How USF architects and urban designers support Tampa Bay's growth

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

While earning a master’s degree in architecture from the University of South Florida, Fadi Garcia was told that no one is above designing restrooms.

“I thought, ‘No way,’” said Garcia, USF class of 2011 and founder of the Open Workshop for Architecture firm. “I was confident I would work on great stuff.”

He has, and that includes restrooms.

Garcia’s firm oversaw major renovations to Tampa International Airport’s Airsides, A, C and F, redesigning public areas, offices and, yes, restrooms.

In 2022, citing the sleek and contemporary space, a Cintas Corp. online poll declared that Airside C had “America’s Best Restroom.”

“Our experience with TPA helped set the stage for larger opportunities,” Garcia said.

Those include helping to design much of the interior of USF’s new stadium.

For prospective students of USF’s School of Architecture & Community Design in the College of Design, Art & Performance, Garcia’s accomplishments are an example of how success is possible when preparation meets opportunity.

USF’s School of Architecture & Community Design provided the preparation.

And the university’s fast-growing home community of Tampa Bay has provided plenty of opportunities for USF students.

“There are a lot of openings for students here in Tampa Bay to gain experience as they’re going through school and jobs once they graduate,” said school Director Ron Dulaney. “Those opportunities will only grow.”

Both USF and Tampa Bay are doing their part to ensure that happens.

USF currently offers master’s degrees in architecture and in urban and community design, with plans to eventually offer a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

While the master’s degree in architecture program will provide the necessary coursework to become a licensed architect, there will be career opportunities for those with bachelor's degrees.

“They could still work on a design team,” Dulaney said. “They could apply rendering and modeling skills to projects. They may be able to do some construction administration. Or they could decide to get a master’s degree in architecture or something else related.”

One such option for someone with a bachelor’s degree in architecture would be to then pursue a master’s degree in urban and community design instead.

“In urban and community design, we design at a larger scale than just a single building,” said Trent Green, a USF associate professor of architecture and urban design. “We might design an entire block, neighborhood, city or town. Architects then come in and design the buildings. In Tampa Bay, we are going to need a lot of everything in the coming years.”

To put Tampa Bay’s growth into perspective, according to Plan Hillsborough, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota counties’ 2022 combined population of just under 3 million is predicted to grow to more than 3.6 million by 2050.

Such a boom is why USF established its School of Architecture in 1986, Green said. “It made sense to place a new architecture program in one of the state’s growing urban centers.”

That is also why the urban and community design program was added to the school in 2009.

“Growth comes with a need for planning,” Dulaney said. “There will be a need for architecture and design that’s well-considered and thought out.”

That need fueled the expansion of FleischmanGarciaMaslowski Architecture, where USF alumnus Marcel Maslowski serves as partner. Maslowski earned his master’s degree in architecture from USF in 2012. The firm has offices in Tampa, Lutz, Safety Harbor and Sarasota and is in the process of opening another two in other parts of Florida this year.

“We design a lot of K-12 schools and higher education,” said Maslowski, whose designs include the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College building. “We design libraries, about one a year, fire stations, recreation centers, historic preservations and a lot of performing arts centers.”

FleischmanGarciaMaslowski Architecture also designed the City of Tampa’s Hanna City Center that opened in 2023 as a hub of government services and the African American Arts & Cultural Center set to break ground later this year.

“This is all part of the growth of Tampa Bay,” Maslowski said. “As the community grows, we need to design vibrant places for people to connect and interact, and a more resilient and sustainable future. We are playing an integral role in shaping the region’s architectural identity”

The same goes for Garcia’s Tampa-based Open Workshop for Architecture, which since opening in 2017, has designed more than 100 structures, a mix of residential, hospitality and commercial. Those include restoring the historic building that is now the Masonite Ybor Office & Showroom.

“Talk about starting in Tampa Bay at the right time,” Garcia said of founding his firm during the population and development boom. “We’ve been very fortunate.”

USF students are also enjoying the good fortune that comes with Tampa Bay’s growth.

“A mentor of mine told me long ago that if you have the chance to dip your toes into different types of architecture, do it,” said Rozeth Aquino, who will earn her master’s degree in architecture this spring. “I have had that opportunity while at USF.”

She previously worked in the residential design wing of Fieldstone Architecture & Engineering.

“Through that job alone, I saw the growth in Tampa Bay,” Aquino said. “I saw how the demand for housing is growing in a short amount of time.”

Aquino works for American Infrastructure Development, where she is helping to design a new terminal building for Clearwater Airpark, which is a city-owned, public-use airport.

“There are multiple chances to get internships and jobs while at USF and after graduation,” she said. “That is one thing that’s really valuable about the school.”

Alongside faculty, USF students also have the opportunity to work on projects through USF’s Florida Center for Community Design and Research, which was founded in 1986 to provide design expertise, technical assistance, applied research and community engagement services to the state’s growing communities.

“A lot of the projects are related to issues that communities and cities are facing in terms of economic development, housing, physical conditions, sustainability and resilience,” said Green, director of the center.

Ongoing projects include working with the City of Tampa to update the Community Redevelopment Area plans for the Tampa Heights and Central Park neighborhoods.

A Community Redevelopment Area, or CRA, is a designated district that’s revitalized through public and private investment. The Tampa Heights Riverfront CRA Plan was adopted in 1999 and Central Park’s in 2006.

“Both neighborhoods have changed a lot in recent years,” Green said. “Tampa Heights has The Heights development, which includes Armature Works, while Central Park has the Encore mixed-income housing development. So, we are making recommendations about what else could or should happen in those areas and how.”

That, Green added, is part of the ongoing synergy between the school and Tampa Bay. “As one grows, so will the other.”

To learn more about USF’s School of Architecture & Community Design and how to apply, visit usf.edu/arts/architecture.