Announcement

HNOC Mourns New Orleans Architect Peter Trapolin

September 5, 2025

HNOC joins our community in remembering the renowned New Orleans architect and preservationist.

Trapolin at HNOC‘s Laussat Gala in October 2023.

Trapolin with his partner Leah Smith Tubbs at HNOC‘s Laussat Gala in October 2023. Photo by Amber Johnson, HNOC

HNOC joins our community in mourning the passing of Peter Trapolin, a renowned New Orleans architect and preservationist.

Trapolin founded Trapolin-Peer Architects in 1981, and the firm quickly built a reputation as a leader in architecture, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse. “He was a thought leader with his expertise, he was a mentor and a teacher, and he was a trusted advisor—with a great sense of humor,” said Paula Peer, partner at Trapolin-Peer, who joined the firm in 2001.

“Thanks to his profound connection with our institution, Peter was the perfect person to help us develop and implement our vision for the renovation of our original campus at 533 Royal Street, which may be the biggest project HNOC has ever undertaken,” said HNOC President and CEO Daniel Hammer.

Jan Gilbert, Peter Trapolin, and Priscilla Lawrence at HNOC’s Cahn-Lawrence Lecture in December 2023. Photo by Tere Kirkland, HNOC

Left to right: Daniel Hammer, Paula Peer, Margitta Rogers, Oscar Gwin, and Peter Trapolin at a 533 Royal Street renovation party in March 2023 Photo by Melissa Carrier, HNOC

A longtime supporter of HNOC and a member of the Laussat Society together with his partner, Leah Smith Tubbs, Trapolin regularly attended our programs and events. He also served as the architect overseeing prior renovations of HNOC’s 533 Royal Street campus that garnered a Vieux Carré Commission award in 1996.

“HNOC being one of his earlier projects was really important for Peter, especially since it was a personal project for him,” Peer said. His great-grandfather, Jean Baptiste Trapolin, built the Italianate townhouse at 718 Toulouse Street that now forms part of HNOC’s campus. Trapolin also oversaw HNOC’s recent renovation of 416 Chartres Street. “He was excited that construction on the Royal Street project was about to start,” Peer said. “He was very involved in every aspect of the design.”

Trapolin will be missed, even as his legacy endures in the many historic buildings he revitalized during a prolific career—including several belonging to HNOC.

“I speak for everyone at HNOC when I say we are truly saddened Peter won’t get to see his plans for these historic buildings realized,” Hammer said. “We honor his memory as we work to complete his vision.”

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Jan Gilbert, Peter Trapolin, and Priscilla Lawrence at HNOC’s Cahn-Lawrence Lecture in December 2023. Photo by Tere Kirkland, HNOC

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Left to right: Daniel Hammer, Paula Peer, Margitta Rogers, Oscar Gwin, and Peter Trapolin at a 533 Royal Street renovation party in March 2023 Photo by Melissa Carrier, HNOC