2024
MCHAP
Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF
Morphosis Architects
Tampa, Florida, United States
August 2023
PRIMARY AUTHOR
Scott Lee (Partner-in-Charge)
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
CLIENT
University of South Florida at Tampa
PHOTOGRAPHER
Seamus Payne
OBJECTIVE
The new Judy Genshaft Honors College is a new communal destination that brings and serves the entire USF community. The central atrium is lined with an abundance of gathering enclaves that encourage collaboration and interaction among scholars, faculty, and visitors. Defined by a network of timber lattices and suspended study pods, the atrium becomes a communal ‘beehive’ of activity at the heart of the Honors College. It filters natural daylighting providing an ethereal, warm and welcoming backdrop for interdisciplinary collaboration.
To accommodate the variety of events hosted by the college throughout the year, the building incorporates diverse meeting and event spaces on the first and second floors. The ground floor event space, accessible from the Sessums Pedestrian Mall, opens into a multi-purpose lobby that can accommodate large-scale events such as graduations, convocations, job fairs, and banquets. On the second floor, an external covered terrace wraps along the west elevation, providing outdoor congregation and relaxation areas with views overlooking the existing Quad to the south. The area connects to an outdoor amphitheater in the northwest corner of the building, which overlooks an outdoor classroom. The building’s south end features a café open to the public and campus communities, with views of the neighboring Muma College of Business.
The building is certified LEED Silver. The design responds to the warm local climate with a variety of strategies, including the reflective, perforated metal skin that reduces heat gain while permitting natural lighting and views.
CONTEXT
The new Judy Genshaft Honors College building represents a significant milestone in furthering the University of South Florida’s growth as a leading national research institution. Established in 2002, the Honors College enrolls some of the highest achieving students from various disciplines, backgrounds, and interests. The honors program was previously dispersed amongst various buildings throughout campus, none of which were specifically designed for the college's unique needs. This new facility connects a community of Honors College scholars, advisors, faculty, administrators, and visitors in an inspiring new home designed to foster interdisciplinary creativity and conversation in multiple and broad academic fields including the Arts, Sciences and Humanities.
The Judy Genshaft Honors College is a communal destination that serves the entire USF community. Centrally located within the active campus, the five-story 85,000 ft2 building is designed “in-the-round” to engage pedestrian traffic on all sides. An external covered terrace wraps the west elevation, providing outdoor congregation and relaxation areas with views overlooking the University Quad.
The building’s transparent ground floor welcomes the community with study spaces, a café, and flex areas for gatherings and events. The focus on community extends upward into the building; the central atrium is lined with study nooks that encourage collaboration and interaction among scholars, faculty, and visitors. Defined by a network of timber lattices and suspended study pods, the atrium becomes a communal ‘beehive’ of activity at the heart of the Honors College. It filters natural daylighting providing an ethereal, warm and welcoming backdrop for interdisciplinary collaboration.
PERFORMANCE
Started in 2002, the Honors College program continues to evolve and grow its curriculum. The program, previously housed in various buildings, now has a dedicated facility tailored to the needs of honors students. This new building offers a range of spaces for academic and creative pursuits, such as open-design classrooms, 39 distinctive learning areas called lofts, and specialized studios for art, food and culture, along with music and technology.
With the inauguration of this new building, The Judy Genshaft Honors College has become the ideal environment for students to explore their interests and forge lasting memories. Notable features include a Food and Culture Studio, a teaching kitchen where students engage with chefs from all different cultural background and cuisine traditions. Students are learning about the connection between food and culture and demonstrate food from their own cultures. Other highlights include a music studio where the college's orchestra and choir can practice and perform, an audio/visual studio for podcasts, a technology center for 3D printing, and an art and design studio.
There are 39 “learning lofts” suspended around the atrium, each accommodating groups of 2-8 students. These lofts serve as both collaborative workspaces and a means to foster connections among occupants within the building's fabric, promoting interaction across the atrium.
