For almost 20 years, McDonough School #30 sat abandoned. Once a late Victorian landmark of New Orleans’ Third Ward, it was left to the ravages of time, obscuring its distinctive architecture and fascinating history.

The derelict structure was eventually acquired by LM Development, who put out a request for proposals intending to transform the old schoolhouse into an apartment complex. The project passed from firm to firm for a while, frequently taken on and then discarded due to Louisiana’s strict historical landmark preservation standards, which put a damper on any new builds or expansions.

We wanted to restore the missing components back to their 1890s original form, while inserting additive elements that would transform a schoolhouse with classrooms into a building for apartments and modern day living," says Brian Rome." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Neil Alexander" photoUserId=""/>

After making rounds for a while, the proposal landed on the desks of Melissa and Brian Rome, principal architects of New Orleans–based Rome Office. Immediately, the pair felt drawn to the challenge. “We knew that different architects had looked at it previously and tried to make it work but couldn't come up with the right solution. So we just went at it, gave it our best shot,” explains Melissa.

—an experiment, in Brian’s words, of “preserving the existing fabric and spatial qualities while adapting the building to modern day use.” " layout="" credit="Photo courtesy of Rome Office" photoUserId=""/>

Once accepting the proposal, Rome Office took complete control of the project, overseeing the entire restoration process from rebuilding the ornate façade to preserving the structure's 13-foot-wide central corridor—a structural detail that thwarted every other firm’s attempts. The restoration research process put Melissa and Brian in contact with a number of the Schoolhouse’s previous occupants, a decision stemming from what Brian calls a desire to “instill a little bit of recent history into the design.”

One of the more interesting stories came from the DJs of WYLD, Louisiana’s first African-American radio station and onetime occupants. “The coolest thing they told us about were these parties that they would throw in the basement,” says Melissa. “At the time, we were trying to figure out how to use what was a glorified crawl space underneath the building, so we were curious as to how they used that underground area. Thanks to our conversations, we put a commercial space down there, and a shared gym and a lobby space for the residents.”

"Even though there was rebuilding and restoring, we really didn't want to touch the historic corridor wall. It really is representative of what the original layout was like," says Melissa." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Neil Alexander" photoUserId=""/>

Faithfully restoring the building’s original façade and interiors posed yet another challenge: how do you build contemporary living space inside an old building? “We looked for that perfect contrast between the old and the new,” explains Brian. “For example, the pickled finish on the floors calls attention to the fact that this is a new component to the building, but it sits appropriately with the restored brick exterior and the millwork detailing in the hallway.”

Brian and Melissa’s decision to clearly distinguish between old and new also drove the design of the apartments themselves. Instead of redesigning the original classrooms into apartments, Rome Office designed an apartment inside the classroom. Dubbed a “Box for Living,” each repurposed room contains a white oak cube with everything you’d want in a contemporary space: a kitchen, bathroom, closet, entertainment center, laundry, wardrobe, and a loft. The boxes even contain retractable, full-height pocket doors that separate or expand living areas, allowing for endless modulations of space.

The pair describe the cubes as "a product almost more than architecture," and hope that their space-saving and space-transforming boxes will allow the historical details of the newly restored Schoolhouse to shine through. As Melissa explains: "Focusing on the center of the room allowed us to highlight the incredible design characteristics of this historic building."

fit together almost like a Swiss watch."" layout="wide" credit="Plan courtesy of Rome Office" photoUserId=""/>

Related Readings:

A Soaring Schoolhouse in the Netherlands is Reborn

A 20th-Century Dutch Schoolhouse Now Holds a Series of Airy Lofts

A 19th-Century Schoolhouse in Brooklyn Becomes a Classy Apartment

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Rome Office
General Contractor: CDW Services
Civil Engineer: PACE Group LLC
Landscape Design: Spackman Mossop Michaels
Lighting Design: LM Development
Interior Design: Rome Office
Architectural Specifications: LO Specs
Historic Preservation Consultant: Fricker Historic Preservation
Mechanical Engineering: Howell Consultants
Electrical Engineering: Jolly Consultants
Photography: Neil Alexander

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Before & After: An Abandoned Schoolhouse in New Orleans Now Holds Chic Apartments