Top Left: (From left) FSW alumna Nayaly Maldonado and former student Isabelle Martinez at the entrance of the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery.
Top Right: Rendering of the newly renovated band lab, designed for superior acoustic performance.
Bottom Left: Rendering of the Arts Corridor, designed to showcase student artwork.
Bottom Right: (From left) FSW alumna Nayaly Maldonado and former student Isabelle Martinez outside of a new classroom extension in Building L.
Since 1979, Building L on the Florida SouthWestern State College Lee Campus has shaped generations of musicians, artists and creators. Now, two former FSW students are returning to help shape the building’s next chapter. For Skanska project engineer Isabell Martinez, the $16.5 million renovation of the 57,000-square-foot building — also known as Humanities Hall — is more than a construction assignment. It is a return to the campus that helped start her career. “Returning to FSW’s Lee Campus in this role as a project engineer has been incredibly meaningful,” Martinez said. “As a former FSW student, I never imagined I would one day help transform a building that will inspire future generations.” For Martinez, the project is personal. For the college, it is a major effort to modernize a decades-old academic and creative space. “The goal of this remodel is to modernize an aging facility to better meet today’s technology standards, teaching expectations and operational demands,” said Amber Evans, FSW director of construction management. When students step through the doors in fall 2027, they will experience renovated classrooms, art labs, music and recording spaces, a black box theater and new lounge areas designed for collaboration. Among the building’s most innovative features is a state-of-the-art Skyfold acoustic vertical retractable wall system. At the push of two buttons, two traditional classrooms can be transformed into one large multipurpose space, providing greater flexibility for performances and special events while improving sound control throughout the building. Student work will also take center stage in the new Arts Corridor, a dedicated gallery space featuring track lighting and recessed display cases. The renovation also reimagines a campus cornerstone: the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery. The gallery, a treasured campus and community cultural space, is named for pioneering American multimedia artist Robert “Bob” Rauschenberg. The gallery has long connected FSW students and the Southwest Florida community with contemporary art, including world premiere exhibitions developed in close collaboration with Rauschenberg during his lifetime. “Bob Rauschenberg was a world-renowned artist, but also a local Lee County resident,” said Jade Dellinger, FSW director of exhibitions and collections. “He took a significant interest in supporting our efforts and world-premiering his art with great regularity in our gallery for nearly three decades until his death in 2008.” Dellinger noted that Rauschenberg personally installed segments of his seminal “1/4 Mile or Two Furlong Piece” in the gallery long before the work was exhibited in major museums in New York, Los Angeles and China. The current renovation, which includes new floors, walls, ceilings and updated security, ensures the space remains a world-class venue. “Rauschenberg once said, ‘Fort Myers is as small as your mind is. It can be just as large as the world is!’” Dellinger said. “This renovation is important for future generations to know and understand his art.” Martinez sees Building L becoming a creative hub designed to support student growth and expression for years to come. “Being able to combine the education I received here with the experience I’ve gained throughout my career to help bring this vision to life is truly a full-circle moment, and I’m honored to be part of its next chapter,” Martinez said. Martinez is not the only former student helping bring the project to life. For fellow Skanska project engineer Nayaly Maldonado, the project is a professional and personal milestone. “Coming back to FSW to help modernize Humanities Hall is especially meaningful because this campus helped shape my own future,” Maldonado said. “Knowing that future Buccaneers will benefit from these improvements makes this a project I’ll always be proud of.” As Martinez and Maldonado look at the modern classrooms and gallery areas they once walked as students, they see the impact of their work. The project is more than a construction assignment. It is a return to a campus that helped set their paths in motion. Funding note: The renovation was funded through a combination of Florida Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds and FSW capital improvement dollars.