The Village Redefines Living and Learning at Tulane

On most afternoons along McAlister Way, students fill the open-air patios of Tulane University’s newest residence halls — some studying beneath the oak trees, others gathering around café tables or chatting in glass-walled lounges. It’s a scene that captures the spirit of The Village, a cluster of four new residence halls designed to foster connection, collaboration and well-being.

Unveiled over the past two years, The Village marks one of the largest capital investments in Tulane’s history. Together, the four new halls house nearly 1,500 sophomores and juniors, boosting the university’s on-campus capacity to nearly 5,000 students — the most ever — while placing them closer to classrooms, libraries, dining, recreation, health services and more.

Located on McAlister Way between Willow and Freret streets, Fogelman, Bayou, River and Lake residence halls feature light-filled lounges, collaborative study spaces, wellness-focused amenities and inviting outdoor areas ideal for relaxing, reading or studying.

“The Village marks a new chapter in Tulane’s commitment to building a truly integrated living-learning environment,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said. “These halls are spaces where intellectual curiosity meets community. With thoughtfully designed common areas, collaboration hubs and faculty-infused environments, we are nurturing connections that extend beyond the classroom and enrich the entire student experience.”

Building community

Among the four new residence halls, Fogelman Residence Hall holds a special place. Named for Avron B. Fogelman, Class of 1962, and his wife Wendy Fogelman, Class of 1963, the building was made possible through their lead gift.

“Fogelman Hall is a tremendous addition to the formidable legacy that Wendy and Avron have built over the years,” Fitts said at the building dedication. “It is incredibly gratifying to stand here today and see this vision come to life in a vibrant, holistic living community for our students.”

Among those students is sophomore Lola Bernstein who lives in Fogelman. “I like how homey it feels,” she said. “I especially like the study areas. They are comfortable and quiet.”

Junior Sysha Pal, a resident advisor, agreed. “I really enjoy living in Fogelman,” she said. “Residents love how modern and spacious the new dorms are — especially the common areas. The setup really helps facilitate a sense of community.”

Research consistently shows that students who live on campus are more likely to thrive academically, stay enrolled through graduation and feel a stronger sense of belonging. Studies also link on-campus housing to higher levels of engagement, closer connections with faculty and peers and increased participation in campus life.

As Faculty in Residence at Fogelman, Jonathan Fadok, an associate professor of psychology in the School of Science and Engineering, could tell within weeks of moving in how much students were embracing the communal nature of their new living space — from the modern kitchen and spacious lobby to casual hangout spots.

“The Fogelman lobby and kitchen spaces are already serving as real hubs of activity,” Fadok said. “During my weekly office hours, I use the community kitchen to make homemade cookies for students, which has been a fun and easy way to start conversations and get to know them.”

That sense of belonging is exactly what The Village was designed to foster.

Years in the making

The new residence halls represent the culmination of years of planning. Shortly after becoming Tulane’s 15th president, Fitts established a task force to enhance the student experience.

Along with The Village, the initiative included major capital projects such as Mussafer Hall, The Malkin-Sacks Commons, the expansion of the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex, the renovation and expansion of Richardson Memorial Hall (home to the School of Architecture and Built Environment), the Steven and Jann Paul Hall for Science and Engineering and a new Tulane University Police Department station on Broadway. Collectively, these projects total 10 buildings and nearly 850,000 square feet on the uptown campus alone.

Tulane’s growth extends well beyond the uptown campus. In downtown New Orleans, new projects are transforming student life and strengthening the university’s role in the city’s innovation corridor, from the renovated Hutchinson Memorial Building and TU Fit Gym to Wave City Market and Thirteen15, a residential development that caters to graduate students and researchers.

The upcoming redevelopment of the historic former Charity Hospital building will add modern spaces for education, research and community partnership. On the Northshore, the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center expands the university’s reach with state-of-the-art facilities supporting health and science innovation.

With his office located inside The Village, Tim Lempfert, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, has witnessed firsthand how students are responding.

“It matters that it was done right, and I think we really hit it out of the ballpark,” Lempfert said. “We created spaces that support students holistically — places that feel like home.”

Spaces that inspire

Located between River and Lake halls, the 14,000-square-foot Small Family Collaboration Hub offers space for students to gather, study and relax. Departments also use the hub for career fairs, academic advising, wellness events and other programming. With foosball and pool tables, a 100-inch TV, and a 200-seat theater for both classes and movie nights, the hub is a true centerpiece of The Village.

Sarah Cunningham, Tulane’s vice president of student affairs, noted the new cluster reflects nationwide trends toward residence halls that support mental health, community and academic success. That includes a new sunroom at Fogelman Hall.

“It is a place to recharge, to do some quiet reading or just to meditate,” she said of the sunroom. “It’s a front porch to campus, where you can look out and see green space and oak trees. That’s a coveted thing at Tulane.”

But Cunningham emphasized that the buildings themselves are only part of the equation. “You can have the most beautiful building, but without investing in resident advisors, faculty in residence, and (faculty) advisors — people who connect with students in a human way — you just have a building.”

A vision realized

Senior Vice President Patrick Norton said Tulane’s housing and capital projects teams worked closely with architects and designers to ensure that Tulane’s long-term vision was realized.

“These modern and vibrant resident halls are designed not only to meet the needs of today’s students, but to foster deeper community, engagement and a stronger sense of connection,” Norton said. “It’s about bringing more of our students back into the heart of campus, where they can thrive both academically and socially.”

That vision guided every design choice, from the buildings’ layouts to the shared spaces that bring students together. “They have taken that vision to reality,” said Jane Rathbone of Hanbury Design, lead firm for Fogelman and Bayou halls.

Steve Dumez, design director of EskewDumezRipple, which led the design of River and Lake halls, said the project was shaped around “layers of community” — creating a holistic living and learning environment that connects students to one another and to the broader campus. The Collaboration Hub embodies that idea, offering flexible spaces for study, recreation and large gatherings.

Lempfert said he barely remembers what McAlister Way looked like before construction began on Lake and River in 2020 but knows that nothing can compare to what stands there today. “It was beautifully done,” he said. “It’s just amazing how far we’ve come in the last years.”