Iridescent Innovation

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The Judy Genshaft Honors College on the University of South Florida’s (USF) Tampa campus is a new architectural landmark for USF students, faculty, and staff. Opened in 2023, the $56 million, 85,000-square-foot, five-story building aggregates honor students from every undergraduate college previously distributed across three separate campuses into a modern facility for their experience-based educational studies.

Once the idea to design and construct the Honors College in a central location was hatched, several donations were made to ensure the structure was built, including a $20 million donation from former USF President Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steve Greenbaum. Genshaft served as the USF president from 2000-2019.

The Judy Genshaft Honors College features a glazed ground floor level that anchors more opaque floors above. The asymmetrical facade is made up of 127 prefabricated aluminum panels. The cladding’s iridescent dichroic coating—which changes color from maroon to yellow to green in different light conditions and from different view perspectives—has a shimmering metallic finish. The architect specified this type of panel because it helps reflect sunlight to minimize solar heat gain, in addition to the green hue nearly matching the University’s “USF Green” core color. Hovering above the inviting outdoor stair the same facade panel is perforated and suspended from the building’s steel and concrete structure and appears to “peel away” from the structure to accentuate its dynamic form and create shaded outdoor terraces. The “peel away” is a specific design-oriented area with perforated metal panel above a monumental circulation stair. It is not part of the facade or building envelope in its role to keep water out or controlling thermal conductivity but instead provides solar shading and iconic architectural intent.

The LEED Silver certified building also features an expansive five-story atrium at the main level as well as open and closed classrooms, collaboration spaces, 39 distinctly designed learning lofts, student terrace, a professional kitchen, and dedicated studio spaces for students.

Designed by Morphosis Architects with architect of record FleischmanGarciaMaslowski, the sophisticated and unique design, with geometries that shift along the building’s facade, required precise planning and coordination to ensure the varied design elements and materials meshed effectively and efficiently. Working in concert with the architectural teams, Walter P Moore served as the structural engineer, enclosure consultant as well as the steel and concrete rebar detailer for the project.

To achieve the vision set forth by the architectural team and USF, engineers from Walter P Moore developed a fully coordinated 3D structural model in Tekla using the firm’s proprietary collaborative digital process known as Connected Transformative Integrated Delivery (ConnecTID). The model was used to solicit and onboard the subcontractors and helped reduce risk on the project by being openly shared with the construction manager, The Beck Group, who engaged key design assist partners including the concrete contractor, Ceco Concrete Construction, the steel contractor, Morrow Steel, and the facade systems contractor, MG McGrath.

The connected model allowed shop drawings to be developed in 3D as the permit documents were being completed, which included advanced detailing of all the structural steel connections and the rebar. The process included a three-month’s accelerated shop drawing timeline, which ultimately helped to reduce the number of requests for information as the Level of Development (LOD400) fabrication level model served to build and coordinate the complex integrated structural framing virtually prior to construction in real life.

The connected model workflow allowed the entire building team to understand the expectations asked of them before construction started. For example, it allowed the concrete contractor to get a near exact count on the amount of rebar so they could define an accurate bid. The modeling also allowed for the architect to visualize how the coordination between trades could impact their design vision and they could respond with necessary modifications as required to address unique conditions.

The initial facade assembly to achieve the complex geometry for the Judy Genshaft Honors College building was to use stud framed “mega panels.” However, this design evolved to utilizing a large-format off-the-shelf aluminum curtain wall panelized system. This move increased the required coordination needed to accommodate the massing’s curves in a cohesive and appealing manner. The original geometric discretion of the curves into panels worked with faceting of the geometry just like the curtain walls. The change resulted in revisiting the panelization for capability and joinery. Revisiting with curtain wall capabilities required rethinking some of the more bespoke areas, and ultimately, design architect Morphosis Architects modeled the curtain wall geometry.

The complexity for the facade lies in achieving the aspirational curved geometry with a unitized curtain wall system. Faceting a curved geometry with large format rectilinear flat panels makes achieving the complex geometry challenging. If not done with a detail-oriented perspective, the smooth curve would result in a slatted or angular surface. Typical large format panels on rectilinear areas of the project were completely fabricated in the shop and arrived on site ready to be installed on the building. Areas with particularly challenging geometries required the team to be flexible and create deviations from the previously defined assemblies to enable the installation. Face panels and insulation were left uninstalled on these panels, which were installed with penetrations to adjust for consistent joints and alignment of the facade surfaces. After the panels were adjusted properly on site, the insulation and face panel were installed.

The curtain wall panels and associated cladding system were engineered detailed, fabricated, and installed by MG McGrath, while the geometry of the cladding system was defined by Morphosis Architects. The Enclosure Engineering Group from Walter P Moore provided consultation to properly design and uphold best practices for technical performance given the ambitious geometry. The close collaboration on facade, structure, and connection design enabled quick turnaround for structural changes and modifications as the design of the facade progressed during MG McGrath’s design assist process.

Most of the facade panels are unitized, large format, curtain wall panels measuring 10 x 10 feet, twice as wide as units commonly used in the industry, which required enhanced precision but also resulted in decreased installation time when compared to a comparable sized project with standard-sized unitized panels. While attaching the panels to a floor slab to allow the loads to transfer through the embedded floor plates is standard, the slabs on the project were relatively ambitiously cantilevered floor plates. Limiting the differential movement allowed for the curtain wall system to accommodate the vertical movement within the slotted attachment along the top and bottom edges of the panels. Panels followed standard unitized curtain wall approach, which is to hang the units along the upper part of the panel. Maximum differential movement up and down that can be accommodated is ¾-inch.

As the design team reviewed the shop drawings and engineering for the prefabricated rainscreen system panels from MG McGrath, Walter P Moore’s Structures Group concurrently reviewed specifications and drawings for the rebar, embed plates, and structural steel to ensure there were no conflicts.

To facilitate the installation process, the connected model was color-coded to allow the contractor to install the numerous unique embed plates in their correct locations. Because there were more than 600 total embeds that penetrated the facade to connect the secondary structure of the “peel away” facade to the primary structure, each penetration was carefully sealed to prevent water ingress. Of the total embed count, less than one percent were out of the established tolerance of +/- 1 inch. This was managed through extensive coordination with the design team and a multi-tier quality control program including laser scanning and drone photography.

While most of the building has an opaque exterior envelope, the glazing panels were positioned in a manner so those inside the building would feel a connection to the outside. Most of the glazing is located on the north side of the building to balance daylighting while minimizing heat from solar exposure. Maximizing the glazing on the ground floor of the north elevation allows for more connectivity of the inhabitants to the exterior in an otherwise opaque building. Glazing oriented on the south, west, and east exposures has more solar heat gain which is controlled by perforated cladding panels integrated into the curtain wall.

With the project being procured, engineered, and constructed during a pandemic, material availability was a substantial challenge for the implementation of the complex design. For example, there was a shortage of mineral wool as well as the procurement and logistical challenges with fabricating the metal panels, including the coating process. In response, flexibility and ingenuity were required to review material substitutions and deviations from previously defined assemblies to minimize cost and schedule increases, while still maintaining the complex design and aesthetic goals for the project.

Beck worked closely with the design team and MG McGrath to monitor design production and material procurement and fabrication to ensure material availability challenges were mitigated.

The Zimmerman Family Foundation Atrium, which is the expansive five-story atrium at the center of the structure is defined by a network of timber lattices and the 39 uniquely crafted learning lofts with a white oak exterior that hang over the spacious atrium. The learning lofts can accommodate between two and eight students and are suspended around the atrium between levels two through five.

The atrium connects all users into a single spatial experience to encourage interaction and collaboration among students, faculty, and visitors. Defined by a network of timber lattices and suspended study pods, the atrium becomes a communal “beehive” of activity at the heart of the Honors College. Modeled by the architect, it filters natural daylighting providing an ethereal, warm, and welcoming backdrop for interdisciplinary collaboration.

To facilitate attachment of the atrium cladding, individual slotted anchors are installed in cast in channels which line the edges of the floor slabs. This design choice prioritized versatility, cost effectiveness, and constructability, allowing for adjustable fixings to accommodate the timber lattices, which are supported by cantilevered cast-in-place concrete slabs around the atrium. The atrium’s construction posed significant challenges due to the need for precise coordination between vastly different trades and materials, including poured in place concrete and finished wood millworks. The A/E team had to meticulously consider construction tolerance to seamlessly integrate these elements.

Moreover, managing the acoustics within such a large atrium space presented another challenge. To address this, each learning loft was equipped with acoustic design features tailored to control sound within the pod, ensuring optimal learning and collaborating environments. Additionally, acoustic wood paneling envelops the entire atrium, effectively mitigating unwanted reverberations and enhancing overall sound quality.

Flexible spaces adjacent to the atrium on the ground floor can be opened and combined to accommodate large-scale events. The second floor features an exterior, shaded terrace accessible from the inside and outside of the building and serves as an outdoor study and meeting space.

As with many projects of this scale and scope, the Judy Genshaft Honors College project managed substantial risk during the construction when several different contactors and materials intersected. To ensure the project was successful, it was critical to have accurate and detailed coordinated models, especially given the building’s complex facade where the steel, concrete, glass, and aluminum panels interfaced with one another.

By detailing each unique structural and facade connection in advance, the ConnecTID model flagged any conflicts between the facade panel anchors and the proposed superstructure that would have caused costly schedule and budget issues had those conflicts had been discovered later in the field. The Beck Group utilized Walter P Moore’s superstructure model in a holistic and comprehensive coordination process, ensuring a fully coordinated workflow and compiled model. This building model allowed for detailed coordination of systems provided by multiple trades and ensured accurate sequencing and phasing to prevent costly rework.

The connected model enabled the development of a custom structural steel solution to support the panels’ peel-away feature and provided the facade contractor with a “single point of truth” from which they can rely on to develop the support strategies for the building’s skin.

The integrated workflow and detailed modeling process provided Beck with the details needed for construction while concurrently preserving the owners’ and architects’ design vision for the Judy Genshaft Honors College. The connected model ensured this complex project would be achievable, but that it also would stay within budget and on schedule because of the digital model’s clarity and precision.

Judy Genshaft Honors College on the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus provided the opportunity for Walter P Moore to collaborate closely with both the design and contractor teams to leverage our technical expertise in the face of ambitious geometry and architecture to uphold technical facade performance, structural design and design, while tracking and minimizing risk. ■

About the Authors

Dylan Richard, PE is a Principal and Senior Project Manager at Walter P Moore (drichard@walterpmoore.com) and Katherine Chan, MSFE, is a Senior Associate at Walter P Moore (kchan@walterpmoore.com).