At Hollow Oak Consulting, we build bridges between history, sustainability, and education.

Our work centers on historic preservation, curriculum development, and strategic partnerships that expand access to learning—especially where the built environment and material reuse intersect. Whether developing educational programs, advancing preservation projects, or supporting sustainable design, we help organizations bring the past into conversation with a more equitable future.

Projects of Note

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society

We are working with the team at WBLAHS to develop a K-12 Education program that gets students and families involved with local history through summer camps, after school activities, MN History Day research, and more!

Historic Design Consulting

We provide operations and programming support for HDC. This ongoing partnership is working to expand HDC's preservation education offerings for house museums, homeowners, and DIYers

Stearns History Museum

Funded through a corporate grant, Hollow Oak is creating curriculum using the Museum's primary sources in their archives to be available for Minnesota Social Studies teachers

BUILD REUSE

We supported Build Reuse with the 2025 National Conference held here in Minnesota at the historic Landmark Center. Additionally, Emily is on the Deconstruction Education Standards Committee through Build Reuse and runs a Build Reuse Affinity Group (BRAG) meeting for consultants in the industry

Hennepin History Museum

Hennepin History Museum has a plethora of high-quality, educational walking tours that share the history of Minneapolis with residents and tourists alike. This summer, Hollow Oak worked with HHM to help edit and deliver the Washburn-Fair Oaks Walking Tour

Reuse Minnesota

This summer, we partnered with Reuse MN to design and teach curriculum on building and building material reuse through their Minneapolis Parks summer camp

About Us

Hollow Oak Consulting was founded by Emily Noyes, a historian, educator, and preservation professional committed to building a more equitable and sustainable future through the lens of the built environment.

Rooted in both academic training and on-the-ground practice, Emily has worked with nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations to advance initiatives in building reuse, place-based education, and heritage conservation. Their work emphasizes the value of reclaimed materials, the importance of inclusive storytelling in historic preservation, and the need for accessible, community-informed educational opportunities.

In addition to their work with Hollow Oak Consulting, Emily serves on the board of Reuse Minnesota, Preserve Minneapolis, and is the Executive Director of the Seven Dreams Education Foundation (supporting Robbinsdale Area School District).

Page updated

Report abuse