Lynn Pippenger Hall, home to the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, features an award-winning, eco-friendly facade inspired by native coral. Designed by New York-based ikon.5 architects, the 68,000-square-foot, three-story building was conceived as a business athenaeum, drawing inspiration from its Tampa Bay setting and the indigenous coral stone found along its shores.
Inspired by the porous nature of coral stone, Lynn Pippenger Hall’s design emphasizes light penetration and collaborative spaces. The building’s formal structure and glass facade echo coral’s voids, creating a spatial framework that fosters interaction and learning.
Joseph Tattoni, Design Principal at ikon.5 architects, describes the building as utilizing "the simplest of regional materials" to achieve "a strong compositional organization around a commons and garden and a strikingly expressive glass facade" that establishes a distinct identity for the College of Business.
Spatial design and programs
Designed for contemporary business education, Lynn Pippenger Hall features a light-filled central commons and Scholars’ Garden that support informal learning and collaboration. These spaces connect to active learning environments, including a trading room, community room, break rooms, and classrooms. The central commons functions as both an academic hub and a venue for community engagement.
The building’s core architectural concept—a porous, light-admitting structure—drives its passive environmental strategy. The facade uses a double-pane assembly comprising a ceramic fritted pane and a reflective one-way mirror glass pane, creating a three-dimensional effect while enhancing energy performance in the subtropical climate. This custom glazing unit was developed specifically for the project.
Sustainable design approach
Sustainability is integrated through both practical and technical strategies. Furniture crafted from on-site live oak trees is paired with Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood throughout the building. A building management system monitors energy consumption, while mechanical systems are optimized for efficiency, comfort, air quality, and water conservation.
The central Scholars’ Garden introduces controlled daylight deep into the building while remaining naturally ventilated, lowering ambient temperatures and reducing cooling loads in adjacent spaces.
Material innovations
The glazing system is engineered to withstand hurricane-force wind loads and projectile impacts while mitigating Florida’s intense solar exposure.
Local and low-impact material selections further reduce the project’s footprint, including FSC-certified wood, recyclable aluminum curtain wall profiles, high-albedo roofing, native landscaping, retention ponds, and 100 percent LED lighting.
Five live oak trees removed during site preparation were salvaged and transformed into benches, tables, and millwork, including the dean’s boardroom table. Interior finishes integrate recycled content, such as recycled glass in terrazzo, alongside rapidly renewable materials.
Water reduction strategies include low-flow fixtures and native planting palettes that minimize irrigation demands. The light-filled central commons and Scholars’ Garden enhance indoor environmental quality through daylight access, views, and naturally ventilated outdoor learning areas.
Circular design considerations
Although conceived as a new building, the program incorporates flexibility to support long-term adaptability. The central commons functions as both an academic hub and a venue for community engagement, while classrooms and learning spaces are designed to accommodate evolving business school pedagogies.
While the building is not designed for full disassembly, material choices—such as recyclable aluminum facade components and modular ceiling systems—support future replacement or reconfiguration with reduced waste.
