Monday, November 25, 2024
By: Kyle Niblett
Two-time University of Florida School of Architecture graduate Eric Kleinsteuber (BDES ’02, MARCH ’04) returned to campus earlier this month for a lecture entitled, “Reimagining an Icon: A 20 Year Process.” A capacity crowd sat underneath the award-winning canopy he helped design as he spoke to them about how it came to fruition.
“It is exciting and humbling to talk about a project that was a wild-haired idea two decades ago,” Kleinsteuber said before taking the podium.
Kleinsteuber is currently principal at KMF Architects and serves as the design director and architect of record. The double Gator was the architect of record for the atrium canopy at Jonathan and Melanie Antevy Hall. Working alongside Brooks + Scarpa, the group won many awards for the canopy, including the 2024 AIA Florida Honor Award Object, 2023 Metamorphosis Award Honorable Mention and 2023 AIA Orlando Award of Honor. Kleinsteuber has also collaborated with Brooks + Scarpa on the design of the Bruno E. and Maritza F. Ramos Collaboratory.
His speech spoke to students about the manifestation of the architecture profession and how the profession never stops. In his words, ideas are always present, and you are never quite sure where the inspiration comes from. It can come from right in the moment, or it can come from something that you did 20 years ago.
For Kleinsteuber, the canopy, affectionately known as “The Harp,” came from the often talked about “Saran Wrap Incident of 2002,” when he and his classmates stretched cellophane across stairs to create a roof in the current Antevy Hall Atrium. He spoke about exploring cellophane’s materiality, and how over time, even after graduation, his focus remained on the structural implications and the aesthetic potential of the material.
When his firm won the bid to address moisture intrusion in the building, they had additional challenges such as fixing balconies, a 40-year-old roof and other structural issues. The team successfully produced the final award-winning design by using tension cables and single-layer ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), which is resistant to radiation, chemicals, UV, and extreme temperatures, while also being self-cleaning and recyclable.
Kleinsteuber wrapped up the lecture by telling students “The Harp” should be viewed as a cathedral to thought.
“We were honored to welcome back such an esteemed alumnus for his thought-provoking lecture,” said Nancy Clark, interim director for the UF School of Architecture. “We are grateful for his ongoing contributions to the field of architecture and to our School of Architecture, as well as for sharing his journey and insights with the next generation of designers. His lecture on ‘The Harp’ Atrium Canopy Project reminded us of the potential for a student project to extend beyond the classroom and evolve into a lasting legacy.”
