We were honored to attend the dedication of The Otis Hawkins Center for Academic and Personal Excellence at the University of Florida (UF). Goodwin provided more than 10,000 square feet of River-Recovered® Antique Heart Pine ceiling and paneling for the new facility. We worked with an extraordinary team of building design professionals including Parrish-McCall Constructors Inc., DR Nickelson & Co. and Beverly Frank of Gould Evans Architects.
Here are a few preliminary snapshots of the gorgeous heartpine ceiling and paneling incorporated into the facility:
Stay tuned – in the upcoming weeks we will be posting some professional photos of how our sustainable wood was ingeniously incorporated into this contemporary design.
What made the use of antique heart pine so relevant in this project is that the ground UF was built upon was once a vast longleaf pine forest. Ironically, longleaf is pinus palustris or “pine of the swamp,” which fits well with UF’s swamp theme and mascot. From the large western window of the Hawkins Center one gazes upon UF’s storied Ben Hill Griffin stadium, appropriately nicknamed “The Swamp.” Using locally sourced antique heart pine in the Hawkins Center is a nod to the legacy and shared history between UF and the ancient longleaf forest.
Jeffrey produced this great 2 ½ minute video of the dedication ceremony. Dr. Kent Fuchs, President of UF, refers to the engraved longleaf pine displayed on the walls. This same wood is used in the UF President’s home, the Dasburg House.
We will be highlighting more of this project over the next several weeks. In the meantime, please enjoy some of the photos from the ribbon cutting and dedication:
Special thanks to Gator Country for mentioning Goodwin Company in their article about the Hawkins Center:
