Gambrel & Peak

Mission

Gambrel & Peak supports the long-term care of historic places through careful research, clear documentation, and practical preservation planning.

We work with organizations of all sizes, from small grassroots groups caring for a single site to municipal and state agencies, national nonprofits, and global foundations managing complex portfolios. Each project requires a different scale of support, and we tailor our work accordingly.

Historic places carry memory, identity, and responsibility. Their preservation requires thoughtful decision-making, technical accuracy, and respect for the public trust.

We approach every project with attention to cultural context, environmental conditions, and regulatory requirements. Our guidance is clear, defensible, and grounded in nationally recognized preservation standards.

Our goal is to help organizations and institutions make sound decisions that protect historic resources while allowing them to remain active and relevant for generations to come.

HEATHER VENEZIANO, PRINCIPAL

Heather Veneziano is a nationally recognized preservationist, conservator, and historian based in New Orleans. She is the founder of Gambrel & Peak, a cultural heritage and preservation consulting firm, and serves as Director of the Historic Preservation Program and Professor of Practice at the Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment.

Her expertise spans cultural heritage sites, vernacular architecture, cemeteries and deathscapes, and the narratives embedded in the built environment. She has built a career at the intersection of scholarship, fieldwork, and public engagement, focusing on how historic places reflect community values, social memory, and environmental context.

In her academic leadership role at Tulane, Heather directs curriculum development, community partnerships, and strategic planning for the Historic Preservation program while mentoring the next generation of preservation professionals. Her research and teaching explore the layered histories of place and the dynamics of preservation practice in a changing world.

Heather’s consulting work is grounded in rigorous documentation, archival research, and practical understanding of traditional materials and construction methods. She has worked with organizations of all scales, from grassroots community groups to municipal agencies and national and global foundations, helping clients navigate complex preservation challenges with clear, defensible strategies.

Her scholarship includes contributions to several published works on cemetery studies, socio-economic histories of place, and Gulf South architecture. She has been featured as a speaker at national preservation events and has authored articles numerous articles for a variety of outlets.

Heather holds a Master of Preservation Studies from Tulane University, a Master of Fine Art from the University of Edinburgh, and a Bachelor of Fine Art in Craft and Material Studies from the University of the Arts. Her graduate thesis received the Distinguished Thesis Award from the Tulane School of Architecture.

In addition to her academic and consulting work, she serves on the Executive Council of the Louisiana Historical Society and on the advisory committee of Save Our Cemeteries, a non-profit organization in New Orleans dedicated to cemetery preservation, promotion, restoration, and education.