2023 ASCE “Wall of Fame” Recipient
Rhaoul A. Guillaume, P.E., F.ASCE
The Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized Rhaoul A. Guillaume, Sr., P.E., F.ASCE with its 2023 “Wall of Fame” award in September 2023. The “Wall of Fame” award is the Louisiana Section’s highest award and signifies lifetime service, ASCE involvement, and evidence of character, honor, and technical competence.
By Matt Houston | January 10, 2020 at 9:48 PM CST - Updated January 10 at 10:17 PM
NEW ORLEANS (WAFB) - Down in New Orleans, the WAFB team is ready to bring you all the LSU action all weekend long. That includes WAFB’s Matt Houston, who took a deep dive into the history of venue where LSU will make its stand, a place to find saints and watch miracles happen: the iconic Superdome. It was constructed a bit like a puzzle. To pull off a building of this size in such a short time, lots of things have to go right. “My wife tells me all the time I collect too much stuff," said Rhaoul Guillaume, an engineer at the Superdome. It’s more than a scrapbook of moments, because without its contents, or perhaps, the man who collected them, so many memories would be so different. “I’m glad I kept this stuff because it’s history. It’s good history,” Guillaume said. Just six months removed from college in 1971, Guillaume was one of two civil engineers who oversaw the concrete and steel portion of construction on the Superdome. “That was just an honor and a privilege to do that because I was just a young kid,” he said. Now, he’s the head of a Baton Rouge engineering firm, but if you ask him if it’s possible to top this professionally? Not a chance. “It’s still a symbol for the New Orleans area," he said. While the Superdome’s outer dimensions are circular, the stands at field level are a mixture of a square and a circle. Architects call it a "squircle.” A short documentary on the Dome’s construction was commissioned for Guillaume as a way to hell his story. The dome itself had to be constructed piece by piece, held up with temporary beams until the rest of the frame was built, and when the support towers came down... “It was all connected and released the towers and you just heard a big crackling like the roof was just setting down into place and it was all connecting and being stabilized,” Guillaume said. And to keep it that way, designers hung a massive and somewhat rare video board at the Dome’s center; it helped to keep fans in the stadium after the game to alleviate traffic. “Also, keep people in the stadium to buy more beer," Guillaume said.
And those rumors you may have heard about the cemetery beneath the field? Well, workers did find coffins as they dug down to lay their foundation, though they were identified and the graveyard was restored. “There was a lot of unknowns, particularly underground, back in the days,” Guillaume said. But these days, this new ground is familiar, especially for the LSU Tigers, who’d like to win another championship at the Superdome Monday night (Jan. 13). So it’s fitting that the team that represents Louisiana is playing in the building that represents the state’s spirit… just as it was built to do.
To see the full video of Rhoul click HERE
It cannot be overstated what an important role family businesses play in the Baton Rouge economy. Studies have shown that family-owned businesses rank high in revenue and employment growth. Why? Most family businesses have a longer-term view of investment. They tend to be more stable than wings of national corporations, and they inspire more trust and commitment in their employees. Above all, our local family businesses form the roots of our community. We are proud to highlight the businesses local families have grown in this special section.
Published on Jul 16, 2017
Construction has started on the first phase of Pointe-Marie, which developers say will be a $500 million traditional neighborhood development on a 120-acre swath between River Road and Nicholson Drive.
The goal is to complete the infrastructure work by April and have some of the first 159 homes completed. Along with the houses, the first phase will contain 36,000 square feet of commercial space and $3.3 million in investments, including parks, a pool and public squares.
The idea is to create something like living in a resort, said Rhaoul Guillaume Sr., who has been developing Pointe-Marie for the past five years with his sons. Guillaume, who serves as project manager for GOTECH Consulting Engineers, a Baton Rouge company, has been working with Chris Kent, who was a consultant with Seaside, Florida, one of the premier traditional neighborhood developments.
“I thought Seaside was something that could work here in Baton Rouge,” Guillaume said. “I liked the quality and the detail work. I thought it was something with a unique quality that could be a nice showcase.”
To that end, Guillaume and Kent are working on developing a community around Pointe-Marie, by hosting a range of events so people become aware of the site and associate it with activity. They’ve already hosted a lecture from an LSU professor about the wildlife that lives on the site, just west of L’Auberge casino.
Seaside hosted all sorts of free activities in the early days of that development, from cooking demonstrations to screening art movies. The idea was just to bring people to the property, putting it in their mind, Kent said.
“These very small, intimate gatherings were absolute keys to how Seaside began,” Kent said. For Kent, this plays into his idea that too many TNDs don’t have amenities or public spaces in their early stages of development. “People have forgotten how new villages came up,” he said.
Kent notes that people are more social when they’re on vacation than when they are at home, and more likely to talk to strangers. The goal is to create a setting where people feel comfortable being around each other.
“We all miss gathering,” Kent said. “We’re trying to bring back the notion of gathering without having to shop. ... There shouldn’t be an opportunity for you to wait to gather only when you’re on vacation or during the weekend.”
Guillaume connected with Kent through Nick Vlahos, a consultant who has worked on neighborhoods such as Redfish Village, a Florida condominium development. One of Guillaume’s sons, Rhaoul Jr., went to Tulane with Vlahos.
“Rhaoul reached out to me and told me about the land and the project and the financial analysis that had been done,” Vlahos said. “That’s when I brought Chris in.”
Pointe-Marie eventually is expected to have 565 single-family residential units; a village center with 285 multifamily units and 275,000 square feet of retail and commercial office space; a film district where post-production work on movies can be done; a motor coach square with 236 parking spots; and two hotels. Guillaume said he’s looking at a “12- to 14-year” build-out.
The motor coach development will be an important part of Pointe-Marie in the future. It was included after Guillaume said studies showed Baton Rouge lacked amenities for the recreational vehicle market.
Guillaume and Kent said they’re working “real closely” with the neighboring L’Auberge casino resort. Because of the proximity to Pointe-Marie and the different amenities each property will have, they see a way to tie them together, although nothing formal has been agreed upon.
Lots in Pointe-Marie will start at $66,000 and have an average price of $79,900. A soft opening for sales will start later this month. There will be no minimum size for houses, but there will be strict guidelines on how houses will look, so they fit the overall design of the development.
The development has a unique agreement with First Guaranty Bank of Hammond, where the bank will provide home loans for 90 percent of the cost, provided the buyer has a credit score of 620 or above. The bank is also providing loans to Pointe-Marie builders. For those buying a home from a builder, the down payment is 5 percent. Vlahos said Pointe-Marie is looking at working with other lenders.
The plan is to make living in Pointe-Marie like staying in a resort permanently. There will be concierge services set up, where people can arrange things like grocery deliveries, schedule appointments and airport drop-offs and pick-ups. “Everything will occur on the site for people,” Kent said.
“We like the concept of this village theme and a resort for family gatherings,” Guillaume said. “We feel that the uniqueness and the special quality really will work.”
On Tuesday March 19th 2013 GOTECH Inc.was honored by Baton Rouge Business Report as the Company of the Year among those with less than 100 employees. A reception was held at The Crown Plaza that evening where Rolfe McCollister, Business Report’s Publisher, presented Rhaoul A. Guillaume, GOTECH’s President, with an honorary plaque for his achievement. GOTECH Inc. and its employees enjoyed a wonderful evening of dinner, dessert, mingling and speeches by many prominent business leaders in the community.
Rhaoul Guillaume took the stage to speak of his commitment to his family, his company, his employees and his humbleness at being presented with this award.
He stated, "You've got to have faith in your employees. They know the vision." Mayor Kip Holden then took the stage to honor Rhaoul and GOTECH, Inc. then declared March 19th GOTECH Day in Baton Rouge.
For Rhaoul's acceptance speech see the video here.
Pictured from back left:
Ali Mustapha, Ted Thompson, Miles Williams, Richard Savoie, Norma Jean Mattei, Richard Danzy, Jim Bowie, Tim Allen, Ernie Gammon, Mark Jusselin, Rhaoul Guillaume
Governor Blanco appointed Rhaoul A. Guillaume to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board effective October 7, 2004 for a 6 year term. During his term, he served on numerous committees such as finance and application/enforcement review committees, and also served as Board Secretary and Chairman of the Board.
