University of Florida, seeking to position itself as a global leader in data science and AI, saw an emerging opportunity to link computational research with the pressing needs of the healthcare industry. The University wanted a facility that would set the standard for future STEM buildings nationwide, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and put research on display, while realizing ambitious sustainability goals. Opened in early 2024, Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology co-locates departments from the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Engineering into a single 265,000 square-foot building.

Malachowsky Hall’s exterior, clad in 1,500 custom metal panel units, is a marked departure from the predominant use of brick throughout campus. The prefabricated panels helped achieve our client’s budget and sustainability goals, while creating a striking presence that changes with shifting light throughout the day. The typical rainscreen panel module, a 6’ x 7.5’ folded aluminum sheet, is a single unique geometry that is rotated and mirrored to create a dynamic expression. Shop-manufactured panels aided in meeting an ambitious schedule and allowed for greater quality control. Window shapes within the panelized facade contain electrochromic glazing, which responds to the path of the sun, tinting each unit to mitigate glare for occupants. All glazing on the project, including the electrochromic windows, features a bird-safe frit pattern.

The project is organized around a light-filled vertical commons that pulls occupants up and through each level. This collaborative spine strengthens connections between colleges and departments and is flanked by informal and formal learning spaces shared by all. Floors include a mixture of faculty offices, enclosed and open meeting rooms, classrooms, and over 40 research labs. Given the diversity of each department’s work and the rapid pace at which technology evolves, reconfigurable labs were designed like makerspaces, allowing users to customize and adapt their environment as needs, technology, and personnel change, visible as hubs of activity while maintaining separation for the sensitive nature of the work. A 300-seat auditorium and 150-person multipurpose forum with panoramic campus views provide new capacity for the University to host events and lectures of varied scales within Malachowsky Hall.