In a randomized group of 6 students, we were given 3 days to design, engineer plan, render, and present the final pin up of our building to a panel of industry experts, ultimately winning a $2000 scholarship. One of my favorite aspects about this experience was that this was my second week at UF, and I jumped right in with complete strangers and made life-long friendships, connections, and gained tons of experience. Seeing how different concentrations and disciplines come together to design an entire building taught me lessons on collaboration and trust that I will carry with me through my career.
The objective for the competition was to redesign the University of Florida's historic Florida Gymnasium to design a complete refresh and accommodate more classrooms for the Health and Human Performance school while preserving the original gym floor. A place that once hosted historical figures like JFK, Elton John, The Beach Boys and many more influential figures is currently being used for classrooms, and the current design was claustrophobic, dated, and very confusing for students to navigate
Some key elements of our design was incorporating daylighting, a central atrium that can be used as a flex space, community spaces for students to collaborate and study, explicit wayfinding, LEED certifications, a comprehensive construction schedule, updated high-efficiency HVAC systems, and a donor wall comprised of the original gym floorboard which is arranged in a refined tessellation around the atrium, reminding occupants of the legacy of that gymnasium floor.
One major takeaway that I use in almost all aspects of my life, is asking good questions. As soon as we got the prompt for the competition, our group immediately went to the building and spoke to all types of students and faculty. One of the group members was an incredibly effective communicator and asked questions that revealed the true pain points in the current building design. I took notes, stepped outside of my comfort zone and have begun to use his methodology behind his designs.
Focusing primarily on user experience, how the building design affects them, and the changes they want to see made, our design connected with the judges and students in a way got them excited about our design.
