Case Study
DEAR
RAMPART
New Orleans, Louisiana
THE PROJECT
In 2018, Gould Evans was selected to design an anchor space for
Dear World - an organization dedicated to connecting people
through their stories; creating unforgettable experiences for
every person using their unique process of bringing honest
stories to light and documenting them. Dear World decided to
create its home base in New Orleans - combining three historic
buildings on Rampart Street in the Central Business District.
Gould Evans was tasked with creating a modern interior and
implementing sustainable design strategies, while respecting
the Historic District and Landmark Commissioning guidelines.
Combining architecture and experiential design, the project
provides a flexible environment to house various events, with
the capacity to transform to meet each client’s unique branding
vision.
The firm used PlanIT Impact as a preliminary energy modeling
tool to identify a baseline Energy Use Intensity (EUI), explore
cost effective design strategies to reduce EUI and achieve a
renewable energy-ready building.
THE CATALYST
Gould Evans strives to provide every client with
a path to Net-Zero; it’s core to their mission. For
Dear Rampart, they needed to find cost-effective
sustainable design strategies, and demonstrate
their value to the client.
THE CHALLENGE
Architecture in New Orleans is rich with character
and history. Gould Evans was tasked with upgrading
three derelict and aging buildings to perform
efficiently while respecting the tradition and
character of the neighborhood.
THE HOW
Gould Evans leveraged PlanIT Impact to identify
project systems and materials with the greatest
impact on energy use reduction while balancing
lifecycle costs and payback period. The firm also
used PlanIT Impact to submit the project in the
2030 Design Data Exchange.
THE BENEFIT
The Gould Evans design team and Dear World were
able to quickly evaluate sustainable design options
with PlanIT Impact. The proposed design saves
27.8% in energy use compared to the baseline
EUI. Although the design strategies cost $20,000 to
implement, Dear World will save $5,000 annually
in energy costs, and will see a return on investment
in just four years.
READ ON
THE WORKFLOW
Using PlanIT Impact took just a few fast and easy steps - Gould
Evans first uploaded a model to the PlanIT Impact cloud “I plan on utilizing PlanIT Impact at the
application and established an ASHRAE 90.1-2007 baseline
EUI. Next, they ran the Discovery Analysis to identify six design
onset of future projects to help inform
strategy combinations to reduce energy use while balancing sustainable design decisions, including
cost and ROI. building orientation, window-wall ratio,
The firm discussed each option internally and selected one
and MEP systems to reduce EUI. As a firm,
combination to propose to the client. The recommended Gould Evans values sustainability and
design - Discovery G-1 - identified efficient mechanical systems, plans to leverage PlanIT Impact as we
reducing lighting power density, and decreasing the glass
U-value as the key strategies to reduce Dear World’s EUI while
move toward Net-Zero energy design.”
balancing life cycle costs and payback period.
- Lexi Tengco | Gould Evans
Equipped with upfront costs, energy use, and payback metrics
for the recommended design, Gould Evans was able to effectively
collaborate with the client during design development and
communicate the value of each design decision.

THE OUTCOME
Compared to the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 baseline, Gould Evans’
design achieved a 27.8% reduction in energy use. While the
overall proposed design strategies add $20,000 to the total
building costs, Dear World will save approximately $5,000
in energy costs annually, and will see a payback in just four
years. Over a 15-year period, for every dollar spend upfront,
the client will see a minimum $3.75 return on investment.

By using PlanIT Impact, Gould Evans was able to easily submit

the Dear World project to the AIA 2030 Commitment Design
Data Exchange (DDx). The project achieved an EUI of 33 kBTU/
ft2/yr, compared to the national average of 87 kBTU/ft2/yr;
equating to approximately 62% energy savings.