LAKELAND, Fla. (Dec. 20, 2005) — Florida Southern College announces the selection of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, an internationally-acclaimed design firm, to design the college’s new residential facility on Lake Hollingsworth. The Residential Life Center, funded by Carol and Barney Barnett through a transformational gift to the college, will replace the 50-year old Panhellenic Building which is not part of the college’s collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.

“Robert Stern’s original designs have propelled him to the ranks of the most famous architects of the world,” said Dr. Anne B. Kerr, president of Florida Southern College. “We are honored to feature Stern’s work on the front corridor of the College as a signature addition to our already world-famous collection, and a wonderful enhancement to the city of Lakeland. We are proud to select an architect whose buildings will remain as significant as Frank Lloyd Wright’s” 

"It's an honor and a daunting challenge to work in the shadow of Frank Lloyd Wright on one of the great iconic campuses of American architecture," said Robert A.M. Stern, founder and Senior Partner of Robert A.M. Stern Architects.  Over its thirty-six-year history, Robert A.M. Stern Architects has earned numerous awards and citations for design excellence, including National Honor Awards of the American Institute of Architects. The firm has substantial experience designing buildings on college and university campuses that derive their distinctive character from buildings of architects with strong visions, as FSC’s campus does from Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings. Their buildings at the University of Virginia, Stanford University, Rice University, Harvard Business School and Trinity University are examples of such designs.

“We have a longstanding interest in great American architecture and have frequently designed structures that pay tribute to its traditions,” said Alexander P. Lamis, who will work with Mr. Stern as Project Partner. “We welcome the opportunity to design residences that will complement Florida Southern College’s collection of buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright.”

The design of student residential life buildings has figured centrally in much of Robert A.M. Stern Architects’ recent work, including residence hall projects at Columbia University, the Brooklyn Law School, the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Georgetown University, Acadia University, the University of South Carolina, and the Taft School.

“We understand that a residence hall has unique requirements which go far beyond function: that appropriately designed facilities can do much to foster the relaxed, spontaneous, and often serendipitous interactions that are critical to providing students with a well-rounded experience,” said Lamis. “We look forward to working closely with the College to understand the concerns, priorities and traditions of those who will use the new facilities.”

Robert A.M. Stern:
Robert A.M. Stern, founder and senior partner of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, is the dean of the Yale School of Architecture. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Stern has received both the AIA New York Chapter’s Medal of Honor and its President’s Award. In addition to his reputation as one of the leading architects in the world, he is highly respected as an architectural historian. He has written several books on historical and contemporary topics in architecture and has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad. Twelve books on Stern’s work have been published and his work has been exhibited at numerous galleries and universities, including the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Deutsches Architekturmuseum, the Denver Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He has been selected four times to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale and hosted an eight-part documentary television series on American architecture aired on PBS. He served on the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company and designed many of their buildings. Stern is a graduate of Columbia University (B.A., 1960) and Yale University (M. Architecture, 1965). 

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.