USF Malloy Pavilion Recognized with National Engineering Award

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) recently presented Malloy Pavilion with an IDEAS Award for Excellence in Engineering for the technical achievement behind the project.

AISC was founded in 1921 and quickly became the leading authority on quality and standards for the steel construction industry. The prestigious IDEAS Award recognizes game-changing, visually captivating, and sustainable projects that showcase the creative possibilities of construction with structural steel.

The institute highlighted the extraordinary engineering feat required to build the facility atop an existing 1960s-era parking garage. Designed to appear as though it floats, the structure was engineered to avoid contact with the garage below and remain fully seismically compliant. 

Malloy Pavilion was made possible by a generous $5 million gift from Tom Malloy ’61 and his wife Sharon in 2014, a pivotal investment in the institution's Changing the World from Here campaign. This philanthropic support reflects the enduring impact of alumni generosity in advancing the institution’s mission and expanding opportunities for future generations of Dons.

“This is not the first time Malloy Pavilion has been recognized,” said JJ Thorp, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management. “The structural design was incredibly creative. Using a large cantilever minimized the loss of parking underneath. Structurally, it doesn’t touch the garage, and it’s set back from the street, which was important to the surrounding neighborhood.”

Opened in 2023, Malloy Pavilion features three full-size NCAA basketball courts, three full-size volleyball courts, and angled glass walls that allow abundant natural light. A pedestrian walkway connects the pavilion to the Sobrato Center’s War Memorial Gymnasium where USF’s Athletics Hall of Fame is showcased. 

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