Monday, December 8, 2025
By: Kyle Niblett
The University of Florida School of Architecture (SoA) hosted a Centennial Gala this past month at Jonathan and Melanie Antevy Hall, celebrating its 100th anniversary and setting the stage for the next one hundred years of excellence.
Highlighting the gala was SoA Director Nancy Clark announcing the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Fellow (DAF) program. The DAF is the most prestigious alumni award conferred by the school. Recipients are selected for their demonstrated leadership and transformative impacts. Their contribution leaves a lasting mark, influencing UF’s culture and place.
The first four to be presented with the esteemed honor were Bruno-Elias Ramos (BDES ’82, MARCH ’85), his wife Maritza, Angela Brooks (BDES ’87) and Larry Scarpa (BDES ’81, MARCH ’87).
“We are proud to celebrate the enduring impact of their achievements and contributions in their fields, communities, and to the School and University,” Clark said at the event.
Inducted for their vision, generosity and enduring commitment, the Ramos family profoundly shaped the future of SoA thanks to their game-changing gift which led to the $49 million, 50,000-square foot Bruno E. and Maritza F. Ramos Collaboratory. This revolutionary, best-in-class facility held its ribbon-cutting ceremony this fall and brings generational change to UF as it positions the school, its faculty, staff, and students for success over the next 100 years.
“Bruno and Maritza’s extraordinary gift brought to life the vision of a new building dedicated to research, making, and collaboration across disciplines,” Clark said. “The Ramos Collaboratory stands as a milestone in the history of our School, positioning us to enter the next century of architectural education, pursuing thoughtful, deliberate impact in what defines our discipline and shapes the future of the built environment.”
Their impact has not only been felt in the College of Design, Construction and Planning (DCP) and SoA, but across campus here at UF. The Ramos Family continues to volunteer, host, and travel across the nation representing the Orange and Blue. Through their vision and enterprise, the Ramos family finished number one in the 2023 Gator100 and were named to the list a record six consecutive years (2018-23).
As a double Gator grad and with more than 30 years of experience as an industry leader in innovative port infrastructure and cruise terminal planning and design, Bruno’s diversified background and leadership capabilities over decades have consistently delivered design-winning contextual projects on time and within budget. As an international design architect who is also a licensed general contractor, Ramos is known as a “Master Builder,” because he understands the building process unique to each location around the world. The National Academy of Construction inductee founded BEA Architects in 1992 and transformed the firm into an international design practice. As BEA Architects Principal-in-Charge and Lead Project Manager, he designed and pioneered the first of its kind third- and fourth-generation cruise terminals, implementing innovative concepts that encompass improvements to both passenger flow and operations. These never-before-seen concepts led to today’s state-of-the-art fifth-generation designs that are currently BEA’s most sought-after discipline.
Bruno has also served as an architect and consultant to most major cruise lines and has participated in planning international seaports and mixed-use waterfront developments. As a registered architect in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas and Louisiana, his talent and industry knowledge have been repeatedly solicited to add value to every world-renowned cruise and cargo port in the U.S., as well as maritime and planning projects worldwide.
“Bruno and Maritza embody the spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership,” Clark said. “Their dedication as visionaries, givers, and mentors inspire our students, faculty, and alumni. They continue to enrich the physical and intellectual life of the School and the University.”
Brooks and Scarpa were inducted due to their extraordinary contributions to the SoA as well. Deeply connected to SoA’s design culture, the duo designed the award-winning Ramos Collaboratory, which embodies architecture as the crafting of meaningful experiences of place. The building will help shape the next generation of UF designers and will continue to influence the school’s program in ways people cannot yet imagine.
The pair have also engaged with the school in countless ways, serving as industry advisors to both DCP and SoA, while also mentoring and teaching students. They have envisioned new initiatives that challenge and inspire faculty, staff, and students to advance and enrich the programs found in the school.
“Their dedication represents a steadfast commitment to the school and a lasting contribution to our program,” Clark said. “They are truly deserving of this honor.”
The couple are co-principals of Los Angeles-based Brooks+Scarpa, a collective of architects, designers and creative thinkers dedicated to enhancing the human experience. They are considered one of the premier design firms in the field. With an office also in Florida and a plethora of projects around the globe, the firm includes architecture, landscape architecture, planning, environmental design, materials research, graphic, furniture and interior design services that produce innovative, sustainable iconic buildings and urban environments.
As a result of their influence on the theory and practice of architecture, the American Institute of Architects awarded Brooks and Scarpa with the 2022 AIA Gold Medal. The distinction is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the discipline, boasting well-renowned recipients such as Thomas Jefferson, Moshe Safdie, Denise Scott Brown & Robert Venturi and Paul Revere Williams. The gold medal was presented to them by the AIA as a result of their numerous achievements in architecture, sustainable design and social equity.
Scarpa also came up with the idea for the UF SoA Alumni Design Awards, which made its debut this fall with the winners being announced at the gala. The jury for the competition was Anne Marie Duvall Decker from Duvall Decker Associates, Katherine Hogan from Katherine Hogan Architects and Elizabeth Pagliacolo from Azure Magazine. With more than 100 submissions, the work of the jury was very difficult.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to Larry Scarpa, whose vision set this initiative in motion years ago,” Clark said. “His forward-thinking idea has now inspired a new annual tradition that proudly celebrates the remarkable design talents of our alumni. We are thrilled to see his legacy continue to shape and elevate our beloved School.”
2025 UF School of Architecture Alumni Design Awards
| CATEGORY | WINNER | FIRM | PROJECT |
| Architecture | Damien Blumetti, AIA | Damien Blumetti Architect | Bay House |
| Architecture | Joe Kelly, AIA & Gwen Leroy-Kelly, AIA | Hive Architects | Shibusa Residence |
| Architecture | Max Strang, FAIA | Strang Design | Van der Vlugt Residence |
| Architecture | Michael Halflants, FAIA | Halflants + Pichette | Architecture Studio |
| Architecture | Michael Halflants, FAIA | Halflants + Pichette | Risdon on 5th |
| Architecture | Rick Rowe, AIA | Rowe Architects | State College of Florida Studio for the Performing Arts |
| Architecture | Tom Perkins | Parc_LA | West Edge |
| Architecture | William Moon, AIA | Tryba Partners | GoSpotCheck Headquarters |
| Design Research | Trevor Boyle, AIA | Breezeway | |
| Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse | Damien Blumetti, AIA | Damien Blumetti Architect | Galloway Showroom |
| Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse | Ekta Desai, AIA | Schenkel Shultz Architects | 834 Orange Avenue |
| Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse | Max Strang, FAIA | Strang Design | Gene Leedy House Renovation |
| Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse | Rick Rowe, AIA | Rowe Architects | St. Petersburg High School |
| Interior Architecture | Joe Kelly, AIA & Gwen Leroy-Kelly, AIA | Hive Architects | Bahia Vista Residence |
| Interior Architecture | Mike Lindsey, AIA | DLR Group | Green Hill School Activities and Wellness Center |
| Unbuilt Design | Joseph Cronk, AIA | Cronk Duch Architecture | The HUB |
| Unbuilt Design | William Antozzi, AIA | Antozzi Studio | Helsinki Museum of Design and Architecture |