Judy Genshaft Honors College at the University of South Florida

The new Judy Genshaft Honors College building represents a significant milestone in furthering the University of South Florida’s growth as a leading national research institution. Established in 2002, the Honors College attracts highly competitive students with diverse backgrounds and fields of study. The honors program was previously dispersed amongst various buildings throughout campus, none of which were specifically designed for the college's unique needs. This new facility brings the Honors College scholars, advisors, faculty, administrators, and visitors together into a center that fosters interdisciplinary creativity and conversation across the arts, sciences, and humanities.

The building’s design supports the multiplicity of studies and interests of the Honors Program through an array of scholastic and social spaces, which include a culinary workshop, food studio, music lab, art studio, seminar room, and multiple event settings. High-performance materials and ‘sandbox’ style learning facilities provide flexible areas that adapt to discoveries and discussions across disciplines.

The central atrium is lined with an abundance of gathering enclaves that encourage collaboration and interaction among scholars, faculty, and visitors. Defined by a network of wooden lattices and suspended study pods, the atrium becomes a communal ‘beehive’ of activity at the heart of the Honors College.

To accommodate the variety of events hosted by the college throughout the year, the building incorporates diverse meeting and event spaces on the first and second floors. The ground floor event space, accessible from the Sessums Pedestrian Mall, opens into a multi-purpose lobby that can accommodate large-scale events such as graduations, convocations, job fairs, and banquets. On the second floor, an external covered terrace wraps along the west elevation, providing outdoor congregation and relaxation areas with views overlooking the existing Quad to the south. The area connects to an outdoor amphitheater in the northwest corner of the building, which overlooks an outdoor classroom. The building’s south end features a café open to the public and campus communities, with views of the neighboring Muma College of Business.