By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
While earning a masterâs degree in architecture from the ±«Óătv, Fadi Garcia was told that no one is above designing restrooms.
âI thought, âNo way,ââ said Garcia, ±«Óătv class of 2011 and founder of the Open Workshop for Architecture firm. âI was confident I would work on great stuff.â
He has, and that includes restrooms.

Women's restroom at Tampa International Airport

Men's restroom at Tampa International Airport
Garciaâs firm oversaw major renovations to Tampa International Airportâs Airsides, A, C and F, redesigning public areas, offices and, yes, restrooms.
In 2022, citing the sleek and contemporary space, a Cintas Corp. online poll declared that Airside C had âAmericaâs Best Restroom.â
âOur experience with TPA helped set the stage for larger opportunities,â Garcia said.
Those include helping to design much of the interior of ±«Óătvâs new stadium.

±«Óătv architecture students in the Core Design class create cardboard models
For prospective students of ±«Óătvâs School of Architecture & Community Design in the College of Design, Art & Performance, Garciaâs accomplishments are an example of how success is possible when preparation meets opportunity.
±«Óătvâs School of Architecture & Community Design provided the preparation.
And the universityâs fast-growing home community of Tampa Bay has provided plenty of opportunities for ±«Óătv students.
âThere are a lot of openings for students here in Tampa Bay to gain experience as theyâre going through school and jobs once they graduate,â said school Director Ron Dulaney. âThose opportunities will only grow.â
Both ±«Óătv and Tampa Bay are doing their part to ensure that happens.
±«Óătv currently offers masterâs degrees in architecture and in urban and community design, with plans to eventually offer a bachelorâs degree in architecture.

Fadi Garcia and Jessie Shell, founders of Open Workshop for Architecture [Photo courtesy of Seamus Payne]
While the masterâs degree in architecture program will provide the necessary coursework to become a licensed architect, there will be career opportunities for those with bachelor's degrees.
âThey could still work on a design team,â Dulaney said. âThey could apply rendering and modeling skills to projects. They may be able to do some construction administration. Or they could decide to get a masterâs degree in architecture or something else related.â
One such option for someone with a bachelorâs degree in architecture would be to then pursue a masterâs degree in urban and community design instead.
âIn urban and community design, we design at a larger scale than just a single building,â said Trent Green, a ±«Óătv associate professor of architecture and urban design. âWe might design an entire block, neighborhood, city or town. Architects then come in and design the buildings. In Tampa Bay, we are going to need a lot of everything in the coming years.â
To put Tampa Bayâs growth into perspective, according to Plan Hillsborough, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota countiesâ 2022 combined population of just under 3 million is predicted to grow to more than 3.6 million by 2050.
Such a boom is why ±«Óătv established its School of Architecture in 1986, Green said. âIt made sense to place a new architecture program in one of the stateâs growing urban centers.â
That is also why the urban and community design program was added to the school in 2009.
âGrowth comes with a need for planning,â Dulaney said. âThere will be a need for architecture and design thatâs well-considered and thought out.â

The ±«Óătv Judy Genshaft Honors College building was designed by ±«Óătv alumnus Marcel Maslowski
That need fueled the expansion of FleischmanGarciaMaslowski Architecture, where ±«Óătv alumnus Marcel Maslowski serves as partner. Maslowski earned his masterâs degree in architecture from ±«Óătv in 2012. The firm has offices in Tampa, Lutz, Safety Harbor and Sarasota and is in the process of opening another two in other parts of Florida this year.
âWe design a lot of K-12 schools and higher education,â said Maslowski, whose designs include the ±«Óătv Judy Genshaft Honors College building. âWe design libraries, about one a year, fire stations, recreation centers, historic preservations and a lot of performing arts centers.â
FleischmanGarciaMaslowski Architecture also designed the City of Tampaâs Hanna City Center that opened in 2023 as a hub of government services and the African American Arts & Cultural Center set to break ground later this year.
âThis is all part of the growth of Tampa Bay,â Maslowski said. âAs the community grows, we need to design vibrant places for people to connect and interact, and a more resilient and sustainable future. We are playing an integral role in shaping the regionâs architectural identityâ

Marcel Maslowski, a partner with FleischmanGarciaMaslowski Architecture
The same goes for Garciaâs Tampa-based Open Workshop for Architecture, which since opening in 2017, has designed more than 100 structures, a mix of residential, hospitality and commercial. Those include restoring the historic building that is now the Masonite Ybor Office & Showroom.
âTalk about starting in Tampa Bay at the right time,â Garcia said of founding his firm during the population and development boom. âWeâve been very fortunate.â
±«Óătv students are also enjoying the good fortune that comes with Tampa Bayâs growth.
âA mentor of mine told me long ago that if you have the chance to dip your toes into different types of architecture, do it,â said Rozeth Aquino, who will earn her masterâs degree in architecture this spring. âI have had that opportunity while at ±«Óătv.â
She previously worked in the residential design wing of Fieldstone Architecture & Engineering.
âThrough that job alone, I saw the growth in Tampa Bay,â Aquino said. âI saw how the demand for housing is growing in a short amount of time.â
Aquino works for American Infrastructure Development, where she is helping to design a new terminal building for Clearwater Airpark, which is a city-owned, public-use airport.
âThere are multiple chances to get internships and jobs while at ±«Óătv and after graduation,â she said. âThat is one thing thatâs really valuable about the school.â

Rozeth Aquino will earn her masterâs degree in architecture this spring
Alongside faculty, ±«Óătv students also have the opportunity to work on projects through ±«Óătvâs Florida Center for Community Design and Research, which was founded in 1986 to provide design expertise, technical assistance, applied research and community engagement services to the stateâs growing communities.
âA lot of the projects are related to issues that communities and cities are facing in terms of economic development, housing, physical conditions, sustainability and resilience,â said Green, director of the center.
Ongoing projects include working with the City of Tampa to update the Community Redevelopment Area plans for the Tampa Heights and Central Park neighborhoods.
A Community Redevelopment Area, or CRA, is a designated district thatâs revitalized through public and private investment. The Tampa Heights Riverfront CRA Plan was adopted in 1999 and Central Parkâs in 2006.
âBoth neighborhoods have changed a lot in recent years,â Green said. âTampa Heights has The Heights development, which includes Armature Works, while Central Park has the Encore mixed-income housing development. So, we are making recommendations about what else could or should happen in those areas and how.â
That, Green added, is part of the ongoing synergy between the school and Tampa Bay. âAs one grows, so will the other.â
To learn more about ±«Óătvâs School of Architecture & Community Design and how to apply, visit usf.edu/arts/architecture.