(TAMPA, Fla. – December 17, 2014) – Rowe Architects Incorporated, an architectural design firm established in Tampa in 1965, is the recipient of two recent design awards for the design of William R. Hough Hall for the Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The firm was recognized with a 2014 Merit Award for Excellence in Architecture from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Tampa Bay chapter.
AIA Florida also awarded the firm a 2014 Merit Award for Masonry. In addition, Hough Hall was a 2014 AIA Florida People’s Choice Award Finalist as well as a recipient of an Honorable Mention in the Green Buildings category from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
“To be able to contribute in such a meaningful way to the built environment at your alma mater is a true honor,” said Rowe Architects Principal and Design Director Rick Rowe, AIA. “To be recognized by our peers for our team’s work on Hough Hall is validation of a job well done.”
Judges for the awards with AIA Tampa Bay and AIA Florida spoke highly of both award wins.
“A remarkable contribution to a predominately collegiate gothic campus fabric,” commented a judge from AIA Tampa Bay. “[The building is] a successful contextual addition to the campus with unexpectedly open and dynamic interiors.”
“This project is the perfect example of the flexibility that can be achieved with masonry. While new, the building is gracefully open and successfully sited in the context of an historic campus,” said a judge with AIA Florida.
William R. Hough Hall is a LEED Gold certified graduate classroom and office building that opened in May 2010.
Located at the de facto “front door” to the University, Hough Hall is visible from the 13th Street entrance in the Historic District. The massing, detailing and materials of red brick, clay tile and cast stone, are compatible with nearby facilities on the National Register of Historic Places, yet Hough Hall is also modern and “of its time,” presenting an appropriate esthetic from all angles. The project hopes to be a catalyst to the redefinition of this area of campus by providing and enhancing the existing paths of travel, gathering spaces and connectivity throughout the Warrington College of Business and university campus.
Housing one-100 seat and four-75 seat classrooms, seminar and meeting rooms, study/lounge spaces for graduate students, and staff office and support spaces, Hough Hall is a student-oriented building designed to meet the needs of demanding professional programs. Students have a wide variety of spaces in which to learn, study, gather and collaborate, from formal classrooms to informal “intellectual collision” spaces. Classrooms, lounges, breakout rooms and offices are distributed on all floors, encouraging faculty / student interaction.
A grand three-story open interior court, set along a strongly axial corridor, is capable of hosting special events and helps to visually orient visitors to the building. This space spills into a generous exterior court creating a gathering space at the heart of the College of Business campus. State of the art technology permeates the building, promoting both individual and team-oriented discussion, research, and interaction.
Hough Hall was designed by Rowe Architects Incorporated as Architect of Record and Sasaki Associates, Inc. as Associate Architect and built by Ajax Building Corporation as Construction Manager.
Additional awards and honors received by Hough Hall include:
- LEED Gold certification, United States Green Building Council
- Florida Educational Facilities Planner’s Association, FEFPA First Place Award, Architectural Showcase, Higher Education, 2013
- Article, University of Florida’s William R. Hough Hall: Lasting Dividend, High Performing Buildings, Spring 2012
- Article, Rowe Architects, Inc.: Restoring Quality (featured), Architecture Leaders Today, July/August 2011
- 2011 City Beautification Award, City of Gainesville Article, Business-Class Perks, The Gainesville Sun, July 15, 2010
- Eagle Award for Excellence in Construction, Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.
For more information about Hough Hall and additional projects, please visit Rowe Architects’ website at www.rowearchitects.com.