The Florida chapter of the American Institute of Architects will recognize the Judy Genshaft Honors College and the USF Research Park building at 3814 Spectrum Boulevard with 2024 Honor Awards of Excellence in the New Work category at the AIA Florida Convention and Trade Show next month in Palm Beach, Florida.
A HOME FOR FLORIDA’S BRIGHTEST STUDENTS
The five-story, 85,000-square-foot Judy Genshaft Honors College building, designed by Morphosis Architects and Fleischman Garcia Maslowski Architecture, opened in 2023. It includes open-design classrooms, signature learning lofts, and dedicated studio spaces for art, food and culture, music, and technology. The facility serves talented students from across the university and provides a home for unique Honors College classes and programming.
“From the color-shifting exterior to the intricate latticework of the learning lofts suspended above the atrium, it’s easy to see why the Judy Genshaft Honors College building stands out,” said Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean Charles Adams. “This award recognizes the fruition of the vision put forth by USF leadership, project architects, and our generous supporters, President Emerita Judy Genshaft and her husband, Mr. Steven Greenbaum. From the start, the goal of everyone involved was to create a place where the world’s best students can be creative and think outside all the boxes and put their learning to use in addressing the challenges facing their generation. This award signifies that we have achieved that vision and given our students an architectural masterpiece worthy of their academic dreams.”
WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH FACILITIES
The three-story, 120,000-square-foot research building in the USF Research Park was designed by Gensler and constructed by Skanska. Opened in 2022, it features advanced laboratory facilities, as well as office and meeting spaces for new and established companies. The building has earned Silver LEED certification for its many sustainability features including water use efficiency, native plant landscaping, and natural lighting.
“The building is beautifully designed to accommodate the diverse needs of the researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators who work there,” said USF Research Park COO Allison Madden. “This facility enables the growth of our research community as a place where creative and inventive people come together in an environment conducive to the collision of new ideas.”
A distinguished body of experts from the architectural community convened in Seoul, Korea in the spring to evaluate works submitted to AIA Florida by architects in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The jury chose seven submissions for Honor Awards of Excellence in the New Work category.