will reopen on June 8th. With a fresh new look and atmosphere, the Audubon Insectarium and Butterfly Garden shine a renewed spotlight on the animals and plants of Louisiana’s fragile coast.

Since its opening in 1990, the aquarium has seen various additions, but the recent $41 million renovation marks its first significant overhaul. This major transformation includes a complete redesign, the introduction of an updated insectarium and new butterfly garden, as well as the creation of a captivating walk-through exhibit featuring wading birds, two sloths, and a large tortoise. Furthermore, the Gulf of Mexico tank has been reconfigured to offer a unique viewing experience from both above and the sides. These changes and additions bring a fresh perspective to the aquarium, enhancing visitors’ enjoyment and understanding the marine world.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the aquarium utilized the downtime to undertake a comprehensive re-design of the entire exhibit, update educational messages, and provide a renewed perspective to solidify its position as one of the top aquariums in the country. Ron Forman, the President and CEO of the Audubon Nature Institue, expressed this commitment to enhancing the aquarium’s offerings and ensuring a fresh and enriching experience for visitors. This effort showcases their dedication to providing an exceptional and up-to-date educational environment for guests to enjoy.

Moses Engineers takes great pride in having the opportunity to contribute to this significant and rewarding renovation project. They are excited to witness the impact of the final product on the local community. The collaboration between Moses Engineers and Audubon Aquarium is a testament to their dedication to creating a transformative experience for visitors and fostering a positive influence on the community. They eagerly await the favorable outcomes and benefits that this renovation will bring to the surrounding area.

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!

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!

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

Virgin Hotel wins big at AIA Awards

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) of New Orleans recently hosted their annual Architecture and Design Awards on July 14th. The event took place at the Contemporary Arts Center and celebrated the best of New Orleans’ architecture and design work. The ceremony recognized the Virgin Hotel New Orleans with two different awards – the Commendation Award for Large Scale Commerical and also for Excellence in Sustainability. Mathes Brierre Architects and Broadmoor LLC accepted the awards for the project which was completed at the end of 2020. Back when it was built Moses Engineers provided the electrical engineering designs for the Virgin Hotel. We’re honored to have been selected to work on this project and extend our congratulations to all firms involved!

The American Institute of Architects was founded in New York in 1857, and the New Orleans Chapter formed in 1909. It was the 30th chapter nationwide and only the 2nd in the South. The Chapter continues today with strong ties to the state and regional chapters as well as the national association.

The mission of the Design Awards is to increase awareness of outstanding architecture and also to honor the architects, clients, contractors, and consultants who collaborate on these projects. To view the full list of this year’s winners, and to learn more about AIA New Orleans, you can click here.

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