Don & Lora Peters Academic Center

The Don & Lora Peters Academic Center, housed within the James W. Wilson Jr. Center, is a state-of-the-art facility that offers the space and resources to support Tulane student-athletes’ academic success. The new center features private study rooms, a large multipurpose classroom for instruction, meetings and presentations, as well as new staff offices. The center also includes the Oremus Family Study Lounge, which has several seating options for studying, project space, and tutoring, along with printers, outlets for devices, and other technology.

The renovation of Tulane University’s Athletic Study Center transformed a 1980s-style space within a larger building to the Don & Lora Peters Academic Center. Led by practis, the project offers student athletes modern, flexible study spaces suffused with natural light and variety. Noteworthy features are a multipurpose classroom, niche seating areas, and specially soundproofed ‘quiet’ rooms. 

Faced with spatial limitations and low ceilings, the design adeptly maximized available space, notably by removing dropped ceilings to enhance interior experience. This revamped center is now instrumental in nurturing the academic, personal, and professional growth of student-athletes, with its open design facilitating increased staff-student collaboration and consistently drawing students in, often to full capacity. Branded colors and logos throughout reinforce Tulane pride, and a custom wood screen with the Tulane Green Wave mascot greets guests upon entry.

Location Tulane University, New Orleans Completed 2021 Size 4,400 sf