Groundbreaking on a New Geauga County Office Building

Posted on November 3, 2020 at 8:58 pm.

Groundbreaking on a New Geauga County Office Building

ThenDesign Architecture gathered with over 30 people in Claridon township to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Geauga County office building to house city services.

On a windy day in late October, over 30 people gathered in Claridon township to celebrate the groundbreaking on a new Geauga County office building that will house city services. Beginning construction marks another milestone in the 4-plus year process for this project. In attendance were several county commissioners, such as the Board of Commissioners President, Tim Lennon, along with other county commissioners, Ralph Spidalieri, James Dvorak and others. The ceremony was led by County Administrator, Gerry Morgan, who gave remarks and it also included an appearance from Jerry Cirino, a county commissioner in neighboring Lake County. Those involved in the construction process, NV5’s Mark Seifried, ThenDesign Architecture’s Robert Fiala and Don Dreier of Donley’s Independence Construction spoke to support the project.

With a planned building occupancy in 2022, the 3-story office building is over 115,000 square feet and consolidates over a dozen Geauga County services in one building. With an exterior designed to complement the wooded site, this completed building will streamline the communication process between departments, encourage greater collaboration and provide an improved working environment to serve Geauga County for years to come. Those who spoke recognized the efforts of past commissioners, who purchased the land in the 1970’s, and dedicated it in the 1980’s.

Gerry Morgan, County Administrator praised the county leadership and their partners for guiding the project through ups and downs, addressing various roadblocks but pressing forward with development, ensuring a new building was feasible. A continual theme throughout the ceremony was praise for the dynamic team that made this large scale project possible. It was only through this collaboration that a successful design was created and that the team could move forward together with construction.

Tim Lennon praised the project, along with the collaborative efforts of University Hospitals and Geauga County: “There is much synergy between the hospital [University Hospitals] and County Services. You have the department of Aging, Job and Family Services, Veteran Services, just to name a few. The future potential for where we are standing today is huge…this can be a destination for residents of Geauga County and beyond, providing not only Health and County Services, but potentially business opportunities as well.”

"This is a big day, an historic day. A milestone of brick and mortar. This building will be a building of service to the people, and it will show a sense of community, a sense of pride, and it will help produce the Geauga way of life."

James Dvorak

Geauga County Commissioner

NV5, an architectural and engineering firm which serves as an owner’s representative will continue to work with ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) and Donley’s Independence Construction to see the project through completion. Representatives from all the respective firms attended, looking forward to what the new Geauga County office will mean for the county.

Lake County recently completed a 5-story office building in Painesville, Ohio that consolidated many county services under one roof. Jerry Cirino described the benefits of this approach. “What’s most important, and I think it’ll be the same for you, is it has allowed us to provide better services, more efficient services to the taxpayers of our county. I’m sure your residents are going to find the same thing here. The flow of information, the flow of paying fees and getting documentation done is going to be much improved by having more under one roof. So, you’ll enjoy that, the taxpayers will enjoy it and I’m looking forward to seeing the progress of this project, until its completion.”

The architect’s renderings show open interiors, views to the exterior and a variety of common areas and meeting spaces for office workers. Many of those in attendance looked forward to relocating and enjoying the updated interior of the facility.

Project Renderings:

In a testament to the fiscal responsibility of the administrators involved in this project, it is being funded out of the current general fund budget, so there will no new taxes as a result of the new facility. Tim Lennon states: “I have to mention that I am very proud of that from the very beginning discussions four years ago, the commissioners made it criteria “number one” that we do this project within current general fund budget. That means no new taxes. No new taxes! That’s a heck of a statement to make in today’s day and age in government and with the scope and size of this project. That is unheard of.”

An overall tone of cooperation was present among the commissioners in attendance. Ralph Spidalieri, a Geauga County Commissioner, commented: “It is pretty humbling to see all of the people that are here representing Geauga County from our different departments and residents of this community. Everybody that seems to be a part of this community, wants to see us continue to move forward.” James Dvorak, another commissioner stated: “I look forward to watching this building being constructed, and for the future, when this building will provide a great space for the County employees to work to provide the necessary services to the citizens of this great county. Yes, this is a big day, an historic day. A milestone of brick and mortar. This building will be a building of service to the people, and it will show a sense of community, a sense of pride, and it will help produce the Geauga way of life.”

The new Geauga County office building, located at Ravenswood and Merritt Roads, is slated to be completed in 2022. For additional information, visit the Geauga Maple Leaf’s article.

Let’s work together to make education better. Interested in speaking with us? Get in touch!

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Design Collaboration is a Necessity

Posted on October 23, 2020 at 6:17 pm.

Written by Ryan Caswell

Design Collaboration is a Necessity

Excellent design ideas can come from the most unlikely places. Throughout TDA’s design process, we engage individuals of all types in our projects. Chris Smith, TDA’s president, shares his insight into our process, the designers, and collaboration in public architecture.

In architecture, design collaboration is a necessity for a project’s outcome. This is especially important when designing buildings such as a school or municipal office. As in virtually every other creative endeavor, combining deep technical experience with a process that identifies challenges and incorporates feedback produces the most successful results.

Chris Smith, the president at ThenDesign Architecture, started in 1998 as a 28-year-old intern. Having come from a large, international design firm, he was drawn to the idea that through thoughtful, insightful and selfless design, architects could improve the lives of students by creating better spaces.

TDA: Why are you passionate about designing educational architecture?

Chris Smith: Architecture can be a very self-focused, egotistical profession. Since there’s artistry to it, the artist’s name rides along with the project and often times is the name of the firm itself. What attracted me to TDA from the beginning was that it wasn’t named after the leadership of the firm, but rather a concept that we were in the “thinking business,” not simply the “drawing business.” So now that I am the president of the company, not having my name on the door continues the legacy for what drew me here in the first place.

Our focus is the design of publicly owned facilities such as schools, municipal buildings, and recreation centers. We’re not charged with designing for one person; we’re tasked with designing for the greater public good. That involves collaborating with the community, with students, with teachers, with parents and the community at large, groups you may not think have a voice in architectural design. Our “client” is ultimately the many generations of students who will learn and thrive in these spaces.

I find that I am most gratified when I can help others succeed. Creating a lasting piece of architecture that improves student’s lives, impacting more people than we ever could touch physically. So that just builds on our core value of always seeking ways to help others succeed.

If you talk to any teacher or educator you find out that 98% of their job is finished if they can inspire a child to learn. If we can help in any small way ... then we're helping our teachers achieve their mission.

-Chris Smith

How does TDA encourage a collaborative design process?

Chris Smith: The design process at TDA is unique in our industry. In a typical firm, often an architect or designer singularly authors the design. However, we believe collaborative design produces a better product for our publicly-owned facilities. We approach our projects as a design team, with several architects working together. This diversity of perspective is what makes our design solutions strong. Even though there is a project manager who leads the group, the end result is never a single person’s idea.

We also engage with our clients and school communities throughout the project and really try to identify design challenges and opportunities early in the project. It’s that “problem-seeking” curiosity which drives our design process. Collaboration is a necessity and identifying where we can improve a district’s curriculum and student engagement through architectural design is the goal of this process. Sometimes that engagement takes a long time. However, it helps us better understand the district while simultaneously improving our designs.

Our philosophy is when your building is finished, you will have authored the design. So that’s why we don’t have our names on our doors or even titles on our business cards. Only through collaborative and selfless design can we truly create spaces for the greater good.

We believe that good ideas can come from anywhere and anybody. We've had the strangest ideas come from the coolest places.

-Chris Smith

How do educators and communities participate in our collaborative design process?

Chris Smith: If you talk to any teacher or educator you find out that 98% of their job is finished if they can inspire a child to learn. If we can help in any small way by creating an inspirational space, something that makes a teacher’s job easier or a student’s job more fun, then we’re helping our teachers achieve their mission.

There is a symbiotic relationship that inherently exists between a school district and their community. The community trusts the district to educate their children in a safe, effective, and efficient manner. The district trusts the community to provide the funding and support to do so. In the design process, we believe this trust between the school district and the community plays a large role in a successful project. It is incumbent upon the community to trust the professional educators to drive the layout of the spaces within the building. Likewise, the district must trust the community to provide valuable feedback on the exterior aesthetics of the building–how the site could best integrate with pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles, location of playgrounds and ball fields. Only through the recognition, promotion and incorporation of this trust can a project involve all stakeholders in the design of a new school facility.

Our philosophy is when your building is finished, you will have authored the design.

-Chris Smith

What is an example of an unlikely design idea and where did it come from?

Chris Smith: We believe that good ideas can come from anywhere and anybody. So when we conduct “in-house charrettes” and collaborative design sessions, we don’t limit these to just the architects and administrators. Anybody is welcome to participate. We’ve had the strangest ideas come from the coolest places.

Some years back, we were investigating school security [the potential of armed intruders] and we were on the forefront of designing security guidelines for school buildings in Ohio. During one of our Educational Visioning Sessions, we received a brilliant idea from a young student. The student came up with an idea to color code the building so that if there was an intruder in their elementary school, they could call the authorities and state, “The bad person is in the red part of the building and moving into the blue part of the building.” That led to some very intuitive design standards that are still employed today. That wonderful idea came from a third-grade student. So, the educational design process surrounding school buildings is a very collaborative process, not only between our professional architects and designers, but amongst all stakeholders.

TDA, as a group of creative professionals, work to design and build the “next generation” educational and municipal facilities that are environmentally friendly, contextually rooted and inspiring to inhabit. Understanding that collaboration is a necessity, we look forward to working together with school districts, educators, and communities to design the educational facilities of the future.

Let’s work together to make education better. Interested in speaking with us? Get in touch!

Chris Smith

President

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Chris Smith

Chris Smith serves as President of ThenDesign Architecture, providing strategic direction for the firm, executive oversight on projects and fostering culture for staff. For over 20 years, he’s cultivated a passion for educational design. He participated in the 2000 and 2004 US Olympic Trials, serves as a coach and mentor for athletes and is dedicated to lifelong learning.

Reimagining Memorial Junior High School – A New Chapter

Posted on September 11, 2020 at 5:56 pm.

Written by Ryan Caswell

Reimagining Memorial Junior High School – A New Chapter

At a time when historic buildings are sometimes not valued, a small piece of downtown Willoughby is being repurposed as an architecturally symbolic landmark in our city.

Across the nation, cities large and small are faced with the difficult decision of how to deal with structures dating from the turn of the century. In many cases these structures haven’t been maintained well, with damaged facades and interiors which are difficult to use in modern settings. When the costs to update it outweigh the building’s usefulness, it will either sit vacant or be demolished. However, as these beautiful old structures disappear, so does the history and collective story surrounding that structure. Entire neighborhoods can suffer when landmarks that define a particular “place” are erased.

One landmark in Willoughby Ohio, is Memorial Junior High School. Sitting between the converging roads of River and Center Street, this old school faces downtown Willoughby and can easily be seen from Wes Point Park and by pedestrians. The building which has been standing for 95 years, appears in many of Willoughby’s early photography and is known by almost everyone in the community.

Named “Memorial” after soldiers who died in battle since the Civil War, this brick structure was a school for junior high school students at its initial opening in 1925. As the population of Willoughby grew in the late 1950’s, a new high school was built on Shankland Road on the site of the former Chandler Farm. The former high school next door became the Junior High School and Memorial became its annex. It continued to serve as the Junior High School until 1972, when it transitioned to a vocational school and career center.

For the last several years, the building has fallen into disrepair and sat abandoned and vacant—until recently.

Exterior:

ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) is reimagining Memorial Junior High School near downtown Willoughby to renovate the structure and move our offices to that location.

TDA, is an architectural, planning and design firm that has operated in Willoughby for almost 70 years. For the last 21 years, we were in the Carrel Building, another historic structure constructed in 1885. With the expansion of our 60 + staff and operations, we needed a new home.

Our two partners of the firm, Chris Smith and Bob Fiala, have led the firm’s growth and expansion. Chris Smith who serves as our president, joined the firm in 1998, and was named partner in 2004, as part of a well-crafted succession plan. Bob Fiala, who currently serves as the Mayor of Willoughby, is no longer involved in the day to day operations but provides strategic oversight and helps to maintain the culture. They both appreciate the historic character of downtown and sought to maintain that aesthetic with this new facility.

In fact, the project manager for the building’s renovation, Jeff Henderson is a longtime member of the community and former Memorial Junior High School Alumni. He never thought he would come back to school this way, but we feel we couldn’t have picked a better leader for the design team.

Studio Space:

While there are significant challenges associated with renovating this beautiful 24,000 sqft structure for our use, the design team is working to maintain both the unique characteristics of the building, while updating and modernizing the facility for the 21st century. Our design philosophy on this site involves showcasing the many intricate details of construction that went into the building. As our team developed designs for both the interior and exterior of the space, we found many opportunities to highlight the historic construction materials, while modernizing it for a fast paced, technically progressive architecture firm. Instead of finishing the construction details, many of the old ceilings, walls and finishes throughout the structure are remaining exposed. This in effect makes our new headquarters a living museum, showcasing not only current architectural designs but historic ones as well.

The completed reimagining of Memorial Junior High School includes an open mezzanine studio space with high open ceilings, a multipurpose recording studio, an open and flexible gathering space and classroom along with boardrooms and offices. Technologically, the building is being retrofitted with high speed internet connections, audio, and video hookups, along with the electrical connections needed to support all the advanced tools in the creative design fields. This unique office environment is designed with modern workspaces in mind, while preserving and celebrating the character of the historic building. This is a complete reimagining of Memorial Junior High School.

Interior Spaces and Stairwells:

With TDA’s role in educational facilities’ design and our involvement in downtown Willoughby, this move has been both a symbolic and practical one for us. Having worked with over 120 school districts in Cleveland and the surrounding areas, educators and administrators rely on our expertise in architecture, master planning and educational visioning. We felt a strong connection to this beautiful historic school building when considering locations for our new facility. Not only can we renovate this piece of history, cementing its future in the community, but also celebrate the significance of using a historic school as our new headquarters to continue innovating in educational design.

In order to stay updated on construction and future plans, subscribe to our newsletter and social channels to see what is next for this beautiful structure and the ever-changing field of education.

Building Details:

Do you have memories of this historic building? We would love to hear them. Reach out and let us know.

ThenDesign Architecture

Let’s work together to make education better. Interested in speaking with us? Get in touch!

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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ThenDesign Architecture – Imagining Better Ways to Educate

Posted on September 1, 2020 at 8:55 pm.

Written by Ryan Caswell

ThenDesign Architecture: Imagining Better Ways to Educate

ThenDesign is an architecture firm located in downtown Willoughby. For over 30 years, we have been pioneering educational facilities in Northeast Ohio. Focusing on the evolving design of educational buildings and imagining better ways to educate, we specialize in architecture, planning and interior design. Get to know our team!

ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) is an architectural, planning and interior design firm that has been involved in cutting edge educational and municipal facility design, established 68 years ago. A firm with over 50 employees, it is comprised of licensed architects, architectural designers, construction managers, interior designers and communications specialists. Focused on the evolving design of educational buildings and imagining better ways to educate, TDA employees specialize in community master planning, architectural design, construction management, project financing, bond campaign assistance, as well as marketing, public relations and video production. Since the company’s inception, TDA has worked with over 120 school districts, along with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) in Northeast Ohio and established themselves as leaders in school design–pioneering this field by rethinking how educational spaces could be imagined.

The firm, headed by two partners, Bob Fiala and Chris Smith, have assembled a group of international creative professionals in the Cleveland area that come from 7 different countries, which employ skillsets that span the AEC industry. Their design philosophy is simple. “Think, Design, Act.” They are driven by an insatiable desire to learn and ask a series of “What if?” questions. They seek to deeply understand the needs of a project and doing so create a “tailor made solution.” This is woven into the fabric of the community, fostering a sense of “place” in its environmental context.

Some History

TDA was originally founded as Huston Associates in 1951 by the late architect, Bruce Huston. Based in Willoughby, Huston Associates was a recognized leader in educational facility design. In 1989, Huston retired and Robert (Bob) Fiala, a former employee of Huston Associates, became the managing partner and renamed the firm ThenDesign Architecture. In 1998, Chris Smith joined the firm. He was named partner in 2004 as part of a well-crafted succession plan.

Mr. Fiala, the firm’s founding partner, now is also the recently elected Mayor of the City of Willoughby. He feels a deep responsibility to build an economically strong and vibrant city and give back by to the community through his tireless service, civic leadership and the promotion of education and the arts. Even though he no longer works directly, in the day to day operations of TDA, he continues to provide strategic leadership and enhance the firm’s culture. He brings a deep belief that by designing the best education and municipal buildings possible, we can impact the lives of people in our community for years to come.

Good Design Matters

We believe that good design begins with intentional thinking and this mindset transcends architecture to touch everything we do. We can find good design anywhere, whether it is “rocking out” to an inspiring guitar ballad, enjoying challenging park trail or holding our favorite coffee mug. Good design enriches lives. We recognize our responsibility to enhance the environment through our architectural efforts. From schools and hotels to sports parks and retirement centers, we have fun in the collaborative, creative process. We love challenging educators, stakeholders and the public to be a part of our projects, by collaborating and imagining better ways to educate. By using this approach, we strengthen the fabric of each community, ensuring a useful structure for many decades to come.

A common question we get from clients and the public is: “Who designs your building?” While, many architectural firms have one “primary designer,” this often results in every building looking the same, despite the fact it’s grounded in a completely different place. TDA is different in design approach. Each building we produce is a collaborative effort among our designers, consultants, and many in the community.

We recognize our responsibility to enhance the environment through our architectural efforts. From schools and hotels to sports parks and retirement centers, we have fun in the collaborative, creative process.

ThenDesign Architecture

"Educational Visioning Sessions"

Early phases of design include “Educational Visioning Sessions.” These unique events bring together teachers, students, administrators, board members, local safety forces and local clergy to discuss the project, imagine possibilities and ultimately serve as the genesis of the design. Ideas and concerns generated by these participants are captured as they are shared in round-table discussions and other activities. Grassroots ideas from those who will actually be using the new structure are distilled and ultimately presented to decision-makers (whether that is a school superintendent, mayor or other administrative representative). We encourage all parties involved to begin imagining better ways to educate. This is why TDA is different. This is why districts return to us again and again to provide architectural services–because we listen to our client’s needs. We empower them to drive the initial designs which results in a product that best meets their needs and produces a completely unique building.

This diversity of input is a hallmark of our design strategy and one element that strengthens our portfolio.

Imagining Better Ways to Educate

Design doesn’t stop at the built world, it continues throughout the education process. During the planning and construction phases of design, TDA engages educators who ultimately will use the new building in training sessions in anticipation of the project’s completion. At these events, a team of project designers, along with future occupants, attend a series of meetings dedicated to coaching and professional development. These sessions include, brainstorming activities and interactive projects, all geared towards training educators and administrators on the best ways to engage students in these new spaces. They are invaluable for collaboratively rethinking the way educational spaces can be used to promote student learning. This crucial component is a link between the early “Educational Visioning Sessions” and a fully occupied building. Then, through exit interviews and teacher surveys, we measure how these architectural designs impact the education experience. We have found significant benefits such as reduced behavioral issues in the classroom, increased teaching time, and additional opportunities for student engagement. All of these ensure that each student receives the best education possible.

In short, we intentionally emphasize the people and their experience as much as the building itself.

Virtual Staff Meeting

TDA, as a group of creative professionals, work to design and build the "next generation" educational and municipal facilities that are environmentally friendly, contextually rooted and inspiring to inhabit.

Chris Smith

At the core of our practice, we believe people are the most important aspect of every project. Whether it is satisfying our clients, or celebrating and empowering our diverse staff, a “people first design” permeates our culture and designs.

Our staff constantly pushes boundaries in design, acquiring new techniques, implementing technology and building support for your long-term plans.

We are not only designers, but educators and want to help every client understand the process and how it affects them for years to come.

Driving Architecture, Education and Community

We continue to address the challenges facing school districts, educators, and communities of the future and are committed to imagining better ways to educate.

Let’s work together to make education better. Interested in speaking with us? Get in touch!

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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A Virtual Groundbreaking: Brecksville Celebrates Construction of New School

Posted on July 21, 2020 at 9:44 pm.

Written by Ryan Caswell

A Virtual Groundbreaking: Brecksville Celebrates Construction of New School

ThenDesign celebrates the groundbreaking of a new educational facility in Brecksville.

In order to stay safe and hamper the spread of Covid-19, large gatherings and public events are largely being limited to halt the spread of the virus. However, that does not mean that all design and construction phases have been stopped. While districts, designers and construction officials may be in a difficult moment, safety measures can be put in place, so a variety of projects continue moving forward. Across Ohio, administrators and districts continue to plan for additional school projects with several groups in the Cleveland area moving forward with construction projects.

One such city, Brecksville, Ohio, marked the beginning of construction of their new Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools’ PreK-5 facility on July 21st with a ceremonial groundbreaking on a hot and overcast day. This project, which follows principles in modern educational design, offers students a variety of opportunities for collaboration, technology integration, and multi-purpose learning spaces to further their education. Several dozen dignitaries from the city, the school superintendent, as well as the mayor and many other design and construction team members, attended to celebrate the commencement of construction. Following comments made by Superintendent Joelle Magyar, the Honorable Mayor Jerry Hruby thanked citizens for their support of the project and highlighted all that this new facility can provide students in the future. Ceremonial shovels (spaced six feet apart) were used to move the first bits of earth and posed for pictures.

With the distancing guidelines in effect, the event was captured from a variety of camera angles and live streamed to social media for parents and students to take part. An aerial video system (drone) took footage of the construction site and event, while several additional angles were captured on the ground for post-production.

In order to support the district, the design team from TDA, attended. Chris Smith, Ryan Schmit, Mia Katz and Jeff Crocker who completed the design phases of the building attended with a photographer. The project now enters construction administration and TDA is working closely with Shook Construction to ensure the building is completed successfully. The entire team is committed to supporting the district from all aspects of production, whether that is in design, construction, or communication.

"School buildings have the opportunity to serve as hubs for the community and serve the population for decades to come..."

ThenDesign Architecture

These types of groundbreaking events are key to furthering public support, communicating the project’s progress, and provide an avenue to bringing teachers, parents, and students inside the process. School buildings have the opportunity to serve as hubs for the community and serve the population for decades to come and TDA works with stakeholders, engaging the community to ensure the end product is a well-designed space that makes a positive impact in on students’ lives for years to come.

We are all navigating through a challenging time due to the pandemic. Our work helping districts plan to reopen the schools in the fall, and assisting those communities that continue to plan for educational opportunities for their students and staff, will help them to confidently move forward from a position of newfound safety and strength.

Let’s work together to make education better. Interested in speaking with us? Get in touch!

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

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Chris Smith

Recent Posts:

Chris Smith

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

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Some History

Good Design Matters

"Educational Visioning Sessions"

Imagining Better Ways to Educate

Virtual Staff Meeting

Driving Architecture, Education and Community

Ryan Caswell

Recent Posts:

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Recent Posts:

Ryan Caswell