PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: USF Judy Genshaft Honors College

The University of South Florida’s Tampa campus is now home to the brand-new Judy Genshaft Honors College building – an 85,000 square foot, five-story structure that promises to be a hub of intellectual activity. The building boasts open-design classrooms, signature learning lofts, and dedicated studio spaces for art, food, culture, music, and technology. These facilities will support and cater to talented students from all corners of the university while also providing a space for unique Honors College classes and programming.

Breaking ground in December 2020, APG was contracted to provide the electrical, fire alarm, VESDA, audio/visual, and BIM coordination systems on this show-stopping center for higher learning. In addition to providing the distribution of a 277/480V power system, APG was responsible for tying this new facility into the existing 13.2kV medium voltage service loop that feeds the entire campus. We coordinated closely with Beck and the USF owner group to develop a plan to safely splice into the existing utility loop and extend new medium voltage conductors to a new MV switch and 750kVA transformer.

The stunning atrium featured a unique challenge for our installers, as a specialty light fixture was to be incorporated in between decorative wood slats that would be installed on the same walls. Extensive coordination and hundreds of labor hours were needed to identify each stage of rough-in and to layout installation points of each fixture run so they would fit seamlessly between the decorative wood slats. We worked together with the millwork contractor on a massive five-level scaffolding system, which was gradually removed as we worked our way down to level 1.

​Our BIM Group was also involved in creating models for all major components of the project. This was particularly important for tying new electrical feeders into an existing distribution system. Our installers made use of iPads to regularly consult the preliminary BIM model in real-time as the installation took place, which prevented material location conflicts with other trades and kept our schedule on track.

​We are incredibly proud to have taken part in this landmark education project, as it will benefit future generations of students and educators for years to come. A special thanks to everyone who took part in this stellar project, and to our partners, Fleischman Garcia Architecture, Morphosis, VoltAir Consulting Engineers, Inc., and The Beck Group, for their continued support and trust!