Josu茅 Robles, a 2007 Master of Architecture graduate who served the School of Architecture & Community Design in multiple faculty roles since 2012, passed away on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the age of 47.
Professor Josu茅 Robles was born in Puerto Rico during 1978. He earned a Master of Architecture from University of South Florida鈥檚 (USF) School of Architecture & Community Design (SACD) in 2007 and a Master of Science in Building and Urban Design in Development at UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, London in 2011. He returned to Tampa and served the SACD as an Adjunct Instructor, Visiting Assistant Professor, Research Associate, and recently as Assistant Professor in Instruction. In architecture practice, he contributed to projects while employed with Tampa Bay firms SchenkelSchultz Architecture, Mesh Architecture, Halflants + Pichette, and Hayes Cumming Architects. He consulted for Thinking Development Ltd, London.
In his roles at the SACD, Prof. Robles championed community-engaged design, urban design, and urban regeneration through his research and teaching activities completed through the Florida Center for Community Design and Research. He and his students completed projects for numerous local governments and non-governmental organizations. These include the City of St. Petersburg, the Ruskin Development Foundation, the Florida Home Partnership, the Tampa Housing Authority, New Life Village, Celebrate Outreach, and the NAACP.
Prof. Robles taught Advanced Urban Design and Core Design 3 studio courses as well as Research Methods and Contemporary Latin-American Architecture. He advised numerous master鈥檚 projects / thesis students. His contributions to the SACD, the College of Design, Art & Performance (CDAP), and USF included serving as a USF Faculty Senator and co-organizing the highly successful 2024 SACD Latin American Architecture Symposium that included Bernardes Arquitetura, Longhi Architects, and Jorge Rigau.
Colleagues, students, and alumni remember Prof. Robles as a kindhearted mentor, colleague, and friend who was equally as funny as he was intelligent. He approached his work both in and out of USF with eagerness, joy, and excellence. He is remembered for his commitment to connecting SACD with local communities, aiming to improve quality of life through architecture and community design. He has left a significant imprint on USF鈥檚 School of Architecture and Community Design and is already dearly missed.
Prof. Robles is survived by his daughter Savannah and his wife Joana Andrea Marin Galeano. The USF College of Design, Art & Performance and School of Architecture & Community Design will host a celebration of life on campus.
Celebration of Life
Date: January 23, 2026
Location: School of Music Concert Hall Lobby
3755 USF Holly Drive, Tampa, FL 33620
Parking: Lots 9C and 3D
Time: 6:00 pm 鈥� 7:30 pm
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