Genius or Insane? College Campus Built in a Florida Swamp 🥵 How Did They Build That? | Smithsonian

Building Florida Polytechnic’s state-of-the-art campus in the heart of the Florida swampland is renowned architect Santiago Calatrava’s masterpiece: a gleaming white, 162,000 square foot, mostly-glass structure, with retractible aluminum panels to keep out the fierce Florida sun.
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[@georgegardener-gr9252]

According to most civil engineers, architects are their worst enemies.

[@carolinehaythornthwaite2965]

One great example is the Sydney Opera House..

[@jackjax7921]

Santiago Calatrava is an engineer though.

[@joestuff8]

I drive by this every time going from Orlando to Tampa. Always catching my eye, every time. And yes, it has gone through 3 major hurricanes in the time that I've lived down here. It's fine. -Also, look up the Milwaukee Art museum as well. My previous home. Similar design, and movable parts.

[@tjwhitley5284]

They seem prepared for the brutal heat, but I hope they thought about hurricane season and flooding. Otherwise, the damage repairs are going to be extremely high. I hope it works though because they put a lot of work in it.

[@emmat4416]

Hi I go to florida poly. We had two hurricanes last semester and the building was fine. No flooding and if there was any damage it was minor and fixed within a few days. Most important buildings in florida are built to withstand category 5 hurricanes

[@goodfox9250]

The visionary architect doesn’t look like he is drawing a building. 😊

[@noneofyourbeeswax01]

Well spotted! :D

[@Me97202]

Building _anything_ in Florida in the age of rising seas levels is _insane._

[@pinkorchid]

My son attends this University. It's amazing to see the campus in person. :)

[@wullcandlish9181]

Hi from Scotland hope you're all safe and well my friends 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍😉✌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿...that place is stunning 😳

[@karenhackney9920]

My boys are in love with this university!!!

[@_Breakdown]

Anybody notice: 1) it’s a copy of: (a) his unbuilt cathedral of Christ the light in San Francisco (b) a library he designed in Europe (c) the Milwaukee art museum (d) the wtc path station (e) his proposed cultural building for Roosevelt island in NY They all have: (a) the same ribbed cathedral-like atrium (b) same elliptical/oval shape (c) all are white (d) most have moving parts resembling wings w/hydraulics - - except w/this Florida building - - 2) placing aluminum shades over the glass canopy to prevent it from being a hot greenhouse (then why make it a glass ceiling if it’s going to be covered by a second layer to _block the glass ceiling?)_ 3) rimming the perimeter with a 39 ft steel pergola (1:02) to block “sun + wind” is false - - because the sun +/wind will travel right through it. It’s just an excuse to clad the exterior with a fanciful chevron pattern. At least they should just say what it actually is (not some phony baloney utility that it clearly isn’t) Guess this is just his schtick

[@dmlevitt]

the water is coming people.

[@dillpickle5616]

Ya Florida at this point is a waste of time and effort for anything other then Atlantis

[@Dramn_]

@@dillpickle5616 ima start a boating and fishing company in florida

[@dillpickle5616]

@@Dramn_ find property in the middle of the state so your family can keep your fishing business going

[@Dramn_]

@@dillpickle5616 it's gotta be like a pick up and go kinda thing ykno

[@Unqualifiedtake]

"But the fourth one stayed up"

[@chaoticneutral7573]

Bruh why they use this 🥵 emoji ?

[@abhi_sh3_k]

coz this building looks 🥵🥵

[@hunk-n-junkcustompressedst1502]

Seems like a tremendous expense for only 26 classrooms doesn't it? I mean wow..

[@silverman6363]

26 classrooms, labs, auditorium and lecture space, and offices.

[@i_am_a_freespirit]

Wow, will it withstand hurricanes? Will it withstand water level rise?

[@pamelapiorko6634]

Future smart city

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

watch out for the mosquitos.

[@flameshadowwolf5387]

So uh, how are they gonna keep out gators?

[@dustintacohands1107]

Beautiful but how many alligators In those lakes hehe

[@wildwadew8878]

about 2 actually, they stay away from the students mostly

[@StarBlasto]

@@wildwadew8878 yeah, they are chill gators. I like seeing them swim around.

[@lorenzoblum868]

And 0 solar panels? Florida?

[@ronniewilliz153]

Why couldn't they of just tinted the Windows. This is a really cool building tho not gonna lie. Born and raised in FL.

[@AFloridaSon]

They are destroying Florida's ecosystems. This is _not_ "cool". This is a travesty.

[@redenginner]

The campus looks pretty but I would not recommend the school. Its located in the middle of nowhere with few amenities, a corrupt admin,shoddily built dorms,and god awful professors. The lack of tenure has scared off most of the talented professors and the admin illegally fired several of the pro union professors which where some of the best.

[@Dramn_]

Won't the land around the pillars shift??? What about the flooding? How dangerous is it for random students to get there? Is there literally anything for modern human living in the area? Do they have a medical staff for when people contract diseases from the insects? Do they have ways of dealing with man hunting predators?

[@noneofyourbeeswax01]

The only "man-hunting predators" in Florida are other humans.

[@Dramn_]

@@noneofyourbeeswax01 Um.... no

[@noneofyourbeeswax01]

@@Dramn_ "No" is not a particularly convincing argument. Can you name any of these purported man-hunting predators to be found in Florida?

[@silverman6363]

Florida Poly is in the city of Lakeland (115K pop), located in Polk County (765K pop), which sits 40 miles east of Tampa, 40 miles west of Orlando along the I-4 corridor with a population over 7 million. Hardly the middle of nowhere.

[@wildwadew8878]

1. From what i've heard from my professor, the building is sinking ever so slightly. 2. There have been some massive hurricanes, but the lakes are not that deep, the lowest bridges have only barely gotten water on them. 3. I don't see how it would be dangerous? there are very wide, not very tall bridges leading to the building, I don't believe a single person has ever fallen in. 4. This is only technically in the middle of nowhere, there are two dorm buildings about 500 feet away, and a publix about 15 minutes away. 5. We do have a medical staff, but regardelss, diseases are not particularly a concern in florida. Also, the lakes have a fountain system that circulates the water to deter mosquitos. I get bit on surprisingly few occasions. 5. If you are referring to the alligators, they are very chill, only about 2 small ones on campus. There are signs warning against swimming and if any large gators get too close to walking paths they are typically relocated by animal control.

[@juniorstarks7494]

First

[@ronniewilliz153]

But yet they told us we cpuldnt develope the land but yet the govt can, of course that's how it goes it's crazy the govt can build on protected land of they leave 15 or 20% of the land natural then it's fine but no one else can lol. Gotta love how the govt works sometimes lol. This is really cool tho.

[@SanguineThor]

GUBERMENT BAD

[@mariebarker4499]

God bless everyone! Everyone please make sure you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! He is coming soon! Please don't be left behind! Repent and accept Jesus! JESUS LOVES YOU! John 3:16, Revelation 20:15, 1 Corrinthians 15 1-4

[@Dramn_]

You are a heretic.