Tulane Alumni Team Up to Reimagine a Midcentury Lakeview Gem

During the renovation of a 1956 Lakeview home designed by noted New Orleans architect and Tulane professor George Saunders, Tulane alumni filled the midcentury modern’s three floors — drafting blueprints, sketching courtyard plans and leading construction crews.

The group was brought together by contractor and Tulane alum Sorrell Brown. A former Green Wave football player and recipient of the prestigious Tulane 34 award, Brown knew the historical home demanded trust and expertise, so he turned to his community of mentors and collaborators.

Though football injuries cut his athletic career at Tulane short, the setback opened new doors for Brown, a 2022 business management and environmental studies grad. “It gave me opportunities to participate in more of campus life,” he said. Through connections and mentorship from Tulane professors, he learned the value of community — a lesson he applies today by filling projects with trusted collaborators, many of them fellow Tulanians.

One was Brown’s longtime mentor, architect and Tulane alum Michael Bosio. When Brown needed an architect for this Lakeview project, he called Bosio. “I wasn’t coming to him for advice, but as a partner,” Brown said.

The renovation included the kitchen, living room, entryway and backyard of the house, and the team focused on honoring the home’s midcentury heritage while introducing a more modern, globally influenced sensibility.

Brown also turned to design consultant and former Green Wave basketball player Ibby Ali, whose diasporic modernism style matched the client’s vision. Ali designed the courtyard and worked as art director alongside fellow alum Malcolm J.

The project’s accounting, design, videography and management teams were also Tulane alumni, including project manager Aidan Pachino and bookkeeper Karryn Joelson. Brown’s CPA and mentor, Harold Asher, is a former Green Wave football player.

“It was really cool, the lineage of generations that came through Tulane and got to work on the same project in the same city,” Ali said. “In a way, we got to pay homage to [Saunders].”

All three credit Tulane for shaping their path. “You go to school for the education, but you also hopefully go to a school that really takes care of you and participates in your success and your well-being,” Brown said. “Tulane does a really good job at that.”