The new studio building for the University of Miami School of Architecture provides a space conducive to learning and studying, but also serves as a teaching tool by illustrating some of the basic tenets of modern architecture. The building is located at the center of an intersection, creating a plaza and adjoining pathway that act as a link from the campus to the Miami Metrorail. The southern wall peels away in order to address the portico of the existing auditorium and gallery. The warping corner of the roof folds over the southernmost tip of the building, shading the interior space from the strongest sunlight.

The building has tall and flexible spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Narrow steel pipe columns support the 18-foot high ceilings to create a sense of openness and allow natural light to permeate throughout the building. Operable windows encourage fresh air and reduced use of air conditioning. The studio space is based on a twenty-five foot square -- a module of four student desks-- repeated to total 13,125 square feet. The main entrance spills into an informal lobby and continues as a corridor that runs through the studios and out a garage door into the rear access road. The corridor has movable boards and model podiums for informal critiques or exhibitions. The studios on the south side of the circulation passage are intended for the design-build studio courses and have direct access to the outdoor work area. Within the space, there are smaller volumes including the fabrication lab, which punctures the facade. The East and West walls of the central volume are felt clad for students to pin up work. The open plan accommodates seventy-six desks and is adaptable to future work/study styles. The faculty offices are also moveable and can be redesigned and rebuilt by students each year, making a setting for creativity and collaboration. ArquitectonicaGEO provided landscape architecture design services for this building.

Materials Used :

Adhesives, Coatings and Sealants: Hilti

Concrete: Supermix Concrete

Fabrics and Finishes: Acoustial

Walls: Filzfelt

Tile: Daltile

Furniture: Steelcase, Knoll, Versteel, Bernhardt, Herman Miller

Glass: Tecnoglass

HVAC: Johnson Controls, York, Trane, Cook

Insulation: Johns Manville

Lighting Control Systems: Lutron

Lighting: Fluxwerx, OCL, Alphabet Lighting, Lithonia Lighting, LumenArt

Paints and Finishes: Sherwin Williams

Roofing: Firestone TPO Membrane

Walls: DIRTT Walls

Windows, Curtainwalls, Doors: ES Windows

Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building, a state-of­-the-art LEED-certified building at the University of Miami School of Architecture, designed by Arquitectonica and built by Coastal Construction, showcases key principles of modern architecture. Named after Coastal Construction's founder, who collaborated with Arquitectonica Architects in its creation, the studio is designed around a 25-foot square module—housing four student desks—that is repeated throughout the building to encompass a total of 13,125 square feet.

Flexibility was a central focus for the design team, ensuring the space could adapt to the evolving needs of both students and faculty. Featuring an open-plan layout, the building allows for easy reconfiguration to meet the specific demands of various academic programs. This versatile design cultivates a dynamic learning environment that promotes creativity and collaboration among students.

Lighting selection played a crucial role in the design, with the choice of fixtures reflecting the emphasis on both functionality, aesthetics, and environment. In this flexible educational space, well-designed lighting not only facilitates learning but also contributes to the overall aesthetic, ensuring that the space remains inviting and conducive to a variety of educational activities.

Selected Fluxwerx Fold suspended linear luminaires in 100 dn distribution combine modern design and small aperture size with advanced technology, enabling inspired environments that are luminous and comfortable. 

Featuring third-generation Anidolic extraction optics with low brightness and superior efficacy, light is emitted from both interior vertical planes of the Fold luminaire, efficiently and precisely directed to create a batwing distribution in both hemispheres. The clarity of the lens and the open design of the luminaires creates unique visibility directly through the fixture and allows light to flow through and permeate the space. Installed as independent pendants and as continuous lighting systems with virtually seamless runs, Fold's sustainable, energy efficient design delivers up to 119 LPW with power densities between 0.3 W/ft² and 0.5 W/ft². Zone control, continuous dimming, timers and sensors provide the needed control functionality; remote drivers allow fixtures to blend seamlessly with the design.

The luminaire's finely detailed exposed architecture delivers unparalleled clarity right through the fixture. Fold's soft, organic form and the selected Arch endcap echoes that of the building's exterior curved concrete cantilevered roof, delivering an unexpected and delightful design continuity and connection to the building's architecture.

Location: University of Miami - School of Architecture, Coral Gables, FL, USA, Florida, United States
Market: Education
Lighting Design: Miami Lighting Design Associates, Inc., Power & Lighting Systems Inc.
Photography: Robin Hill Photography
Architect: Arquitectonica - Design Architect and Architect of Record
Awards:

The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design,

The European Centre Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies 2019 | American Architecture Award; Society of American Registered Architects | National Design Award; AIA Florida | Honour Award of Excellence for New Work; AIA Miami | Unbuilt Project Award; AIA Miami | Honour Award of Excellence: Architecture under 50,000 SF; American-Architects | Building of the Year Award 2018; Architizer A+ Awards | Jury Winner - Architecture + Cantilever Category 2019; Architecture Masterprize | Winner 2021; Architizer A+ Awards | Institutional - Higher Education & Research Facilities 2019; World Architects | Building of the Year 2019; ENR Southeast Construction, Best Construction Projects of 2019 | Higher Education/Research Award of Merit