— CORAL GABLES, FL (February 23, 2015)

The Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building Will Include Fabrication Lab

Coastal Construction, a major builder in South Florida for three generations, has pledged $3.5 million to construct a state-of-the-art design studio at the University of Miami School of Architecture The gift will support Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami.

Tom Murphy, Jr., President and CEO of Coastal Construction, is passionate about supporting education in architecture, and in fact, got his start while a UM student, working on fraternity houses.

“My family has been building for four generations,” Murphy said. “Learning to design buildings using the latest technology in a collaborative environment is critical to being able to create cities and communities that will last. My family is proud to be able to provide this facility for UM students to learn to build, to create and to work together.”

The Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building will be LEED-certified and will include two studios, each of which can accommodate about 60 students. A fabrication lab and modern workstations, designed to inspire creativity and collaboration, are included as well. A lounge, computer lab, presentation areas, an auditorium space and offices are additional amenities. The building is being designed by world-renowned Miami architecture firm Arquitectonica, by a design team led by School of Architecture adjunct faculty member Raymond Fort and Arquitectonica principal Bernardo Fort-Brescia, who moved to Miami in 1975 to teach at the School of Architecture. The facility will occupy about 20,000 square feet, including outdoor workspace and an outdoor jury area, when completed.

“We are determined to provide our students with state-of-the-art facilities that sustain our traditions and enable innovation,” said Rodolphe el-Khoury, dean of the UM School of Architecture. “I can’t think of a better learning and working environment than the Studio Building – elegantly designed and masterfully engineered to house a field of activities under one sweeping roof – where our talented students can collectively immerse themselves in our studio culture. We are grateful to Tom Murphy and Coastal Construction for enabling us to take that culture to the next level.”

Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami seeks to advance learning, elevate scholarship, and make bold strides in health care in the community, across the country, and around the world. With a goal of raising $1.6 billion by 2016, Momentum2 comes on the heels of the institution’s record-breaking Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami, which concluded at the end of 2007 and raised more than $1.4 billion for endowed chairs and professorships, scholarships, facilities, academic and medical programs, and other initiatives.

About Coastal Construction
Award winning Coastal Construction Group and the Murphy family, have been building throughout Florida for three generations and is one of the leading builders in the state. Coastal operates in 11 markets and has significant experience in commercial, hospitality, single and multi-family residential, educational, government-related facilities and disaster recovery projects. Coastal has built more than 50 hotels and resorts in Florida, including the recently completed St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour, and SLS Hotel, Miami Beach. Coastal is currently building 27 projects in South Florida, including The Edition and Saxony Hotels, Miami Beach, and Oceana luxury residential community in Key Biscayne.

More information on Coastal can be found atwww.coastalconstruction.com.