Rachel Hall Taravella
Lead Designer / Principal
As a student at the Louisiana State University School of Architecture, Rachel was able to participate in several enrichment opportunities through travel and special programs. These include a one year exchange program at Virginia Tech's Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) and an intensive architectural theory program in Paris, France. Upon graduation, Rachel joined Trahan Architects where she was exposed to a wide range of building typologies and scales of projects, both domestically and internationally. She also served as a guest critic at both LSU and Tulane, which led to further teaching opportunities at Tulane's School of Architecture. It was during this time that Rachel was reacquainting herself with New Orleans and the neighborhoods that occupy it.
Rachel established Taravella Design-Build after finding success with a real estate development project, a renovation and addition to a creole cottage on Washington Avenue. The project won New Orleans Homes & Lifetyle's 2015 "Renovation of the Year" award and provided an opportunity for her to engage in development and design full time.
When Rachel is not working on projects for TDB, she is operating and curating Monomin, her apparel and lifestyle boutique on lower Magazine Street. She considers the store and the clothing in it to be an extension of her architectural style and representative of her minimalist sensibility. Monomin's tagline, "A minimalist approach for the ultra femme," reinforces the dualities present in her aesthetic approach: hard and soft, detailed yet simple, stylish but classic.
Awards & Features
Featured, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyle, 2014
Featured, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyle, 2015
Awarded, Renovation of the Year, 2015
Best New Tastemaker by Southern Living Magazine, 2018
Catherine Calhoun Engolio
senior designer / project manager
During her tenure at LSU School of Architecture, Catherine also participated in both the WAAC and Paris architectural study programs. After graduation, Catherine spent time working for a commercial contractor specializing in historic French Quarter renovations, where she gained valuable, hands-on experience in managing construction projects. She subsequently spent 4 years working in commercial architecture firms, during which time she also renovated her own home near the Freret corridor.
Catherine, with a preference for timeless, contextual design and raw materials, has always been interested in real estate development. She is happy to be doing what she has always wanted to do at Taravella Design-Build. An artist, she spends her time away from TDB creating fine art collages in her studio, Catherine Calhoun, located in the Lower Garden District. She also loves baking and trying new recipes in the kitchen.