ABOUT
Rome Office is a full-service architecture and design firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Office creates award-winning projects throughout the southeastern United States that re-envision multi-family housing, hospitality, leisure, institutional, commercial, and retail programs. The Office is a certified SLDBE and currently applying for SBE status. Rome Office is licensed in Louisiana, South Carolina, New York, and Tennessee.
Rome Office believes that creative design is a powerful tool, able to question and influence the habits of cultures, environments, and routines. The team specializes in creating innovative solutions for projects by practicing an iterative design process that encourages the reconsideration of programmatic and social norms. For example, the acclaimed Schoolhouse project transforms a historic schoolhouse building into multifamily housing through the addition of a box containing all the components for modern-day living in the center of each classroom.
Rome Office values strong collaboration with its clients and consultants and searches out open-minded partners that support and enhance its creative process.
LEADERSHIP
Rome Office is led by Brian and Melissa Rome, both natives of the southeastern United States. Collectively, they have worked in the field of architecture for over 20 years in Barcelona, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, New York, Charleston, and New Orleans. Their experience on large and small scale projects span 10 countries and 5 continents.
Rome Office is a full-service architecture and design firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Office creates award-winning projects throughout the southeastern United States that re-envision multi-family housing, hospitality, leisure, institutional, commercial, and retail programs. The Office is a certified SLDBE and currently applying for SBE status. Rome Office is licensed in Louisiana, South Carolina, New York, and Tennessee.
Rome Office believes that creative design is a powerful tool, able to question and influence the habits of cultures, environments, and routines. The team specializes in creating innovative solutions for projects by practicing an iterative design process that encourages the reconsideration of programmatic and social norms. For example, the acclaimed Schoolhouse project transforms a historic schoolhouse building into multifamily housing through the addition of a box containing all the components for modern-day living in the center of each classroom.
Rome Office values strong collaboration with its clients and consultants and searches out open-minded partners that support and enhance its creative process.
LEADERSHIP
Rome Office is led by Brian and Melissa Rome, both natives of the southeastern United States. Collectively, they have worked in the field of architecture for over 20 years in Barcelona, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, New York, Charleston, and New Orleans. Their experience on large and small scale projects span 10 countries and 5 continents.
Melissa Bauld Rome, AIA, NCARB is a founding Partner of Rome Office. She is a registered architect with professional experience in a number of design fields, including product, lighting, graphic, and urban design.
Melissa, together with her partner Brian, leads the design and realization of the office’s projects. Her experience with different project types and scales has influenced her design ambition to consider the habits of cultures, environments, and routines.
She has served as an adjunct professor at Tulane University, and continues to serve as an invited lecturer and critic.
Before founding Rome Office, Melissa served as Project Designer / Manager for the award-winning Vancouver House at BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) in New York.
She received her Master of Architecture degree from Yale University where she was awarded the James Gamble Rodgers Fellowship. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Language from Clemson University.
Brian Rousseau Rome is a founding Partner of Rome Office, which is located in his home town of New Orleans, Louisiana. Over the past 20 years he has worked on the design of complex projects with a variety of scales and programs. He has served as an adjunct professor at Tulane University, where he taught an Advanced Design Studio, and continues to serve as an invited lecturer and critic. He and Melissa have additionally taken on the role of organizing the Louisiana AIA Celebrate Architecture design symposium. Before founding Rome Office, Brian was a Project Leader at BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) in New York City. At BIG he worked directly with Bjarke, leading architectural and urban design projects in North America and Asia. Prior to BIG, he worked as a designer at OMA in Rotterdam. Brian received his Master of Architecture degree from The University of Texas at Austin where he was awarded the Louis F. Southerland Endowed Scholarship. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Clemson University.
Brian Rousseau Rome is a founding Partner of Rome Office, which is located in his home town of New Orleans, Louisiana. Over the past 20 years he has worked on the design of complex projects with a variety of scales and programs. He has served as an adjunct professor at Tulane University, where he taught an Advanced Design Studio, and continues to serve as an invited lecturer and critic. He and Melissa have additionally taken on the role of organizing the Louisiana AIA Celebrate Architecture design symposium. Before founding Rome Office, Brian was a Project Leader at BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) in New York City. At BIG he worked directly with Bjarke, leading architectural and urban design projects in North America and Asia. Prior to BIG, he worked as a designer at OMA in Rotterdam. Brian received his Master of Architecture degree from The University of Texas at Austin where he was awarded the Louis F. Southerland Endowed Scholarship. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Clemson University.
TEAM
Mollie Burke
Jiayi Hong
Julia Markey
Smith Marks
Brian Rome
Melissa Rome
AWARDS
Morgan City Senior Affordable Housing
O.C. Haley Senior Apartments
2023 | Louisiana Landmarks Society Excellence in Historic Preservation
Airline Highway Community Park
2022 | LC-ASLA Merit Award
The Schoolhouse
2019 | AIA Louisiana Honor Award
Treehouse
2018 | AIA New Orleans Design Award
Higher Power House
Morgan City Senior Affordable Housing
2023 | AIA Louisiana Honor Award
2023 | AIA New Orleans Merit Award
O.C. Haley Senior Apartments
2023 | Louisiana Landmarks Society Excellence in Historic Preservation
Airline Highway Community Park
2022 | LC-ASLA Merit Award
The Schoolhouse
2020 | Louisiana Landmarks Society Excellence in Historic Preservation
2020 | AIA Gulf States Honor Citation
2020 | AIA New Orleans Honor Award
Treehouse
2018 | AIA New Orleans Design Award
Higher Power House
2018 | AIA New Orleans Design Award
JOBS
Rome Office believes that a positive, fun work environment fosters creativity. Our team rewards ambition, positive attitudes, dedication, and experimentation in architecture and design. We are looking for motivated, high-energy people who value team work and problem solving.
If you would like to join Rome Office, please submit your resume and portfolio (5mb max) to jobs@romeoffice.us