Alberto Alfonso AIA is a founding principal and president of Alfonso Architects, an architecture firm located in

Ybor City Ybor City ( ) is a historic neighborhood just northeast of downtown Tampa, downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez Ybor and other cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mai ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, United States. Born in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, Alfonso was educated at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

where he received his M.A. He founded Alfonso Architects, Inc. with his brother Carlos and partner Angel del Monte. Alfonso's interest in modernist architecture developed at an early age as he was raised in the house of an architect: his father Carlos E. Alfonso, Sr. Alfonso, Sr. began his career in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. Alberto Alfonso received the 1987 Eduardo Garcia Award from the Florida Central chapter of

The American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

as well as firm of the year in 2003 and 2007. Recent projects recognized by the State of Florida AIA Design Awards program include design work for

Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective May 15, 2025. The airp ...

Airside C,

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

Global Technology Center,

University of South Florida College of Medicine University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of the University of South Florida. It is located in north Tampa, Florida and serves the greater Tampa Bay Area. Established by the Florida Legislature in 196 ...

Center for Advanced Healthcare Frank and Carol Morsani Center, the University of South Florida Medical Office Building, Mission of St. Mary Chapel, the University of South Florida School of Psychology building, The Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center and the

Tampa Covenant Church Tampa Covenant Church is an Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Lake Magdalene, Florida. The building was designed by Alberto Alfonso Alberto Alfonso AIA is a founding principal and president of Alfonso Architects, an architecture firm l ...

. The University of South Florida Polytechnic has named Alfonso as executive in residence and interim program development director for architecture and design. In his USF role, Alfonso's responsibilities will include developing the curriculum for the undergraduate program in architecture and design, conducting national and international searches for new incoming facility positions, planning for a study abroad program in France centered on the work of the late master architect Corbusier and developing national and international relationships with other Polytechnic programs. Alfonso is working in partnership with

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spaniards, Spanish-Swiss people, Swiss architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stad ...

on designing the new campus for USF Polytechnic in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...

. The bachelor's program in architecture and design at USF Polytechnic is part of the school's strategic plan to expand its programs as it prepares for the opening of its new campus. Alfonso's appointment runs from April 15, 2011, to June 30, 2015. Alfonso was one of four architects included in the book ''Four Florida Moderns'' by Saxon Henry. It includes an analysis of his work by the late New York architect,

Charles Gwathmey Charles Gwathmey (June 19, 1938 – August 3, 2009) was an American architect. He was a principal at Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, as well as one of the five architects identified as The New York Five in 1969. Gwathmey was perhaps be ...

. Alfonso is also included in ''

100 Florida Architects and Interior Designers 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

'' edited by

Damir Sinovcic Damir is a male given name. In the Balkans, Damir is popular among Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs in the former Yugoslav nations, where it is interpreted as a locally originated given name, derived from ''da-'' meaning "give" and ''mir'' meaning "p ...

. Alfonso is an exhibiting painter and has been a featured artist at

The Tuscan Sun Festival The Tuscan Sun Festival is an annual music and lifestyle festival in Florence, the capital of Tuscany in Italy. ''The Independent'' called the festival “One of the Ten Best Summer Arts Festivals in Europe”.' Described by the ''International He ...

2010 and 2011 in

Cortona Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo. Toponymy Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan language, Etr ...

, Italy. In December 2010 Alfonso's paintings were exhibited at The Morean Arts Center, in a collaborative exhibition titled “Painting the Poem, Poeming the Painting.” His other works, including a concrete etching and sculptured metal panels, can be found in the Nielsen Media Global Technology Center, the Mission of St. Mary Chapel, Carmel Café, and Tampa Covenant Church.

Selected architectural works

(2010) *

Airside C (2005) *The Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center (2010) *

Global Technology Center (2002) *

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

Center for Advanced Healthcare Frank and Carol Morsani Center *

School of Psychology building (2005) *

Medical Office Building

Artwork

*Featured artist,

*"St. Francis and the Angel", oil (2009) featured in

*"Prolegomena to Any Future Metamorphoses", watercolor (2010) featured in

*"Man Handling Man Aging", watercolor (2010) featured in

*"And Diego Valasquez", watercolor (2010) featured in

Publications

*Chihuly Collection Presented by the Morean Arts Center, exhibition catalogue. Essay by Alberto Alfonso, AIA (2011) *100 Florida Architects and Interior Designers, Edited by Damir Sinovcic(2011) *Four Florida Moderns, by Saxon Henry, Norton (2010) Four Florida Moderns RGB.jpg , ''Four Florida Moderns''

Awards

* 2011 American Institute of Architects, H. Dean Rowe, FAIA Award for Design Excellence, Tampa Covenant Church * 2011 American Institute of Architects Tampa Bay Chapter, Merit Award of Excellence, The Chihuly Exhibition at the Morean Arts Center * 2011 Archdaily Building of the Year, Religious Category Winner, Tampa Covenant Church * 2010 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida, Award of Excellence for Renovations/Additions, Tampa Covenant Church * 2008 American Institute of Architects State of Florida Design Honor Award * 2007 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Firm of the Year Award * 2007 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Merit Award of Excellence, Sam Rampello Downtown School * 2006 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Honor Award of Excellence

- Airside “C” * 2006 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Merit Award of Excellence Mission of St. Mary * 2005 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Honor Award of Excellence Nielsen Media Research Phase II - Oldsmar, Florida * 2005 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Merit Award of Excellence

– Psychology/Communication Sciences & Disorders Building * 2005 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter H. Dean Rowe Award for Design Excellence Mission of Saint Mary * 2005 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Design Merit Award

– Airside "C" * 2004 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Award of Excellence

- Oldsmar, Florida * 2004 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Honor Award for Architecture

- Oldsmar, Florida * 2004 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Award of Excellence Photo Tech, Inc. - Sarasota, Florida * 2004 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Design Merit Award Photo Tech, Inc.- Sarasota, Florida * 2004 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Merit Award - Unbuilt Projects Sam Rampello Downtown Partnership School - Tampa, Florida * 2004 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Merit Award - Unbuilt Projects Mission of Saint Mary - Tampa, Florida * 2004 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Design Honor Award - Unbuilt Projects Mission of Saint Mary - Tampa, Florida * 2003 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards Firm of the Year Award * 2002 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Unbuilt Projects Nielsen Media Research Florida Campus, Oldsmar, Florida * 2001 The Planning Commission of Hillsborough County Outstanding Contribution Award - Urban Planning Centro Ybor - Ybor City/Tampa, Florida * 2001 The Planning Commission of Hillsborough County Outstanding Contribution Award - Historic Preservation/Restoration Centro Español - Ybor City/Tampa, Florida * 1999 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Built Projects Tampa Police Department District Offices * 1998 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Design Merit Award Jones Residence - Lake Tahoe, California * 1997 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Unbuilt Projects Tampa Police Department District Offices * 1997 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Unbuilt Projects Hillsborough Community College, Public Service Technology Building, Ybor City Campus * 1997 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter H. Dean Rowe, FAIA Award of Design Excellence Tampa Police Department District Substation Prototype * 1997 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter Design Awards Unbuilt Projects Honorable Mention Hillsborough Community College, Public Service Technology Building at the Ybor City Campus * 1996 American Institute of Architects, Tampa Chapter Design Awards - Built Projects - Honorable Mention Polypack Manufacturing Facility * 1996 Best of 1996 - Best New Architecture Weekly Planet, Special Edition Polypack Manufacturing Facility * 1995 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Built Projects

Tampa Museum of Art The Tampa Museum of Art is located in Downtown Tampa, downtown Tampa, Florida. It exhibits modern and contemporary art, as well as Art in Ancient Greece, Greek, Ancient Rome, Roman, and Etruscan civilization, Etruscan antiquities. The museum open ...

- Addition, Remodeling and Forecourt * 1995 Young Architect's Design Award University of Florida, College of Architecture Carlos J. Alfonso and Albert E. Alfonso * 1994 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Built Projects The Petrick House - Residential Division * 1994 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Unbuilt Projects Tampa Museum of Art - Addition, Remodeling and Forecourt * 1994 American Institute of Architects, State of Florida Design Awards - Built Projects Ybor Office Building Renovation - Commercial Division * 1987 American Institute of Architects, Florida Central Chapter Eduardo Garcia Award - Excellence in Architectural Design Albert E. Alfonso, AIA

References

External links

Alfonso Architects

Morean Arts Center

Tampa Covenant Church

Cortona, Italy

Eye on Italy Podcast: Tuscan Sun Festival with Alberto Alfonso and Edward Mayes

Tampa, Florida
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alfonso, Alberto 1958 births Living people Architects from Florida Cuban emigrants to the United States University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning alumni Businesspeople from Tampa, Florida Artists from Tampa, Florida