Student-Centered Learning: A Catalyst for Revolutionizing Contemporary Education Design

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Student-Centered Learning: A Catalyst for Revolutionizing Contemporary Education Design
Student-Centered Design” is an architectural strategy in K-12 educational facilities that provides students a variety of spaces for individual and group work, flexible furniture, and modern technology. This empowers them to adapt their environment to how they learn best. Districts across the U.S. are incorporating these strategies into both their curriculum and schools while experiencing greater student satisfaction, fewer disciplinary issues and increased academic time.

Student-Centered Learning: A Catalyst for Revolutionizing Contemporary Education Design

All educators are challenged with identifying the best ways to teach and engage their students. New curriculum methods, school design and academic programs are tested and deployed to capitalize on how kids learn. Recently, more research has been devoted to understanding how a student’s academic success can be impacted by the layout of their physical space. This model, known as “Student-Centered Design,” empowers students to learn how they are most comfortable while providing flexible spaces for collaborative activities. It is currently being adopted by school districts across the United States.

The North Royalton City School District, located in Northeast Ohio, performed extensive Educational Visioning and community engagement to understand whether this style of facility would work for their community. They then embarked on a capital improvement program to develop their schools to support a “student-centered” learning approach. The program incorporated an addition and renovations to their high school, renovations to their middle school, and a consolidation of their 3 elementary schools into one new building. The North Royalton Elementary School is a $35 million, 148,000 sf, building that embodies these principles in its architecture and demonstrates how good educational design benefits each student’s educational outcome.

North Royalton Elementary School: Education in Motion
"I am excited for the kids who will have a combination of a traditional school arrangement and options for flexible activities in the collaborative spaces. I love what this building provides for our teachers and our kids."
Michael Laub
Superintendent of North Royalton City Schools

Developing Educational Environments

Trends in teaching styles, curriculum and school layout have changed over the decades, with “traditional” double loaded corridor schools appearing in the 50’s and 60’s, more “open concept schools” appearing in the 70’s and 80’s, and more technologically advanced buildings replacing blackboards with computer labs and white boards in the 2000’s. Each generation attempts to improve the educational opportunities for their students. Methods that served communities decades ago may not be relevant in today’s fast paced, technologically rich environment.

Since so much time is spent in a school, it is important for educators and architects to work closely together while determining how to best design a learning environment to serve a community’s needs for decades to come.

This is where using a model of “Student-Centered Learning” helps determine timeless priorities that will serve students no matter the decade.

Supporting the Educational Vision: North Royalton City Schools

What is "Student-Centered Learning?"

“Student-Centered Learning” is an educational model that focuses on how students retain information by encouraging collaboration and “active learning” in their day-to-day routines. This model emphasizes small group work between students and opportunities to work “hands on” with their peers and take a more self-directed, sensory approach to education. Students and teachers are encouraged to adapt spaces and furniture to accommodate small group discussions, large presentations and find new ways to collaborate.

“Many districts we talk with are moving towards a “Student-Centered” approach,” reflected Claire Bank, an architect with ThenDesign Architecture who worked on North Royalton’s new ES. “No one has a crystal ball to see the future, but it’s important we build flexibility into the space so it can transform as education transforms.”

In the past, spaces were designed to primarily support lecturing students, who were expected to retain information by listening and taking notes. As student retention has been studied and better understood, spaces have evolved to support the types of activities that help students to learn.

Different Approaches to Education

Education in the 1950's
Education in the 1990's
Education in the 21st Century

The Architectural Approach for "Student-Centered Learning"

In terms of architecture, a “traditional” school layout is characterized by similarly sized classrooms joined by a corridor. In this model, educators teach in a classroom with rows of desks facing the front of the room. Generally, it is inconvenient to rearrange furniture without wheels for small group activities and access to other spaces is limited. The traditional arrangement is good for “lecture style” learning but doesn’t provide easy options for collaboration and active learning.

Architecturally, “Student-Centered Design” calls for a range of flexible spaces that students and educators can easily adapt to change over time with new needs.

One major characteristic of this model is incorporating variously sized spaces and movable furniture specifically designed to accommodate the intended activities. This may include an open collaborative space with flexible soft seating for larger presentations and gatherings, a small group room that supports discussions between smaller groups of students, classrooms with movable walls, and project labs with high-capacity cabinetry and durable furniture to support creative projects. Each space incorporates modern technology including internet connected devices, touch screen projectors, powerful Wi-Fi, and other collaborative tools.

“I think back to our old buildings, and we loved our time there, but they were all the same, classroom after classroom,” recalls Kirk Pavelich, Principal of North Royalton Elementary School. “You come into our learning communities now, and there are all these different types of projects going on. We never could have done this before.”

The result of this model is educational spaces that provide teachers and students dynamic environments that can be easily adapted for movement and specialized lessons.

Traditional School and 21st Century Learning Models

Traditional Classroom Layout
21st Century Classroom Layout
"The new school is good for the community because it provides such a great space for their kids to learn. It's comfortable, it's flexible, and it makes the students excited to go to school and learn."
Claire Bank
Architect

North Royalton City Schools, Educational Visioning

The North Royalton City School District serves around 4,000 students. Faced with aging infrastructure, they decided they wanted to update their curriculum and facilities. For over a decade, the District conducted planning, educational conversations, and community engagements on what the future of education should look like for their community.

In 2015, an Educational Visioning session was held to explore this question and work through ideas with community members, teachers, city officials and District administrators. The result was a forward-thinking plan to redesign their high school as well as consolidate their elementary schools, combining them into a single educational facility to house PreK-fourth grade. Here principles of student-centered learning were discussed.

North Royalton City Schools: Educational Visioning Session

Leading up to and during the design process, ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) gathered information from the School District on how they envisioned education in their community. This crucial exercise provided insight into how the new facilities would be laid out.

It was here that a “student-centered approach” was adopted for both their curriculum and architecture.

TDA began laying out spaces to meet the vision shared by the District. Meeting regularly in building focus groups, educators at each grade level shared how they wanted the spaces to function for their students. Decisions from these groups were incorporated into the building designs. Operable partition locations, furniture choices, “teaching wall” placements, and storage options for classrooms were discussed and incorporated. The spaces were tailored to how teachers from those grades would operate.

These focus groups also toured facilities in surrounding districts, to see how they approached their new buildings.

Transitioning to this type of building model must be deliberately approached. Teachers in a learning community have to coordinate with their colleagues about use of the new spaces. Professional development for the District is often undertaken by educators to prepare for the transition and ensure they are ready to use the new spaces.

The District sponsored professional development to prepare educators for this new model of education when the facility was completed. This was performed over two years and consisted of collaborative staff meetings that involved faculty from three elementary buildings. The team worked through the concepts of student-centered learning and shared flexible spaces, all while striving to develop the teams they would be working with once in the new building.

Vision in a Word

"It's all about the kids. From the moment I started teaching, to being an administrator, it's only what's good for the kids. It starts with getting great educators in the classrooms, but then providing the best facilities to teach in. This facility allows them to move from good to great.”
Greg Gurka
Former Superintendent of North Royalton City Schools

North Royalton Elementary School Layout

The North Royalton Elementary School is a $35 million, 148,000 square foot building that supports over 1,450 students and replaces three elementary schools.

The school resembles a capital letter “E” laid on its back, with 2 large outdoor spaces between each wing. Students are divided into separate learning communities spread across Kindergarten to Fourth grade. Each grade is divided into 3 communities, each with 4 teachers and approximately 100 students. Students spend the majority of their time inside their learning community of 100 students, which allows the young students to thrive in a large facility.

“This is a great facility because we deeply thought about how to meet the needs of the community and flexible workspaces,” commented Greg Gurka, the District superintendent during the design of the facility. “When you see what we have done with the design and construction team these spaces can change year-to-year or week-to-week based on the needs of the students. This building will do that for generations to come.”

Spatially, each community consists of an open collaborative space, 2 classrooms, a small group room, and a project lab. They also have access to the central two-story student dining at the heart of the building, music rooms, art rooms, a gymnasium, and media centers which feature collaborative stairs. Minimized corridor space between areas, creates a more efficient floor plan and results in more usable educational square footage per student.

The perceived scale of the new school was reduced by dividing the large building into smaller communities, limiting the number of people students interact with daily. This prevents them from being overwhelmed but still provides opportunities to collaborate with other learning communities.

North Royalton Elementary School: Space Breakdown

The North Royalton Elementary School hosts a wide variety of spaces that educators make use of daily. Below are a few examples of the new spaces offered in this facility and how they are used.

Student "Community"

This 5-space grouping is the foundation of where students spend the majority of their academic time. The open collaborative space joins individual classrooms and features an open area for educators to rearrange students’ desks to accommodate lectures, group activities, technology use and reading activities. Circulation is located on the edges of the space, with most furniture being on wheels to be easily rearranged. The collaborative is designed for active group work and dynamic activities.

Classrooms are a technology rich environment, with interactive short throw projectors and operable walls to join the classrooms together when doing group work.

Student Dining

Student dining is a hub of the school. Connecting to the servery and kitchen, this 2-story tall open space can fit 1/3 of the student population at once, with a large collaborative stair that can fit an entire grade level. The multitiered floor gives students interesting options to sit with friends, with both hard and soft seating options. Students can access one of the main outdoor spaces. A large collaborative stair is equipped with professional stage lighting, and can serve as a stage when in use as an auditorium space.

Media Center

The school is equipped with two, open media centers. These spaces serve as shared libraries for media storage and are used for classes who need quiet reading times. During the day, students rotate in and out of the space to promote reading, literacy discussions and to relax with a good book. The stair is carpeted so students feel more comfortable lounging there or on the soft furniture in the space.

Travel Zones

During lunch periods and in between classes, travel zones are designated throughout the building. Since traditional corridors have been minimized, students often pass through occupied collaborative areas. Colors of the floor and furniture layouts quickly direct students through these spaces easily and quietly.

Morning drop-off from 36 busses is facilitated through designated doors along the main circulation spine of the building. All 1,450 students can enter and navigate to their communities in under 15 minutes. This feat wasn’t possible in the previous schools.
"This school is different from what some may have experienced, but the kids come right in, get used to it and love to learn in this environment. We can take their passion and energy and provide them with facilities to be successful at anything they aspire to.”
Kirk Pavelich
Principal of North Royalton Elementary School

A Student-Centered Learning Approach

The “Student-Centered Learning” model presents many opportunities for current and future children. The flexible and collaborative design allows students to engage with their peers and teachers more actively while adapting their environment to learn in a more natural way.

School buildings are used by and supported by their communities for decades, and they influence the thousands of students who use them. Having a building that can transform to meet the needs of education in the future is paramount. Focusing on a student’s needs first ensures them a better foundation as they advance in their educational careers.

“I think education is the great equalizer. It’s not our job to teach kids what to think. It’s our job to help kids learn how to think, how to make decisions, how to problem solve and how to work together,” commented Superintendent Laub. “This is what helps them become successful contributors to society as they grow up.”

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.
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Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus, Academic Design and Construction Estimation

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Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus, Academic Design and Construction Estimation
Progress continues on the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus. Learn about the schematic intent behind the academic design and how cost estimations play a part of the architectural process.

Academic Design and Construction Update

Since the October 19th “schematic intent” event was cancelled, below is a brief snapshot from that presentation.

Progress continues on plans for Cuyahoga Falls’ new 6-12 school and stadium complex. The Cuyahoga Falls City School District, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), Hammond Construction and ThenDesign Architecture have been engaging with the school district administration and staff, board members, community members, city officials, and various specialists through meetings, engagement sessions, surveys, and presentations. Each of these parties have helped to shape the design of the new school and are committed to creating a facility that provides strong, innovative programs for students, safe and secure learning environments, and a gathering place for the Cuyahoga Falls community.

The design process involves three major phases: schematic design, design development and producing the final construction documents. Schematic design involves the overall look of the building, preliminary floor plans and the layout of the building on the site. The design development phase includes refining the look, selecting materials, and designing the building systems.

A Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus Planning Committee Meeting

Site Plan

The site is a 45 acre plot in Cuyahoga Falls, where the Bolich Middle school, the old Newberry Elementary, LayBourne Field and Newberry Park are located. Bolich Middle School (opened in 1954) was the first junior high school in the Cuyahoga Falls City School System. It became a middle school in 1983 and since then has housed grades 6, 7 and 8. Newberry Elementary School, which was originally built in 1956, is a single-story building that has been leased by Summit Christian School and Summit County Educational Services since 2005.

Bolich, Newberry and Laybourne Field are scheduled to be demolished with the new 6-12 building planned to occupy the site, along with a Performing Art Center and new athletic facility. During Educational Visioning, the community identified goals for the site, which included maintaining some of Newberry Park and allowing the new building to have a visual presence on Portage Trail, with athletic facilities being located towards Newberry Park. These ideas are being incorporated into the design.

The Existing Site for the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus
The Existing Site for the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus
The District does a great job with their facilities, but this will be the "missing piece" to our city. Everything will be complete because the campus environment is perfect."
Don Walters
Mayor of Cuyahoga Falls

The Bond Process and Educational Visioning

While design officially started in April after an Educational Visioning Session, this project stretches back to the Spring of 2015, when the school District filed a master plan with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. In November 2019, the Cuyahoga Falls community approved a Bond issue that provided $80.6 million of the project, while the OFCC will contribute $33.2 million to the overall project. State funding was released to the district in May 2021, another large milestone that allowed all the team members to officially begin design.

The new facility is scheduled to open for the 2025-2026 school year. The Mayor of Cuyahoga Falls, Don Walters has called this project, “the missing link of the city,” in an interview earlier this year. The much-anticipated project will offer residents and students a modern environment and expanded educational opportunities.

Cuyahoga Falls City School District Educational Visioning

Architectural Design is an Iterative Process

Starting in April 2021, ThenDesign Architecture, the Cuyahoga Falls City School District and the OFCC have been developing schematics for the new structure. Throughout the spring and summer, a variety of engagements with community groups and educators have taken place. This has allowed the team to receive feedback from community members, teachers, and administrators that are being actively incorporated into the design process.

Architectural design is an iterative process. It involves generating many potential solutions, then quickly refining and testing the best ones, while dismissing those that don’t satisfy projects goals. For those working in the creative fields, this is a familiar process, and the development of the new school is no different. A variety of schemes have been developed, tested, and refined to best understand if they meet the needs of the district, while staying within budget.

We look forward to sharing more specifics on the 6-12 campus in the coming months.

Development for "The Whole Child"

Developing the "Whole Child"
Developing the "Whole Child"

Educational Foundation of Building

A great deal of time has been spent on the inner workings of the building with the schematic intent for the academic design being outlined. Classrooms follow a “pod” structure, with various grades broken down into small communities known as “neighborhoods,” “villages” and “communities.” Each of these differently sized pods represents a self-contained learning environment where students will spend most of their time. “Neighborhoods” are the smallest and contain classrooms, an open collaborative space and small group room. “Villages” and “communities” are larger but contain a similar academic design.

Educational research indicates that each person can maintain 150 meaningful social relationships at once. Dividing spaces in this way allow students to remain with a core group of their peers. This diminishes the overall building scale, while allowing all grades to efficiently share the common areas such as student dining, the gymnasiums, and performing arts center.

Examples of the neighborhoods include the three-6th grade learning “neighborhoods.” These small educational pods are separated from the middle and high school. This way sixth graders enjoy a welcoming and safe environment as they navigate the crucial transition out of elementary school. This new pod environment allows them to acclimate naturally to the new educational environment, while eliminating another jarring facility transition in future grades.

Similarly, the middle school “villages” are separated from the high school pods and the middle and high school have separate entries. It is best to think of this complex as two separate buildings under one roof. While there are opportunities for to share common spaces, students will remain separated in their academic areas but still benefit from pooled educational resources in a single building. This is the direction that many school districts are moving in and a lot of research demonstrates its effectiveness in public education.

A Design Team Meeting

The Role of a Construction Manager

As we move through the phases of design, Hammond will provide cost estimate analyses, ensuring the design stays within the financial commitment made to the community.  With the current economic climate, the construction industry is facing several supply chain issues, labor shortages and inflationary concerns. Our team is currently working to identify all potential risks to the project, and will develop mitigation strategies into the final plan.

You will soon see activity on the site, starting with abatement of the Newberry School. In the next few months, the district will be hosting an online auction to sell various loose items in the building. The abatement of the building will follow, which includes the removal of specific materials prior to demolition of the facility.  Once abatement is complete, the building services will be discontinued, and the school will be locked and secured through the remainder of the winter months. Final demolition of the building will be a part of the full campus site development work to be completed next year.

When will my child be in the new building?

Next Steps:

We look forward to releasing more information on the building as details around the floor plan, interior spaces and exterior renderings are developed. In the meantime, if you have specific questions, feel free to reach out to: cf_nichols@cftigers.org.

Download the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus - October Update​

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus – Summer Design Update

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Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus: Summer Design Update
Over the summer, the design team continued to hit milestones in the design of the new Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus. A variety of recent engagements have allowed the team to develop initial “schematic design drawings” that will be further developed in the months ahead.

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus: Summer Design Update

Since Educational Visioning in late April, the Cuyahoga Falls City School District, construction professionals, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and the design team at ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) have been working to develop solutions for the new 6-12 Campus. After initial engagements with the community and educators, the team has been busy cataloging and incorporating feedback into strategies for the new school. Now, after hundreds of hours of meetings, conversations and collaboration over the summer, they are hard at work integrating that input from stakeholders and drafting plans for the new facility.

District officials met with designers from ThenDesign Architecture at their office in Willoughby Ohio, for design meetings.

Important Aspects of Design from Educational Visioning

The Educational Visioning session in early May was critical to lay the “conceptual foundation” for the new school. At this event, around 100 attendees from the community, district and the design fields outlined key design points for this new “hub of the community.” These findings were outlined in the Educational Visioning Report, released in June.

A Recap of Those Key Points:

    • Flexible, collaborative spaces designed to promote independent student education.
    • Traffic circulation needs to be improved at the high school and other locations.
    • Identify opportunities where spaces can be shared between the middle and high school students.
    • Integrate outdoor learning areas and have collaborative spaces designed with an abundance of natural light.
    • Building entrances on site should be easily identifiable and promote community access.
    • Integrate athletic facilities with the building to maximize usage.

An Education Visioning Session in Cuyahoga Falls in early May.

"We had a great cross section of our community at Educational Visioning. We will have a building that provides the absolute best opportunities for our students."
Dr. Todd M. Nichols
Superintendent/CEO

Partnership with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission

To build the school, the district is funding $80.6 million of the project, which was generated from a 2019, community approved 9.83-mill tax levy, that included a 5.33-mill, 36-year bond issue. Additionally, the district is participating in the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), Classroom Facilities Assistance Program (CFAP). By participating in this program, the OFCC will provide an additional $32.8 million in project costs and participate in building’s design.

To qualify for this assistance, designers will follow guidelines from the OFCC that ensure the educational needs of the building are met. These guidelines come in the form of a “Program of Requirements” (POR). This is essentially a checklist of spaces and square footage that must be met inside the building.

This way, the OFCC ensures key academic spaces are included, sustainability goals are met, along with a variety of other priorities.

There are several standard POR options to choose from. One is the “Traditional POR.” This is the most rigid in terms of how square footage can be allocated, another is a “Partial Order Reduction POR,” this allows some flexibility in spatial requirements in how square footage is allocated. Another type is the “High Performance Learning Environment (HPLE) POR,” which is the most flexible design plan.

For the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus, the district is working off the High-Performance Learning Environment POR, based on Educational Visioning and academic feedback. Doing so, ensures maximum spatial flexibility with how spaces are arranged to deliver a collaborative and modern curriculum. Using this POR allows designers more freedom to program collaborative, student-centered spaces alongside core academic areas.

Designers at ThenDesign Architecture incorporated feedback from the Educational Visioning Session into the new facility.
"We heard how welcoming and central the school is to parents, students and residents. So we really are designing it to become a "hub of the community."
Abby Rainieri
Educational Design Lead

Sustainability Features and the Eco-Charette

Each project the OFCC funds is required to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USBGC) LEED Silver rating. The USBGC oversees Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) standards which is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED provides a working framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving buildings.

Within the program, there are several tiers that a building can achieve by employing eco-friendly features. The four tiers are: certified, silver, gold and platinum and are determined by a structure’s ability to achieve points on LEED project scorecard. This scorecard is designed to measure how the building responds to its location and transportation options, sustainable site features, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resource usage, indoor environmental quality, and other innovative design elements.

To determine the 6-12 Campus’ desired environmental features, the design team met early in the summer for an “eco-charrette.” Here the team outlined a strategy to meet the LEED Silver Rating.

Project Manager, Scott Alleman describes the eco-charrette, “It’s a work session where the district, educators, designers and construction professionals set our goals for the environmental and sustainability items we want to pursue.”

Specific features could range from adjusting the buildings orientation and windows to take advantage of daylight, minimizing windows on southern exposures to prevent excessive heat intake, better insulation in the building envelope, improved exterior lights to limit light pollution and rainwater management systems.

Alleman continues, “Sustainability is important to school projects. When you have a 350,000 sf building, we want to make sure it’s designed to be as thermally optimal as possible while making sure mechanical systems are laid out and operating as efficiently as possible.”

For Cheryl Fisher, an educational planner on the project, achieving this rating is a balance between managing costs and the districts goals for sustainability.

“I’m impressed at the level of detail that goes into this part of planning,” Fisher notes, “the manual guiding these scorecards are 600+ pages. We want to achieve the district’s goals for sustainability, while scoring points that make the most budgetary sense. It’s a challenge.”

Engaging early on sustainability goals affects the building’s early design.

Cheryl continues, “We want to gain all the points we can while protecting the overall budget. To achieve all the points, would impact the budget greatly. If we decided to add underground parking, covered by greenspace, that would significantly impact both the design and budget. We need to be realistic about what we can achieve.”

An eco-charrette was hosted in the Cuyahoga Falls High School to set sustainability goals for the new 6-12 Campus.
"Sustainability is important to school projects. When you have a 350,000sf building, it needs to be designed to operate as efficiently as possible."
Scott Alleman
Architect

Visual Preference Exercise

Early in the summer, the design team held a “Visual Preference Exercise” to receive input from the community on how they think the exterior of the building should look. During this engagement, over 800 community members provided feedback on various exterior styles for the building.

Many participants expressed a strong affinity to various buildings in Cuyahoga Falls. Notably, the Natatorium and downtown Clock Tower were beloved architectural examples.

The design team found the community preferred a mix of exterior architectural styles, while identifying the importance of defined, “contemporary entrances” while maintaining some characteristics of Cuyahoga Falls’ more “traditional” architecture.

A "Visual Preference Exercise" was held in the Cuyahoga Falls High School Auditorium to gather input on the exterior design of the new facility.

"I love this city, I moved back to the Falls recently and can't wait to see this project built. The buildings down on Portage Trail are my favorite, they have so much character."
Cuyahoga Falls Resident
Visual Preference Exercise

Building Tours and Educator Engagement

Also over the summer, the district and representatives from the construction leadership team had the opportunity to tour schools in neighboring communities that have transitioned to new, more collaborative, student centered facilities. Facilities toured included schools in the Willoughby/Eastlake District and North Ridgeville City Schools among others. They walked through collaborative spaces, classrooms, and student dining areas, while hearing educators’ overall impressions of them in use.

Visiting these facilities provide valuable insight into the spatial layout of 21st century educational environments and how other districts planned and executed their building projects.

District officials and TDA designers toured educational facilities in the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District.

The design team facilitated a series of engagements with educators from the Cuyahoga Falls High School, Bolich and Roberts Middle Schools designed to gather input on the new school’s interior layout. Teachers discussed their current classrooms, assessed storage needs, and adjacencies between departments. These sessions allowed staff to explain key points for inclusion in the new building and helped the district understand better how curriculum can be advanced in the new facility.

Some key findings included:

    • A desire to collaborate more among educators. There was excitement over consolidating into one facility that would make collaboration between educators easier.
    • An interest in interconnected rooms that could make co-teaching a possibility for classes in the same department.
    • Using the architecture itself as a teaching tool by exposing building systems in limited areas for students to examine and explore.
    • Including flexible spaces outside the classroom so students could divide up for a variety of activities in small groups.
    • Connecting some science classrooms to exterior space for outdoor experiments. Possibly integrating exterior courtyards into the building for natural lighting and access.
    • More options for equipment storage and space for some long-term science experiments.
    • Organizing the new facility by department, instead of classrooms spread out across the school.
    • Flexible spaces big enough to host 2 different classes to interact and have mixed assignments.

Educators were engaged early in the process to better understand how they could use space in the new facility.

Schematic Design Continues

With Educational Visioning, OFCC input, educator feedback, visual preferencing, and sustainable features outlined, this has allowed designers to put “pencils to paper” and develop a building layout. This initial set of conceptual designs are known as “schematic drawings” and helps the process in a variety of ways.

First, these drawings detail how the “Program of Requirements” (or list of necessary spaces and square footage) is applied in the new school. This milestone took hours of collaboration among the Cuyahoga Falls City School District, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, ThenDesign Architecture and Hammond Construction. Areas of the building such as classrooms, collaborative spaces, athletics, student dining and other keys spaces are all incorporated into the design.

Secondly, these drawings allow the team to begin exploring building materials, colors, and textures for the final structure. This submission also shows how feedback from the early informational gathering process has been applied. This will continue to be refined and adjusted with further conversation.

Thirdly, the initial drawings allow the team to better examine building costs and validate budget decisions. While “rule of thumb” costs have been applied throughout the process, these drawings can be analyzed by the construction manager to provide more accurate feedback on material availability and project cost breakdowns.

The schematic drawings will continue to be developed as the design project continues.

Countless hours have been spent developing schematic drawings for the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus.
"This building is a reflection of the community, the district's educational goals and input from many other stakeholders. We are excited to present what we have developed."
Scott Alleman
Architect

Next Steps in the Design Process

With this information gathered and schematic designs in development, the team looks forward to providing an early glimpse of the conceptual design of the building in late October. These designs will be refined in the months ahead and this initial release will give community members a glimpse into the direction of the design.

Your input on this project matters! Feel free to reach out to Dr. Todd Nichols, cf_nichols@cftigers.org, with any questions or comments on the design’s progression. Watch the Cuyahoga Falls City School District channels for details on when the schematic designs will be released. Currently this is planned as both an in-person and online event on October 19th. We look forward to seeing you there!

Download the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus Design Summer Update​ Brochure

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Recent Posts:

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.

Oberlin City Schools Elementary School Ribbon Cutting

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Oberlin City Schools Elementary School Ribbon Cutting
The Oberlin City School District celebrated a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for their new Pre-K through fifth grade elementary school. Attended by the community, district officials and other dignitaries, the new elementary school provides a modern, collaborative learning environment and features environmentally friendly features that make it a model for sustainable school design.

Oberlin City Schools Elementary School Ribbon Cutting

The Oberlin City School District, community, dignitaries along with construction and design professionals gathered on September 12th, to celebrate the opening of the new Oberlin elementary school. This 62,000 sf, 21st century learning facility, features collaborative spaces and advanced environmental control systems. Interior spaces can be reconfigured to meet the changing needs of the district and provide educational opportunities for students of all ages.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. David Hall commented, “Oberlin City Schools embarked on a journey almost 10 years ago to redesign our pre-K 12 facilities. This journey was led by instrumental community leaders,” referring to previous superintendent John Schroth and former OCS Board President Barry Richards. “A facilities team was formed consisting of community members, staff, parents and administrators to make that vision a reality. It implements 21st century teaching strategies across a new facility and all of these stages were critical points to move the district forward.”

Dr. Hall thanked the community for their support of the longtime project.

Superintendent of Oberlin City Schools, Dr. David Hall, gave an opening address, along with Oberlin City Schools Board President, Jason Miller and Ohio State Representative Joe Miller and architect, Brad Gellert.

"Oberlin City Schools embarked on a journey almost 10 years ago to redesign our pre-K 12 facilities. This school implements 21st century teaching strategies across the new facility and all of these stages were critical points to move the district forward."
Dr. David Hall
Superintendent of Oberlin City School District

Celebrating a New, Sustainable Elementary School

The facility cost $17.8 million dollars and was a collaborative project that brought together Oberlin residents, Oberlin City School Staff, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, City Government, Oberlin College, Greenspace Construction, and ThenDesign Architecture. The project responds to the schools IB curriculum and includes a number of forward-thinking design elements.

Project Manager, Brad Gellert commented, “The district and community had a goal in mind of creating a building that met current the needs of Pre-K through 5th grade students and also the future student needs by constructing a building that could be reconfigured due to changing conditions.”

As a result, the building features a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Lab, an extended gymnasium space, open and flexible classroom spaces, advanced environmental controls, and an emotional sensory room.

Dr. Hall spoke about the importance of the building’s environmental impact, “Sustainability is important to the district and our community.” Continuing the theme of a collaborative design project, Dr. Hall recalled, “We created a sustainability committee which provided valuable information on our new Pre-K-5 sustainability initiatives.” These initiatives included, a solar installation that provides 80% of the building’s energy needs, electrical power vehicle charging stations and an environmental dashboard that monitors energy use.

This environmental dashboard, which was partially funded by a grant from Oberlin College Green Edge Fund, can be used by future students to better understand how the building’s energy use affects the environment.

Other low-cost sustainability measures included enhanced insulation in the building’s envelope, orienting the building so its longest side faces north, while also adding larger windows to that façade. This minimizes heat gain and the need for greater cooling.

Attendees included community members, dignitaries, school administration and students.
"This is a prime example of what we can accomplish together, not by working in silos, but working in unison. No one person or institution has the answer, but the unity of the whole is needed for success."
Jason Miller
Oberlin City Schools Board President

Oberlin's "All Inclusive" Public Education

The ceremony was also attended by Ohio State Representative, Joe Miller. Miller, who also attended the building’s groundbreaking ceremony commented on the historic importance Oberlin placed on public education, “It didn’t matter whether students were black or white, Christian or Jewish, it just didn’t matter.” Miller continued, “The Oberlin community said, “We will educate all (185 years ago),” this was public education at its best, they pioneered it and that’s something to be proud of.”

Miller, a former high school social studies teacher, is a strong advocate of public education, and felt Oberlin’s example of inclusion and diversity was admirable.

“Together we will provide education for all children, their zip code doesn’t matter, their socioeconomic status doesn’t matter, where they’re from originally doesn’t matter. They all have an equal shot. You have provided a facility to meet everyone’s needs. I’m so proud of you for doing that.”

After the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Dr. Hall who is passionate about educating Oberlin’s students commented, “I’m blessed, this is the job I want to do, and can’t think of anything else I would rather do. The last year has been an obstacle, it’s been challenging, but we are overcoming that and looking forward to the future.”

The New Oberlin City Schools Elementary School Opened for Tours

"These designs are a long-term commitment. It's not like writing a book report, it's a 10-year effort. Oberlin stuck with it and when you tour the building, you will see the results."
Brad Gellert
Architect

Oberlin City Schools conducted a dedication ceremony for the new Oberlin Elementary School on Sept. 12. From left: Ohio State Rep. Joe Miller, Oberlin City Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hall, Oberlin City Schools Board President Jason Miller, and board members Farah Emeka, Anne Schaum, and Oberlin City Schools Vice-President Dr. Ken Stanley.

A Successful, "Forward-Thinking" Project

Brad Gellert, the architect on the project commented on why it was successful, “We built it on a very tight budget and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to introduce many new sustainability features like a solar array that powers 80% of the building, the electric vehicle charging stations and the environmental dashboard. These are all very innovative initiatives for a school.”

Sustainability and collaborative learning are the hallmarks of this new educational facility and display how elementary schools can embody these principles.

“To create positive change in the world, you must work collaboratively with others,” said Brad Gellert adding “spending years assisting the district with this project is personal. We are proud to be part of that collaboration, and know you will enjoy the building for many years to come.”

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.
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Silver Lake Elementary Playground Engagement

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Silver Lake Elementary Playground Engagement
In early May, students at the Silver Lake Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio gathered with architects, teachers, and district administrators to design a new playground for their school. While it may be easy to overlook such a small project, seeing a playground through a student's eyes helps designers deliver a project that fits the needs of the district and students.

Silver Lake Elementary Playground Engagement, Cuyahoga Falls

In early May, students at the Silver Lake Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio gathered with architects, teachers, and district administrators to design a new playground for their school. This new playground, which is a part of the capital improvement program in Cuyahoga Falls, adds updated equipment for the young students at this longstanding neighborhood school.

Since collaboration is a foundational principle of TDA’s architectural design process, including the stakeholders who use it most—in this case, elementary school students—is important. This collaboration allows them to enjoy their new playground and take pride in having a hand in its design.

See the students "in action" during the playground engagement:

"I love being able to work on the playground with my friends. I know we won't get all of this [equipment], but it's so cool to be involved in this project!"
Silver Lake Elementary School Student
Fourth Grade Student

Interactive Design Activities

To get feedback from students, architects held a design “charrette” to gather information and jointly develop a site layout with students for this project.

A design “charrette” is a collaborative activity, where stakeholders gather to map solutions on a challenge they face. In this project, the stakeholders were the elementary students and educators, and the challenge was deciding on playground equipment and how it would lay out on their site.

Silver Lake Elementary Playground Engagement

Designers created three primary activities to work out solutions with the group.

  • The first activity focused on surveying students on their favorite games at recess. These conversations provided valuable insight into what types of activities the students liked doing on their playground. Questions like, “Do students use equipment like swings and climbing walls the most or do they prefer open space for games of tag and other outdoor activities?” guide overall layouts.
  • The second activity was designed to gather information about students’ favorite equipment and how these would be used alongside their favorite outside games. Using sticky dots, students identified what equipment they preferred and whether it promoted climbing, swinging, jumping, or running. This allows designers to select equipment that will be used most.
  • Finally, the third activity challenged students to think like designers and develop their own playgrounds. Then, they would present their solutions to their peers. Using simple materials in small groups, they built a version of their playground on their site. This gave them the chance to think “outside the box” with equipment types, color, texture, and ground materials. With this information, architects could more easily understand spatial relationships between pieces and what types of materials students preferred.

These three activities provided valuable feedback to guide the overall design of the playground. It gives these young “stakeholders” a chance to take responsibility for their environment and how they could best use the space on their site.

While students may not get all the equipment they planned for, such as swimming pools, pirate ships or rocket blasters, they can think creatively about space and how they would use it for themselves.

Silver Lake Elementary School students designed their own playgrounds and presented to their peers.
"I'm looking for climbing things, stuff you can flip on, and hanging equipment too!"
Silver Lake Elementary School Student
Second Grade Student

Value of Collaboration

Gathering input from a variety of perspectives and ages better informs the layout of architecture, site plans, educational design and even playgrounds. Like Educational Visioning, where community members provide feedback on their priorities for a new or renovated school, this idea also applies on a small scale, as with playgrounds or sports fields.

While it may be easy to overlook stakeholder engagement in such a simple design, seeing a playground through a student’s perspective helps designers more effectively plan the space, and address both budget and time constraints.

This helps architects deliver a playground that fits the needs of the district, the surrounding community and the kids who will be using it the most.

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.
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North High School – Mind, Heart and Body

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North High School – Mind, Heart and Body
North High School in Eastlake Ohio is a 9-12 facility that embodies the educational ideals of the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District. Conceptually organized around the idea of unifying a student's "mind," "heart" and "body," this unique structure brings “student centered” learning to its lake front community.

North High School, Eastlake Ohio

North High School in Eastlake Ohio is a 9-12 facility embodying the educational ideals of the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District. It promotes student/teacher collaboration and integrates advanced technology, enhancing education in the region. This 2-story, 187,000 sf facility serves its 1,100 students and houses a state-of-the-art performing arts center that seats 500 guests. A central “Student Union” acts as the main circulation hub which leads to a competition gymnasium, media center and dual academic collaboratives. Having been developed in parallel with its sister school Willoughby South, North High School is a 21st century learning facility that exemplifies the district’s goals of modernizing its curriculum and provides flexible spaces to support student centered learning.

Innovative Learning

Innovative student education is nothing new for the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District. Having renovated a training building on the former Eaton Corporate Campus in Willoughby Hills, they began experimenting with modern forms of student engagement and teaching. This educational initiative is known as the Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation.

The School of Innovation was a testing ground for the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District and they began implementing a “student centered learning model” with select students on a small scale.

Instead of the typical double loaded corridor which connected relatively small classrooms and focused on teachers lecturing students from the front of the room, this new educational model focused on “project-based learning,” where students were encouraged to collaborate with each other in small groups. With a more flexible open environment, educators were able to teach in a way that traditional educational facilities didn’t support.

As this program developed, the district began seeing successes in the form of student satisfaction and greater engagement in coursework. From these positive early results, they knew this “student centered” approach would be a good fit for their community.

The district then began to create a facilities plan that would address each school in their community, bringing this new model.
"Everything that's happening in public education right now is very exciting... Good design really facilitates many different methods of learning."
Abby Rainieri
Educational Design Lead

Educational Visioning

ThenDesign Architecture assisted the district by conducting an educational visioning session. This event brought together community members, district administration and students to define how they wanted to address education in their area. This session identified a vision for education and helped lay the groundwork for how future buildings would be designed.

After passing a bond issue to fund the project, the district decided to create three new buildings, Longfellow, a PreK-5 building, two new high schools (North High School and Willoughby South) and then renovate the rest of the existing schools.

This community-wide update changed the course of education in the district.

Abby Rainieri, Project Manager for North High School commented, “I think student centered learning is very effective at the high school level, because at this stage of education, every student is different. Whether their path takes them to higher education, or right into a career, these spaces are tailored to suit that direction.”

North High School

Located off Stevens boulevard, in Eastlake Ohio, the curved and sweeping exterior uses metal panels and brick to mimic the dynamic forms of Lake Erie in this lake front community.

North was conceptually organized around the idea of unifying a student’s “mind,” “heart” and “body.” A centralized “Student Union” is the entryway to the school, includes student dining, and serves as the “heart” of the building. This space was named after the historic “Union High School,” and is the largest collaborative space which leads to all other locations in the building. The gymnasium and performing arts spaces are the most active learning spaces and symbolize the “body” portion of the building, while the academic spaces symbolize the “mind.” These 3 components, mind, heart, and body are the organizing principals and serve as a “living diagram” for the building.

The academic spaces are divided into the STEM and Humanities programs. Each one is organized around an open collaborative space and likened to the right and left halves of the brain–two necessary elements of a functioning whole. Classrooms in each collaborative are connected to their hub by overhead doors which allow the common space to become an extension of the classroom. Architecturally, the STEM and Humanities hubs are linked by a circulation bridge which overlooks an outdoor “learning commons.”

The second floor of these hubs host small group rooms that are separated by glass walls with integrated technology. The glass provides a visual connection, while maintaining privacy to allow teachers the ability to work with individual students, or for groups of students to prepare and rehearse presentations in a more formal setting.

"Students are free to use the collaborative areas to suit their needs. They want to interact with their friends like at a coffee shop or in their house."
Abby Rainieri
Educational Design Lead

Interior Finishes

Similar to the deep collaboration among district administrators, community members and designers, both the architectural and interior design teams blended together. Designs for interior circulation and educational program integrated with color schemes, interior textures and furniture.

Within the Humanities hub, warmer colors and soft surfaces were used to reflect a learning style that promotes conversation and idea sharing. In the STEM collaborative, building systems were exposed, harder textures were used along with cool colors. This way the architecture mimicked the science and math fields practiced there. In addition, both academic wings have access to a central learning courtyard where students gather to perform outdoor experiments.

Commenting on how the flexible spaces are used by students, Abby explained “What is rewarding is seeing students using those spaces in ways we didn’t foresee.” Students are free to use the areas to suit their needs and feel personally connected to them. “They figure out how to use spaces in their own unique way. They don’t want to sit in the rows all day. They want to interact with their friends like at a coffee shop or in their house.”

The school can be a beautiful and functional hub where students want to stay and work together.

“They might be sprawled out on a learning stair, or laying down on carpet, or leaning back on an ottoman, and that mimics how they naturally want to interact with each other and learn”

When students are free to explore and personalize the space, they take better care of it and make it their own.
"There are often two full classes in the collaborative areas. They may be stretching out and writing, sitting on the soft seating. The students are far more productive that way. As long as they are engaged, what difference does it make where they learn?"
Steve Thompson
Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools Superintendent

Performing Arts Center

Since both North and South High School were developed in parallel, they mirror each other in terms of academic program. However, South High School received expanded athletic facilities, while North High School enjoyed an expanded performing arts and music space. In the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District, students can choose which school they would like to attend based on interest.

Just off the main entrance of the school is an anteroom for the main auditorium. This community focused performance space can be accessed through its own separate entrance after hours, or opened during the school day, extending the student union.

The auditorium includes state-of-the-art lighting and acoustic treatment, seating up to 500 guests. Adjacent to backstage is a set construction lab, which is connected both to the exterior and interior by overhead doors. This way large “set pieces” can easily be moved from the construction bay to the stage by students.

North High School Fulfilling the Educational Goals for the District

With the district having identified and tested educational programs through the School of Innovation on a small scale, they were able to scale this program and develop an architectural solution that ensured it would benefit the broader student population.

For Abby, the design at North High School represents an opportunity to create flexible space where students are free to use spaces as they see fit. “I think you have to learn in the way that’s best for you, whether that’s being a visual or auditory or kinetic learner, you know the way works for you. These flexible spaces “level the playing field” and allow you to be successful regardless of your learning style.”

This project allows students to learn how they are most comfortable and prepares them for their future.

Abby is optimistic about the future of education, “Everything that’s happening in public education right now is very exciting. Good design supports education by creating different types of spaces, different types of furniture, allowing access to new technology, and making easy access to the outdoors. It really facilitates many different methods of learning.”

Project Design Challenges:

  • Develop North and South High Schools in parallel so their program of requirements matches, but are designed specifically for their site.
  • Incorporate the "student centered learning" principles gleaned from the Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation into the spacial layout of the high school.
  • Organize the building layout around a series of "collaborative hubs" that serve the curriculum in the school.
  • Align the architectural design, interior finishes and building color to support the coursework in that particular area.

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.

New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools

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New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools
Community members, district administrators, architecture and construction professionals along with dignitaries attended the New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools on May 6th, to celebrate the commencement of construction on this exciting new PreK-12 facility. Embodying the goals for education in the district, the new school seeks to provide new spaces and learning opportunities for the students in the City of Wickliffe.

New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools

On May 6th, 2021, The Wickliffe City School District hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction for their new PK-12 Campus. This 204,000 sf facility will feature a variety of advanced educational spaces along with spaces geared towards community engagement. The new school will house a community hub, a 500 seat Performing Arts Center and an expanded Wickliffe Family Resource Center, along with new collaborative focused educational spaces, flexible classrooms, and small group rooms. This project represents a “Reimagination of the Wickliffe Schools.” The campus and educational programs will be second to none and serve students of all abilities. The groundbreaking was attended by well over 100 from the community, members of the district administration, architecture, and construction professionals, along with many state representatives who came to support the project.

An inside look at the New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools.

"Thank you to the Wickliffe community, it's because of you that we're here tonight. I think you will be impressed by all the work that will take place."
Joseph Spiccia
Superintendent of Wickliffe City Schools

New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe

At 7:00 pm the ceremony kicked off behind the existing Wickliffe High School, with comments from Joseph Spiccia, Superintendent of Wickliffe City Schools, welcoming everyone and celebrating the beginning of construction. Afterwards, several dignitaries spoke, recognizing the years of work and community engagement that went into the project. Daniel Troy, an Ohio State Representative presented a commendation on the new construction project. “Over the years the Wickliffe City School District has played a vital role in preparing generations of students for the challenges of life. This new campus is a testament to those dedicated efforts.” Recognizing the challenges students face, Mr. Troy continued “This modernized hub of learning will not only allow that tradition of excellence to continue, but further enhance the ability to excel for students in a rapidly changing world.”

Kenny Yuko, an Ohio State Senator, presented a Senatorial Citation from the Ohio Senate to Mr. Spiccia. Both men who are longtime friends, having graduated from the same high school, shared the stage. Mr. Yuko recognized the diversity of ages and backgrounds from those in attendance: “This is the beginning of a new era for Wickliffe. A new school campus is going to help your students, your families and it will help the entire community. Thank you for ensuring your dream become a reality.”

The event featured musical performances which included the national anthem, performed by the Wickliffe Swing Band and the school’s alma mater by the combined Wickliffe High School and Middle School Choirs. They are looking forward to expanded practice space and upgraded spaces in the new school.

New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools
""This is the beginning of a new era for Wickliffe. A new school campus is going to help your students, your families and it will help the entire community."
Kenny Yuko
Ohio State Senator

Re-imagining Education with the New Campus at Wickliffe City Schools

The Wickliffe City School District is committed to re-imagining education in their district. Going back to 2015, a strategic plan was developed by the Board of Education, district administration, educators and the community. This identified broad district goals and outlined tactical steps to achieve those. Three of the goals, noted by Mr. Spiccia, are embodied in the new facility.

  • Create flexibility for students, staff, and the community.
  • Create learning environments that address the needs of all learners.
  • Engage the greater community in their investment in the school district by maximizing opportunities for the community to participate – learning, mentoring, partnering, and contributing to the greater good.

Through extensive collaboration with stakeholders since 2015, the strategic plan continues to be executed. The team has examined and developed funding options, incorporating community needs, setting an educational vision and ways to support and improve the City of Wickliffe.

“Today is about making a very big investment in all the kids in Wickliffe today,” said John Plecnik, a Lake County Commissioner, “Those kids are going to be leaders someday. I’m excited for Wickliffe, I’m excited for Lake County, I’m excited for the kids who are going to walk through this building.”

New Campus Groundbreaking at Wickliffe City Schools
"Today is about making a very big investment in all the kids in Wickliffe ... I'm excited for Wickliffe, I'm excited for Lake County, I'm excited for the kids who are going to walk through this building."
John Plecnik
Lake County Commissioner

Impacting the City and the Community

Board of Education President Katie Ball commented: “Wickliffe is a city that carries generations of pride. I moved here as an adult and met several people who said they were the third or even fourth generation and wanted to raise their families here. It is obvious to me now why families continue to stay in Wickliffe generation after generation. It is a community that wears it’s pride on its sleeve and will always do what needs to be done to continue to grow.”

Not only is the community expected to benefit from the new facility, but city officials hope it will attract more families to the city, fueling jobs and presenting opportunities to expand city services.

“I think it’s going to be a great benefit for the kids of the city,” commented Edward Levon, Wickliffe City Council President, “It provides a great benefit to the city. It attracts younger growing families, which attracts businesses and tax dollars to the city, which we can reinvest into better city services and infrastructure like sewers and roads. All in all, it’s a positive investment for the city.”

Construction is currently underway, with synthetic turf now being added to the stadium. Building construction begins in the fall of 2021 and will progress until the grand opening which is slated for the 2023-24 school year. To view a more detailed construction schedule, visit the Wickliffe City School District website.

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.
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Cuyahoga Falls – Designing for the Future with the New 6-12 Campus

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Educational Visioning – Designing for the Future with the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus
On April 29th 2021, ThenDesign Architecture held an "Educational Visioning" session at the Summit Educational Service Center in Cuyahoga Falls for the school district’s new 6-12 campus. Topics of conversation included how core academics will be enhanced, the integration of the middle and high school, and how the building can serve as “the hub of the community” in Cuyahoga Falls.

Educational Visioning for Cuyahoga Falls, New 6-12 Facility

On April 29th 2021, ThenDesign Architecture held an “Educational Visioning” session at the Summit Educational Service Center in Cuyahoga Falls to begin designing for the future of the district’s new 6-12 campus. This day-long event focused on understanding the current challenges with the existing facilities and identifying opportunities the new building will bring. With over 80 in attendance, members of the community, students, administrators, along with architecture and construction professionals provided input on the project. Attendees were encouraged to imagine how the new facility will improve education across the district. Topics of conversation included how core academics will be enhanced, the integration of the middle and high school, and how the building can serve as “the hub of the community” in Cuyahoga Falls.

Those who attended brainstormed ideas, defined priorities, and presented educational goals that will be used during the development of the new building.

See the inside view of the Educational Visioning Session.

Our vision is Cuyahoga Falls City Schools, the "hub of our community." We take this seriously. We want this to be a community facility, where everyone feels comfortable engaging in all the resources that this building will have."
Karen Schofield
Board of Education President

Educational Visioning, Designing for the Future

Superintendent Todd Nichols commented: “Educational Visioning really sets the stage for us to dream big. We have the opportunity to drop all of those old, antiquated paradigms of what education was, and think about what it can be. Then we will design a building around that vision. That’s the proper process and what has led us up to this point.”

The construction site is located where the Bolich and Newberry schools currently sit. This new 370,000 sf building will include a performing arts center, sports stadium and community focused spaces.

The new school will enable new educational programs and opportunities to better serve middle and high school students in the district.

“We know that we have good teachers, and we know we have kids who love to learn,” commented Board of Education President Karen Schofield, “we know that with the combination of those two things in a new facility with appropriate ventilation, air cooling systems, natural light and flexible spaces, only great things will happen.”
"Our mission statement is "Every student, every day, every opportunity." This building fulfills that promise to our community. So for our students, whatever you want to be, whatever you want to do, this facility will help you get there."
Dr. Todd M. Nichols
Superintendent/CEO

Activities Designed to Set Educational Goals

Educational Visioning Sessions are built around the idea that through collaboration, discussion and exploration, attendees can set educational and architectural goals that can be achieved in the new facility. Attendees are assembled into small groups that include students, educators, parents, community members and administrators. They collaborate on three main activities which facilitate discussion. The three activities include, “Defining Success and Challenges,” “Educational Design Solutions,” and “Putting it all Together.”

The design team then analyzes the information and draws conclusions that are worked into the final architectural solution.

Exercise 1: Defining the Success and Challenges

For Cuyahoga Falls, designing for the future includes considering the success and challenges in the district. The first activity is designed to understand the current state of existing facilities. Small groups discuss these and then share their discussion with the whole audience.

The most widely reported successes were the dedicated teaching staff who are resourceful with their current facilities. Other success included expanded educational programs like Career Tech, Industrial Arts along with greenspace/outdoor learning areas and the strong sense of Black Tiger pride among the schools.

Challenges from within the district included the limited flexibility to capitalize on different learning environments, small classroom sizes and a general lack of storage. Poor site circulation which caused traffic congestion, a lack of parking, limited ADA accessibility, concerns with safety and security due to multiple building entrances and poor climate control were other primary challenges.

Results from Exercise 1:

Successes in the District

  • Programming opportunities including Career Tech, Industrial Arts and Extracurricular classes
  • Committed and dedicated staff with a focus on education
  • Abundance of Black Tiger Pride
  • Greenspace, outdoor learning areas and playgrounds
  • The High School offers character and nostalgia
  • Large, communal spaces for gatherings including the Auditorium and Gymnasium
  • Offering of 1 : 1 Chromebooks
  • Music, Band and Performing Arts programs
  • Supportive and involved community

Challenges in the District

  • The large overall footprint of the High School can be difficult to navigate and creates long walking distances throughout the building
  • Safety and security concerns with having multiple entrances to the building
  • Poor site circulation causing traffic congestion
  • Lack of parking
  • Small classroom sizes
  • Lack of community and meeting spaces
  • Limitations with technology and WiFi
  • Lack of student and staff storage
  • Limited flexibility within the building to support different learning environments
  • Ventilation, as well as heating and cooling of buildings
  • Lack of ADA accessibility
  • Upkeep due to aging facilities
We specifically designed this building for the community's needs. So they can be excited that they're going own this building and they can be proud of it.
Scott Alleman
Project Manager

Exercise 2: Educational Design Solutions

Every school district has unique community and student needs. Each building design project is an opportunity to be designing for the future and to provide an original solution to those unique needs. During the early phases of planning, it is important that key spaces and their potential future uses are identified early in the design process.

The second visioning activity presents a series of academic categories placed around the room. Attendees write how they envision how these programs could implemented in the new building. Hundreds of comments are gathered, compiled and analyzed to find similarities and outliers. These ideas are used to drive the initial layouts during the schematic design phase.

Project manager, Scott Alleman, commented: “The educational visioning session is where we’re setting our educational goals [and] designing our building around our educational goals. That’s what today is all about.”

Results from Exercise 2:

Administration

A multipurpose, inviting space with a centralized location; private space for meetings/needs; invest in new technology; staggered start times; sensory/cool down room for students; close proximity of related services to support collaboration

Career Technical

Public spaces supported by local businesses; community access; exposure to program in Elementary and Middle School; prominent location; partnership with local businesses that promote students for the workforce.

Clubs, Organizations and Partnerships

Partnering with local businesses; designated space to meet where it is flexible for multi-uses; More club offerings for all 3 levels including after school; dedicated space/post for the swim team

Core Academics

Flexible, collaborative spaces to support various learning styles; sliding glass walls for small and large group gatherings; learning pods; dry erase boards and walls; technology; outdoor learning opportunities; writing studio; dedicated teacher space

Core + More

Sensory rooms; more gifted classes; independent living pods; booths for group work; functional life skills lab; area to provide medical services; flexible seating and collaboration spaces

Food Service

Cafe style with various seating options including outdoor; integration with gardens/other academic subjects; community access; student run

Media Center

Designated media space that can serve for multi-uses, while fostering collaboration and independent studying/reading; natural light; accessible to all students; access to E-books

Music / Performing Arts

Flexible spaces for rehearsal and classrooms; more storage; more instruments; outdoor performing space; restrooms, concessions and ticket booth

Physical Education / Athletics

Fieldhouse with batting cages, indoor golf, wrestling room, locker rooms; multipurpose gym spaces; soundproof dividers; pool; indoor track; central location for all sports

Science / STEAM

Lab spaces that promote inquiry; maker spaces for inventing and collaborating; storage for all items; incorporate labs into Middle School; outdoor learning; inclusion of robotics and physics

Visual Arts

Gallery and display space; sinks; storage; dedicated photography space; natural light; ventilation; open floor plans; teacher collaboration opportunities
When this new school is done, I think it will provide more learning opportunities. The teachers will be able to do more, with more space.
Cooper
Cuyahoga Falls Student

Exercise 3: Putting It All Together

The final exercise for the day is the most challenging. Participants are tasked with using paper cut outs to explore spatial relationships on a scaled site plan.

Since there is no “correct” answer, participants work as a group to plot out where they feel the spaces should be. They are forced to grapple with how to best route traffic, where to place entrances, how the athletic facilities and performing arts spaces connect to the school and how the surrounding environment is impacted.

“This project will be transformational. The facility itself will be wrapped around the educational vision,” commented Dr. Todd Nichols, Cuyahoga Falls Superintendent said. “It is as the mayor described the “missing link” within Cuyahoga Falls. We have so much work on Front Street and Portage Crossings and State Road. This piece brings all that together.”

While each of the 10 groups had unique approaches to the building layout, there were many similarities in design. Additionally, there were several unique solutions based on the group’s dynamics. All these served to help Cuyahoga Falls begin designing for the future of their new facility.

Results from Exercise 3:

Common Themes

  • Shared common space for the middle and high school students including the media center, food service and student dining
  • A 2-story, 6-12 building
  • Career technical education classes visible along 13th Street to provide convenient, public access for parking and promotion of the programs available
  • Preservation of Newberry Park to maintain the greenery and utilize for outdoor learning opportunities including greenhouse, gardens and wellness
  • Adjacencies of core academic spaces including:
    • Performing Arts Center, music and theater
    • Student dining, Food service and Family and consumer science
  • Stadium situated on the North of the site alongside Newberry Park; utilization of existing hill for walkway, seating and/or press box
  • Addition of several parking lots to accommodate stadium, staff, students and visitors
    • Parking lot primarily on existing Bolich Middle School site
  • Special education integrated throughout core academics

Unique Ideas

  • Building separation of the middle school and high school with a central courtyard or gym
  • Prominent main entrance to the High School and Performing Arts Center along Portage Trail for visibility to pedestrian and car traffic
  • One main entrance and exit to support better site circulation
    • Currently there are too many entrances at the high school which creates congestion
  • Create a grand entrance for a new competition gym, built on a gradient
  • Separation between the 6th grade students and 7th-8th students to support developmental transitions to high school.
    • 6th grade students located on the 1st floor with Administration
    • 7th-8th grade students located upstairs on 2nd floor
  • Create separate gyms for the middle school and high school students
  • Addition of athletic fields on site including baseball, tennis courts
"If I was a student, and saw my whole community coming together to build a building to better educate me, it would make me want to do better every day."
Anthony Gomez
Vice President of the Board of Education

Key Takeaways

The Educational Visioning session for the Cuyahoga Falls City School District resulted in an insightful day and served as a kickoff to begin designing for the future of the new 6-12 facility. The cross section of representatives across the district and community provided a forum to recognize successes, share ideas, and imagine how the new facility will positively impact students in Cuyahoga Falls.

The design team will use information collected throughout this session along with other engagement opportunities to serve as the foundation for the design of the new 6-12 school.

Designing for the Future - Priorities from Visioning:

  • There is a major need for flexible, collaborative spaces to support the delivery of education and to promote independent student learning.
  • Traffic circulation needs to be improved. The team should explore ways to separate bus and vehicle traffic.
  • The new school should continue to promote Black Tiger Pride among students and faculty.
  • Find opportunities for shared and separate spaces for middle and high school students.
  • Integrating outdoor learning areas and natural daylighting is key.
  • The new building should be displayed prominently on the site and the spatial relationships inside should promote community access.
Click to Access a Printable Version of the Educational Visioning Report
Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

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Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Ryan is a communications specialist who is passionate about using digital media to further the goals of organizations and communities in Northeast Ohio. With a background in construction and a degree in architecture, he spent over a decade in corporate video production and brings this mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the parks system.
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