University of South Florida St. Petersburg, Kate Tiedemann College of Business
St. Petersburg, Florida
Conceived as an “athenaeum for business scholars,” the four-story structure takes inspiration from its Tampa Bay setting and the indigenous coral stone. Like the stone, the building is a porous container with openings carved out of its volume that house various program elements and allow sunlight and landscaping to penetrate deep within the structure’s core. One of CAPACITY 1,770 COST PER SQ FT $319.00 FEATURED IN 2017 Architectural Portfolio openings is a palm-lined courtyard with seating that supports learning at the building’s entrance. Other openings house a light-filled central commons and an adjacent scholar’s garden that support casual learning and encourage productive collisions to occur between students and faculty as they move through the building. The multistory commons and scholar garden are spatially intermeshed and ringed with active programs spaces, including a trading room, a community room, break rooms and classrooms that connect learners to their environment. A unique feature of the building is its glass façade that metaphorically recalls the openings in coral stone.