BSA’s Florida Roots Grow Deeper

BSA LifeStructures (BSA), a nationally recognized architecture and engineering firm, continues to develop its Florida footprint by opening a joint studio offering architecture and engineering services.

The joint studio opened in September, and BSA will hold a private holiday event this week to commemorate the opening.

The joint studio comes following BSA’s acquisition of Carastro & Associates earlier this year. BSA has conducted business in Florida since the late 1980s, initially focusing on long-term acute care hospitals across the state. In recent years, the firm has expanded its presence, welcoming Melanie Harris as Principal and National Healing Practice Director in April 2020 and Tim Wagoner as a Learning Principal in early 2023.

The Tampa Studio now includes 28 employees, and with BSA’s other studios in Austin, Denver, Indianapolis, Raleigh, and St. Louis, bring the firm’s headcount to over 200.

“What’s exciting for us is that building this studio alongside our new colleagues from Carastro speaks to the power of an integrated studio,” says Harris. “Taking what BSA is known for and placing it in Florida with local roots and expertise is a testament to our commitment to expanding our creative horizons.”

Founded in 1960 and located in Tampa, Florida, the former Carastro & Associates focuses on mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology engineering design services. In the decades that have followed, their business has grown into a well-established firm known for its expertise and dedication to clients.

Paul Carastro, an engineering Principal with BSA, has designed electrical systems for over 35 years in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida areas. “My father started the Carastro firm out of our house when I was born, and the irony is that the first project that helped him establish the firm is one that we’d come back and upgrade the electrical systems on 40 years later.”

“The acquisition was just such a natural fit,” says George Stefanovici, the Tampa Studio Director and Principal at BSA. “The reason our team has blended together so well over the past six months is why it made so much sense in the first place, starting with our similar cultures, total dedication to our clients, and focus on accountability.”