Thursday, July 25, 2024
By: Kyle Niblett
Alumni from the University of Florida School of Architecture (SoA) dominated the American Institute of Architects Florida Design and Awards Presentation this past Saturday at the annual AIA Florida Conference held in Palm Beach, Florida.
In total, a jaw-dropping 19 architecture and design firms with UF SoA graduates in leadership positions received 40 awards. On top of the alumni success, seven SoA students were awarded scholarships from AIA Florida and the Florida Foundation for Architecture. No other university produced more than two students.
“It is with immense pride and appreciation that we acknowledge the extraordinary accomplishments of our esteemed alumni and talented students,” SoA Interim Director Nancy Clark said. “The commanding presence of our school underscores the unparalleled caliber of education and mentorship fostered within the UF School of Architecture in the College of Design, Construction and Planning (DCP).”
Leading the way for SoA graduates was the firm Brooks + Scarpa, led by Angela Brooks (BDES ’87), Larry Scarpa (BDES ’81, MARCH ’87) and Jeffrey Huber (BDES ’02, MARCH ’04). The Ft. Lauderdale office took home a whopping nine awards, more than any other firm.
Brooks + Scarpa partnered with fellow DCP alumni Eric Kleinsteuber (BDES ’02, MARCH ’04) and KMF Architects on two awards directly related to DCP: the Honor Award Unbuilt for the upcoming Bruno E. and Maritza F. Collaboratory and the Honor Award Object for the Atrium Canopy at Jonathan and Melanie Antevy Hall.
“These achievements not only reflect the individual talents and dedication of our graduates but also the collective ethos of intellectual collaboration and creative ingenuity that is the hallmark of DCP,” UF DCP Dean Chimay Anumba said about the event. “Both Angela and Larry reminded me of Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky with the number of medals they displayed around their neck.”
The AIA Florida Design & Honor Awards program encourages excellence in architecture, elevates the public awareness of good design and recognizes those architects whose work enriches our communities and architecture at large.
Firms Receiving 2024 AIA FL Design Awards
with SoA graduates in Leadership Positions
9 – Brooks + Scarpa*
3 – Fleischman Garcia Maslowski Architecture
3 – Halflants + Pichette
3 – Rowe Architects
2 – Damien Blumetti Architect
2 – Gensler
2 – Guy Peterson | OFA
2 – HKS Architects
2 – KMF Architects*
2 – Perkins&Will
2 – Shulman + Associates
2 – [STRANG] Design
2 – WJ Architects, Inc.
1 – DAG Architects
1 – Elkus Manfredi Architects
1 – Flad Architects
1 – Gladwin Vaughn Architecture
1 – RAW Architecture
1 – Straughn Trout Architects
* Both KMF’s awards were in conjunction with Brooks + Scarpa
SoA Students Receiving 2024 AIA FL and FFA Scholarships
- Gabriel Alarcon
- Paola Diaz
- Julian Horwitz
- Dakota Reeve
- Penelope Roca
- Noa Tako
- Colby Todd