Winner of the Southeast Building Conference’s Silver Aurora Award for Best Rehabilitation Project, the Southard Family Multipurpose Building at the University of Tampa sits on a prominent site on campus. Situated directly on the river and overlooking the city, the building is seen from both the campus side and the City of Tampa Riverwalk, so it was critical for the building to become an icon for the University.
The renovation of the Southard Family Multipurpose Building was under a tight 11-month schedule, so it was a crucial for design and construction to be coordinated seamlessly. The existing building, which was a mix of single-story, story-and-a-half and two-story spaces, was transformed into two-story throughout, but remained approximately the same footprint.
The renovation added nearly 20,000 square feet for a total of 54,000 square feet. The project began construction in the fall and most functions were open the following spring, while others were phased for the following fall semester. The Southard Family Multipurpose building is comprised of admissions, multi-purpose rooms, classrooms, post office, language lab, and administrative spaces.
