The New Millennium
What better way to celebrate the early 2000s than by remembering the completion of Rinker Hall in 2003, which was awarded the gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Rating System.
Rinker Hall is the first in Florida, and is only the 26th building in the United States to receive gold certification from LEED.
Take a look at what else happened at DCP in the 2000s:
2005: Students participate in the Design Exploration Program, a 3-week long summer program that began in 1983 for high school students who have completed their freshman year.
2007: The Charles R. Perry Construction Yard was dedicated three years after the Charles R. Perry Crafts Awareness Program was created.
2007: The Construction Yard has a green roof, which makes it the first of its kind on UF’s campus.
2007: Interior Design students look closely at different residential spaces at Diamond Village.
2008: An instructor and student examine the Landscape Architecture projects about the Manatee Convention Center in Palmetto, Florida.
2008: Historic Preservation students take a trip to New Orleans.
2010: DCP students participate in the Solar Decathlon.
Alumni Stories:
Neal Schafers, MLA 2007
Favorite faculty: Maria Tina Gurucharri,Peggy Carr and Gail Hansen.
All three of these teachers were some of the best instructors I have ever had the privilege of learning from. They are all extremely knowledgeable and passionate in what they do; but more than that, they actually take a vested interest in their students and their respective futures.
Project: The Witter’s competition: a multi-disciplinary competition featuring teams made up of architects, landscape architects, urban/regional planners, construction managers and interior designers.
Our team consisting of Key Ray, Jennifer Mackey, Andrea Colbert, Antonia Mariassy, Iris Patten, and myself Neal Schafers won the competition in 2006. Our design for the restoration and preservation of the Cotton Club to the Spring Hill Community beat out numerous other designs and presentation by a very talented field. But above all, the greatest feeling was the sense of actually serving a part of the community, whose needs were often overlooked.
Favorite place on campus:
1. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, aka The Swamp. No better place on Earth on Game Day!
2. Architecture Building courtyard. Tossing the Frisbee on the grass under sunshine between classes.
3. Anywhere but the studio. That place was basically your home for 3 years.
Favorite memory: On the night the Gators Basketball team won their first national championship, a large group of us celebrated well into the night/following morning. However, the next day I had a presentation to give at 8 a.m., so with only a couple hours of sleep, and perhaps slightly hungover, I biked back to campus. On the way, I actually got into a bike accident, because I could barely stay awake. However, despite being bloodied and shaken up, I still made it to class, and actually gave a pretty good presentation.
The moral of the story: never underestimate the dedication and tenacity of Gator students!
Jessica Elliott, BDes 2013
Building & Studio: Fine Arts C and the Architecture Building
Favorite faculty or staff: John Maze, Guy Peterson, Andy Wehle, Rocky Hill, Stephen Bender and Hui Zou
Memorable Project: University Scholars Program Research Project with Dr. Zou comparing the urban public spaces of China, Italy and Southern Florida after studying abroad through DCP’s Vicenza and UF in East Asia programs
Favorite place: The atrium of the architecture building. It was where people would take breaks from studio, nap, each lunch, meet up with friends, and it was where events like APX’s annual Halloween Extravaganza would take place.
Favorite memory: One of the most memorable moments from my time as a DCP student was the memorial celebrating the life of Jade Guzzo. In D5, after we lost Jade to a tragic car accident following Thanksgiving break, the memorial service that was held in the atrium was one of the most powerful displays of love and togetherness, which symbolizes the incredible bond and sense of family that we all build together throughout our time in architecture school. Our critic, Stephen Bender even presented her design during the final review. Rest in peace, Jade.
DCP facts
– Dean(s)
Jay M. Stein, Ph.D., FAICP (1999-2005)
Anthony Dasta (2005-2006)
Christopher Silver, Ph.D., FAICP (2006-present)
2000: The College of Architecture was renamed College of Design, Construction and Planning. The Department of Architecture was renamed School of Architecture. Thus, the College of Design, Construction and Planning is composed of two schools: the M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction, the School of Architecture, and three departments; the Department of Interior Design, Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
2002: Center for Construction and Environment was renamed Powell Center for Construction and Environment.
2003: The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction moved into its new building, Rinker Hall, which was the 26th building in the country to have been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
2007: Charles R. Perry Construction Yard was dedicated, which has a green roof, making it the first of its kind on UF’s campus.
2009: The Departments of Landscape Architecture and Urban Regional Planning were merged to create the School of Landscape ARchitecture and Planning.
2014: The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction was renamed to the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management.
DCP enrollment:
2000: 1,544
2001: 1,566
2002: 1,540
2003: 1,598
2004: 1,615
2005: 1,668
2006: 1,587
2007: 1,645
2008: 1,537
2009: 1,480
2010: 1,397
2011: 1,286
2012: 1,236
2013: 1,226
2014: 1,239
UF facts
– Presidents(s)
Charles E. Young (1999-2003)
J. Bernard Machen (2003-2014)
W. Kent Fuchs (2015)
Global events
2001: Attack on World Trade Centers
2002: The Euro enters currency circulation
2004: Facebook is launched
2007: Global economic downturn
2009: 3D scanners enter consumer market
2011: The world’s first synthetic organ transplant
2012: Windows 8 is released
2014: The new World Trade Center is completed