USF SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

The renovation of the existing School of Architecture at the University of South Florida presents an opportunity to create a highly collaborative creative environment. While the 1965 building has architectural merit, it was designed with the long-challenged assumption that windows constitute a distraction in a classroom. When the school of architecture moved into the building in 2009, the lack of natural light was not addressed but was compounded by a complicated interior layout. Most studios currently have no windows and are isolated from one another.

The largest floor plate on the top floor is the only one with windows, but these are mostly taken up by faculty offices. In the renovation, the faculty offices are relocated to the center of the plan and borrow light from the open studios. The studios in turn are open to circulation to encourage casual communications and awareness of the various studios’ production.