Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans Priestley Campus
In the fall of 2022, Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans (LFNO) opened their newly completed Priestly Campus to group of wide-eyed students and faculty. For the first time, their high school program would be together under one roof. As a French immersion public charter school, LFNO students follow both the French National Curriculum and the Louisiana state curriculum. Upon graduation, they can receive both a French Baccalauréat and a Louisiana high school diploma. With the addition of the high school, LFNO is the nation’s first tuition-free pre-K through 12th grade French curriculum program.
LFNO had been expanding across multiple sites for years and wanted to create a consolidated high school. The Priestly Campus provides them with a cohesive, centralized location where all students in grades 8 -12 can cross paths, and they can establish an integrated school identity. LFNO purchased the historic Alfred C. Priestley School in 2015, which encompassed an entire city block, including a three-story classroom building and single story gymnasium building. Since the building last hosted students in 1993 and later sat vacant for 22 years, it was in dire need of revitalization.
EskewDumezRipple led the renovation and expansion of the historic site, transforming the long-abandoned structures to a supportive, engaging, state-of-the-art school. AOS worked closely with the design team to provide furnishings and storage for the campus, including the lobby, administrative offices, a community/multipurpose room, student services area, faculty/staff break room and work rooms, and a counseling area.
The original features of the classrooms were restored, and each was fitted with new desks and chairs for students and teachers and additional storage. Meanwhile, labs for science, art, and music offer additional educational enrichment. New hallway lockers also provide students with a designated, personal space to keep their books, supplies and belongings. The Media Library houses circulation, tutoring rooms and workrooms, giving students a place of respite for group work or independent study. Located adjacent to the central stairway, flex learning spaces provide students with additional gathering areas amongst sweeping windows that overlook campus and connect them with the outdoors. The result is an inspiring educational environment that creates points of connection and is a place for student development and advancement. LFNO’s new home not only forms a close-knit school community for faculty, students and parents, but it strengthens its surrounding Riverbend neighborhood.
LOCATION
New Orleans, LA
SIZE
47,370 SQ FT
YEAR OF COMPLETION
2022
ARCHITECTURE + INTERIOR DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY
FEATURED PRODUCTS
Knoll Antenna Workspaces, Knoll Bertoia Outdoor Bench, Knoll Calibre, Knoll Dividends Horizon Table, Knoll k.task, Knoll Pixel Tables, Knoll Reff Profiles, Knoll Moment, Knoll ReGeneration, Knoll Rockwell Unscripted Occasional Table, Knoll MultiGeneration, Muuto Base High Table, Allseating, Alumni, Emeco, Exemplis, Fatboy, FurnitureLab, Global, JSI, KI, Logiflex, National, OFS, Safco, Sit On It, VS America