Florida Tomorrow is a belief...
that sustainability is the essence of great design and meaningful interventions in our built and natural environments.
Knowledge and Training
The worlds of architects and builders often intersect, and at that
intersection you’ll find Domenic Scorpio.
Scorpio found training in both architecture and building construction in the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning and turned his blend of the two professions into a successful partnership with Gainesville’s PPI Construction Management.
He started as an undergraduate heading for a career in architecture. When he changed course upon entering graduate school, the college accommodated him. As a builder, he says, he draws on both disciplines.
“Having the architecture background made it much easier to read, understand and interpret 2-dimensional blueprints into 3-dimensional buildings,” says Scorpio, who received his bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1994 and master’s in building construction in 1998.
“A lot of what we do as builders is in the preconstruction or planning phase, working with architects, engineers and owners. With my architectural background, I can offer so much more,” he says. “As a builder, my role is not to critique design but to make suggestions that can save money without impacting the design. Having a degree in architecture allows me to better understand the architect’s perspective.”
His studies prepared him well for the world of building construction. In architecture, studio work is the main method for delivering education. In the first four studios, Scorpio says, the work is somewhat abstract. Four more studios follow as students get more deeply into the architecture curriculum. All are intense and time-consuming.
“For the first four studios, you are engaged artistically in an abstract fashion,” he explains. “You won’t hear the word ‘door’ or ‘window,’ nothing related to a real building. And once you’re in a design studio, that’s basically your home for the semester and the 20 or so students become your family, because a majority of your time is spent on projects.”
Scorpio’s father also was a builder, so returning to his roots in graduate school felt natural. UF students and alumni might recognize several projects in which Scorpio has had a hand, including the university’s baseball and basketball training facilities, the Genetics & Cancer Research Center and the HUB renovation. Scorpio often visits to speak to classes, and in 2006 the university named him an Outstanding Young Alumnus. He’s glad, he says, to have both an architectural and building construction perspective.
“I learned a way of thinking about space and how it’s defined through building,” Scorpio says. “The college undoubtedly trains you to be very creative.”
