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.

Lafayette Elementary School (formally known as Leah L. Chase Elementary) is to be Honored by Louisiana Landmarks Society

Lafayette Elementary School closed their doors for five years due to damage from hurricane Katrina and were forced to relocate for a decade. Since, the 71,643-square-foot building has been modernized, including 33 classrooms, activity rooms, library, kitchen and cafeteria, with exterior masonry repair and weatherproofing. Moses Engineers was honored to be a part of such a wonderful project! Other teams responsible for the renovations: Recovery School District; New Orleans Public Schools; N-Y Associates; Gibbs Construction; Infinity Engineering Consultants; Jacobs/CSRS; Enhanced Capital; C. Spencer Smith Architects.

Louisiana Landmarks Society nominated the Lafayette Elementary School Project for the Annual Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation. The awards will be held on May 24 at Marigny Opera House with a program and reception. The honorees come from throughout Orleans Parish, including Uptown, the CBD, Algiers and New Orleans East. The opera house is one of the winning projects.

“The award-winning projects have never been more diverse, representing the very best in historic preservation,” said René Fransen, president of the society, in a statement. “Our city’s unique architectural landscape is a valuable, economic asset. These projects invest in our city making it richer in so many ways.”

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

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

Warren Easton High School opens 9th grade academy

School is back in session for most students as of last week. And for the first time New Orleans’ has a standalone 9th grade academy located at Warren Easton Charter High School. The 9th grade annex was built across the street from the school’s main campus in a long-abandoned business school building. The school previously used the main campus’ third floor for all ninth-grade classrooms, but now they have their own space to better prepare students as they transition into high school.

Image from Nola.com – Staff photo by David Grunfeld

Moses Engineers provided MEP designs for Warren Easton’s 9th grade annex including the HVAC system, plumbing system, fire protection and electrical systems. We were thrilled to work on this project with all other firms involved including Manning Architects and the McDonnel Group. The new annex has welcomed a freshman class of 350 students — 100 more than typical. This expansion to Warren Easton Charter High School will allow the school to grow by 40% according to school officials.

To learn more about the 9th grade academy check out the below link!

Posted on August 11, 2022 – by Marie Fazio

Warren Easton High School opens N.O.’s first standalone 9th grade academy

Allows younger students to better focus on tough transition into high school

Four Seasons awarded ENR’s Best Project in Renovation/Restoration

ENR Texas & Louisiana has announced the winners of their 2022 Best Projects competition. This year the Four Seasons New Orleans has been recognized as the Best Project in Renovation/Restoration. Engineering News-Record (ENR) provides engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary, and data to the construction industry professionals. They report on the top design firms, construction companies, and projects both in the US and internationally. Moses Engineers is honored to have this project recognized and would like to extend our congratulations to everyone involved!

A rendering of the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans

Moses Engineers was selected to provide the MEP designs and fire protection for this project. The development team included Carpenter & Co. and Woodward Design+Build, and construction for this renovation was completed in 2021. The former World Trade Center was revitalized into the 500,000 square foot five-star hotel and private residences which overlooks the Mississippi River and French Quarter. The Four Seasons New Orleans features 341 rooms, ballrooms, meeting rooms, retail shops, 92 condominiums, Vue Orleans, 2 restaurants, 5 bars, a pool, parking garage, and so much more!

We’re so honored to have this project win Best Project in Renovation/Restoration. To check out the full list of this year’s winners, check out ENR’s site!

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