North Olmsted 6-12 Campus – Fusing Modern and Historic Styles

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North Olmsted 6-12 Campus – Fusing Modern and Historic Styles
The North Olmsted 6-12 campus hosts a beautiful 315,000 sf school, a 4,000 seat athletic stadium, Performing Arts Center and landscaping all complimenting this "Georgian Architecture styled" school. ThenDesign Architecture, working with the North Olmsted City School District created a new landmark in the historic Butternut Ridge Historic District.

North Olmsted 6-12 Campus

The North Olmsted 6-12 campus hosts a beautiful 315,000 sf facility, a 4,000 seat athletic stadium, Performing Arts Center and landscaping all complimenting this “Georgian Architecture styled” school. The campus hosts the high school and middle school under one roof while serving 2,200 students. It is located inside the one-and-a-half-mile long Butternut Ridge Historic District, which informs the school’s historic aesthetic. The exterior design complements a Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, located just across the street. Together they form an impressive new gateway into the City of North Olmsted. Proportion, symmetry and balance are hallmarks of the late 19th century Georgian Architecture and this aesthetic is fused to a modern interior that supports a collaborative “hub based” 21st century learning model. Opened for the 2018 academic year, this new facility capitalizes on the history of the community, while promoting the latest educational designs that will impact student’s education for decades to come.

Designed for the 21st Century

Before facility design commenced, the North Olmsted City School District had formed a clear plan for students’ education in the new facility. Their idea was inspired by a 21st century educational model that places students at the center of education, promotes small group work and collaboration between educators and students. A “hub concept” was used in educational spaces, where classrooms revolve around a shared collaborative space. Educators were encouraged to take advantage of the movable furniture, flexible classrooms, and embedded technology in the curriculum.

Both the high school and middle school are located under one roof but exist as separate entities. They each have their own entrances at opposite ends of the site, separate media centers, student dining and gym facilities. However, they share many common services such as the kitchen facilities and art and music spaces.

“This is not your grandfather’s school,” Superintendent Michael E. Zalar at the ribbon cutting ceremony and opening tour, “You don’t see traditional individual desks lined up in rows like you might have in the 19th or 20th centuries.” He continued, “These are truly classrooms built to foster flexibility and collaboration. People seemed to know that this campus was really designed for the future, not for the past.”

The Middle School lobby is open, bringing in natural light from tall windows and features terrazzo flooring with an embedded school logo. The ceiling design is an abstract representation of eagles in flight–the school mascot. The entrance feeds the academic wing, gymnasium and student dining.

To support 21st century educational design, the middle school spaces are organized into 5 studios, two per grade level. Each studio houses 150 students, and consists of 4 general classrooms, 1 science lab, 2 small group rooms, teacher prep room with storage, central collaboration area with presentation platform and adjoining restroom facilities. The classrooms are fronted by overhead garage doors that open into a shared collaborative area which supports project-based learning and features charging stations, lockers and raised platform for presentations. Movable furniture is used throughout and large glass windows provide natural light that also spills into corridor spaces, creating a light and airy feel.

The collaborative areas allow educators the flexibility to organize their students around the smaller community of students.

"We couldn't be more excited, this is going to be the grandest opening of the school year that the district has ever embarked upon. Students are just emotional."
Michael E. Zalar
North Olmsted City Schools Superintendent

North Olmsted High School

The High School’s entrance features a secure vestibule, orange & black school colors and the school logo embedded in terrazzo, similar to the middle school. Acoustic panels dampen sound reverberation in the tall space and form abstract eagles’ wings above the entry.

The high school also employs a modern approach to educational design, but on a more sophisticated level. Educational spaces are designed around collaborative areas, featuring expandable labs on the first floor, while core classrooms are on the second floor. Collaborative areas are surrounded by classrooms and small group rooms with translucent panels that provide views to and from the corridor. Each space is technology rich and hosts flexible furniture, preparing students for collaborative teamwork after their school career. The interior uses classical elements such as niches, alcoves and columns providing a Georgian twist on the 21st century design flexibility.

The student center was also designed with collaborative work in mind, not just as a cafeteria. It is a hub that connects the gymnasium, performing art center, outdoor courtyard and other academic spaces. The multipurpose space includes high-top tables, moveable furniture, Wi-Fi and charging stations to accommodate student work throughout the day.

The two-story media center is located on a prominent corner of the site and while it still offers books, it focuses on digital media that incorporates comfortable seating, worktables, and group areas. Students can enjoy beverages and snacks with large windows providing light and visibility to interior corridors.

“You don’t see this stunning Georgian Architecture often and it’s a focal point of the historical district,” architect Zora Pavlovic “The superintendent and the whole district was very into collaboration and the 21st century learning model. Not every teacher has experience with it yet, but we are seeing more and more educators embrace this method.”
"You don't see this stunning Georgian Architecture often and it's a focal point of the historical district. So I am really thrilled with how it turned out for them"
Zora Pavlovic
Architect

The Building Site and Athletics

More than half of the 38.5 acres of the property is located in a flood zone which posed challenges for the 315,000 sf campus. A creek runs through the site and informed the decision to place the building towards Butternut Ridge road, giving the building more presence on the street. Then, this unique creek was expanded, deepened and worked into the overall landscape design. The creek beautifies the site, and also helps alleviate flooding issues for the nearby area. Trees and a pavilion were installed after the building to create a “park like” setting behind the school.

Bike racks line the perimeter of the building to encourage physical activity of students and staff as well as to support the building’s LEED Silver certification.

Athletic facilities onsite include the artificial turf field used as a football and soccer field which is ringed by a track. The stadium offers seating for 3,000 on the home team side while supporting 1,000 visitor seats. Heated locker rooms, restrooms and concession stands are located below the stands.
"I couldn't have been more pleased with the response we received from the community…They really felt like the district did a great job working with the architects and that we really have something we can really be proud of here in North Olmsted for many, many years to come."
Michael E. Zalar
North Olmsted City Schools Superintendent

North Olmsted Performing Arts Center

The new North Olmsted Performing Arts Center (PAC) has become a great source of pride for both North Olmsted Schools and its surrounding community. Connected to the main academic building, the new Performing Arts Center seats 850, has a separate, dedicated entrance, intended to feel unique as a performance theater for use by not only the school but also the community.

“I’m really excited about how the PAC turned out, we used classical elements on the exterior and the interior,” comment Mrs. Pavlovic. “I hear a lot of comments like, “It looks like Severance Hall!” or “We must be in a Playhouse District!” when you walk in. It does feel like that with rich fabrics, columns, and the colonnade. I attended their first musical which was “Beauty and the Beast,” it was just awesome. They did an amazing job and have a really good drama and music program. The community is very excited about it. I’m happy how it turned out for the North Olmsted district.”

North Olmsted performance of "Beauty and the Beast"
A group song in "Beauty and the Beast"
A presentation of "Beauty and the Beast"
"Beauty and the Beast" performed in the North Olmstead PAC

Placing significant emphasis on the arts, historic 1930 precast medallions were removed from the former High School before demolition and reinstalled in the PAC’s exterior. It was designed with imposing proscenium arch opening that evokes a feeling of a grandiose professional theater.

Fused into the interiors are a Georgian color palette, patterns, and classical elements such as niches, columns, intricate pilasters & cornices, coffered ceilings with glass bell jar lantern light fixtures. Theatrical comedy-tragedy masks are molded into a focal wall medallion and fused into the terrazzo floor motif of the theater lobby as a design highlight.

The North Olmsted 6-12 campus is a landmark in the community, with its Georgian Architectural aesthetic fusing both historic and modern design styles into one structure. The school won “Learning By Design’s” prestigious “Outstanding Project” in 2019 award and exemplifies the 21st century learning model. The North Olmsted 6-12 school will continue to impact student’s education in the district and serve the community for years to come.

“I couldn’t have been more pleased with the response we received from the community. People were literally blown away. They couldn’t say enough positive things about the new campus. It’s beautiful, they loved the colors, layout,” commented Superintendent Zalar. “The community really felt like the district did a great job working with the architects and that we have something we can really be proud of here in North Olmsted for many, many years to come.”

Project Design Challenges:

  • Design and build a 320,000 sf building on a 38.5 acre site that is 2/3 floodplain, incorporating an onsite creek into the landscaping plan.
  • Fuse historic and modern architectural styles into a single structure that can reflect the historic nature of the Butternut Ridge Run Historic District.
  • Incorporate architectural elements that support a 21st century learning model for a school that serves 2,200 students.
  • Design the Middle and High Schools to function as independent schools, that could also share vital building services.

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.

Brush High School – A Dynamic Renovation Project

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Brush High School – A Dynamic Renovation Project
The South Euclid Lyndhurst School District had a clear vision for how to adapt their historic Brush High School and renovate it for the demands of a modern educational environment. The result, is a large school built in 1927, being modernized through strategic renovations to serve the community for years to come.

Brush High School – A Dynamic Renovation Project

The Brush High School Renovation Project provides a dramatic update to this beautiful, historic school in Lyndhurst, Ohio. It brings an architectural refresh, new spaces and services to this iconic structure in a neighborhood setting. This $8.5 million dollar renovation addresses 45,000 sf of the almost 300,000 sf building, redeveloping its media center, student dining, athletic facilities and innovation lab, restores unused classrooms and infuses a new graphic approach throughout the building’s corridors and shared spaces. These improvements allow the South Euclid Lyndhurst School District to better utilize this historic school for years to come.

Brush High School was originally built in 1927, having undergone multiple additions as the community has expanded. At the population’s height in the 1970s and 1980s, the school served over 3,000 students. More recently, the district developed a strategic plan that outlined a goal of becoming a “destination community,” and to update all their learning facilities by 2023. TDA partnered with the district to turn this vision into reality, further developing the plans for Brush High School, focusing on education and athletic spaces.

Major Improvements

A highlight of this construction project was to reorganize the athletic spaces. In order to better utilize the Korb Field, new locker rooms for football, track and soccer were added adjacent to the stadium by raising the existing gymnasium one floor and inserting the locker facilities beneath it. This solution allowed the new locker facilities to be used by the gymnasium above and the sports field just outside. Teams could then enter and exit these facilities directly from an outdoor public plaza, instead of needing to use locker rooms on the other side of the school. With this new configuration, both home and traveling teams could more easily engage with the new facilities, streamlining future athletic events. While it was a structural challenge to raise the gym, the floor was refinished and the space expanded, becoming the new auxiliary gym/multipurpose space for the school.

Student Dining was another major area addressed. First, the serving and point of sale areas were separated, allowing for a more modern and efficient approach. This eliminated heavy traffic during lunch periods and organized the cafeteria around an “a la carte” model. Second, large bay windows were added to the east elevation and energy efficient LED’s were installed to create a much brighter and healthier indoor environment. Third, the upper level of the cafeteria was redesigned to include modern, soft, bench seating that overlooked the sports field. This café style space served students during the day but then served the community at other times, since it provided excellent views of athletic events and could become a hub for future community events.

The Media Center was completely redesigned, having been transformed into a vibrant, multileveled space that serves as a school library and an inviting area for independent or collaborate work. Now, ADA accessible, it dramatically reorganizes the books into a more sophisticated and approachable manner, having eliminated the wall mounted shelving. The upper level has comfortable seating for individual work, while the lower section houses physical media and large tables for group work. In addition, 3 separate meeting rooms with technology hook-ups can be used by educators or students for presentations or research work. A reclaimed space adjacent to the media center is a new “tech repair center.” This becomes a learning resource for students to perform repairs on laptops and other educational technology.

A New Entrance for Navigation

In order to provide greater security and easier navigation, a new front entry was developed to serve as the primary entrance for the school. In the original building, the entry could have been easily overlooked, a simple set of double doors under a low overhang, which led directly into an academic hallway. This arrangement presented a variety of challenges for security and wayfinding. The new entry is a small tower, offset from the historic facade and drawing design elements from the main building. Proportionally and aesthetically, it resonates with the existing architecture without detracting. It incorporates a secure vestibule and visitor entrance where students and parents can easily sign in before admittance.

Along with the rearranged entrance, the new site design creates a visitor parking lot by the entry, with 13 new parking spaces and 3 ADA spaces. This lot is adjacent to a new entry loop staircase which connects a main lower parking lot with the public plaza, featuring Brush High School engraved values, “Educate, Inspire, Empower.”

Corridors and Graphics

Since the Brush High School is such a large structure, addressing the many long corridors was another main component of the renovation. Due to the changing nature of education, few physical lockers are needed for students. As a result of the renovation, approximately 1/3 of the lockers were eliminated, widening the hallways by four feet in some areas. While some of this space was absorbed into new renovations, in other areas, the extra four feet was used for trophy and display cabinetry, art installations and colorful collaborative seating. The display space further underscores the graphic approach used throughout the school.

New wall graphics and furniture installations were integrated throughout, emphasizing school colors and updating the existing artwork and color palette. New signage was added in the lobby and ties the older historic building to the new renovations.

Additionally, the industrial arts program was refreshed. The old “shop classroom” was remade into a modern “innovation lab,” for the engineering program. Since it was an underutilized space, the existing hardwood floors were refinished and now features 3D printers, band saws and other tools which are shared by the robotics lab next door. Interior windows allow for natural light to spill into the corridor and allow students to look in during classes.
We met with the district and went through their core values and strategic plan through 2023. We wanted the project to not only improve the buildings, but announce to their core values.
Adam Parris

Brush High School's Renovation

Towards the end of construction, Adam Parris, the architect on the project commented, “The district had a lot of ideas about how to use that building and they set the roadmap for us to follow. In many instances the spaces turned out better than we envisioned and I found a lot of joy in reusing the existing spaces, while refurbishing the existing materials. It’s one thing to do a “renovation project” and just knock down part of the building, then rebuild it. It’s a completely different task to reuse something that’s existed for a hundred years.”

At the outset of the project, the district had a clear vision for how to adapt historic Brush High School and renovate it for the demands of a modern educational environment. The result is a large school built in 1927, that has been modernized through strategic renovations that will serve the community for years to come.

Project Design Challenges:

  • Renovate 45,000 sf of a 300,000 sf building, revitalize key spaces and install major technological systems on an almost 100 year-old building.
  • Develop and construct a new formal entrance that incorporates a secure vestibule and visitor entrance, without detracting for the historic aesthetic of the school.
  • Raise the gymnasium to the second floor, while building athletic facilities including locker rooms beneath that can serve the sports field and auxiliary gym.
  • Design new wall graphics and wayfinding throughout that unifies the historic art and design styles with the new renovation.
  • Eliminate lockers throughout the school while repurposing the space to engage students and provide rest spaces in the new areas.

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.

Kent City Schools – A “District-Wide” Renovation Project

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Kent City Schools – A “District-Wide” Renovation Project
The district is passionate about education and operates six school buildings. ThenDesign Architecture helped educators create a district-wide master plan for renovations on all six schools operating in Kent.

Kent City Schools - A District-Wide Renovation Project

Kent City Schools is a large school district serving over 3,000 students. Established in the 1860s, the district is passionate about education and operates six school buildings spread across the City of Kent, Franklin Township and the Village of Sugar Bush Knolls. While the buildings are well maintained, changes in the educational landscape and the age of the facilities necessitated improvements. A $25 million “No New Tax” construction bond was passed in 2020 and is being used to make renovations to each facility. The master plan identifies three major improvement categories and renderings have been developed showing the anticipated improvements coming to the schools. Despite the challenges facing educators in 2021, Kent City Schools is focusing on education and executing a district-wide renovation project.

A rendering of the exterior of the new Theodore Roosevelt High School gymnasium addition.
A rendering of the interior of the new Theodore Roosevelt High School gymnasium.
A rendering of the new field house and synthetic turf at Theodore Roosevelt High School.

Renderings of the Roosevelt High School gymnasium addition, artificial turf and Field House

"No New Tax” Bond Issue is a unique opportunity for Kent citizens to improve our facilities without raising taxes ... Funds generated from this Bond Issue will allow us to make needed upgrades to all six Kent schools."
George Joseph
Superintendent of Kent City Schools

Challenges for Many School Districts in Ohio

Across the state, many school districts are faced with the difficult decision of how to deal with aging facilities. While some can construct new buildings, it isn’t always necessary, and in some instances, renovation is a wiser economic decision. 

Kent operates six schools in their district: Davey, Longcoy, Holden and Walls are elementary schools, Stanton Middle School serves grades 6-8, and Theodore Roosevelt High School serves grades 9-12. Since they are all in different locations, built at different times, (the oldest was built in the 1920’s and the newest opened in 1999), each has its own unique characteristics and needs.

Due to the maturation of an existing construction bond the district was able to make improvements to every facility without raising costs in the community. Considering the number of buildings and budget involved, a district-wide renovation project maximized the impact on student’s education.

Since the schools were well maintained, it makes upgrading them easier and more cost effective. The district can maintain the history of each building and neighborhood connection, while installing critical modern mechanical systems that will breathe new life into the structures and improve the occupant’s thermal comfort.

Theodore Roosevelt High School Stanton Middle School Davey Elementary School Walls Elementary School Longcoy Elementary School Holden Elementary School
The entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt High School.
Theodore Roosevelt High School, home of the Rough Riders.
An existing entrance to Theodore Roosevelt High School.
This entrance will be updated with a new secure vestibule.
Richard Roberts Auditorium will receive many upgrades in the renovation.
Seating in the auditorium will be replaced.
"Univents" will be replaced in classrooms, providing better indoor air quality.
The exterior of Stanton Middle School.
The Stanton Middle School Marquee.
An entrance to Stanton Middle School.
This entrance will receive the new secure vestibule.
This entrance will be impacted by the new secure vestibule.
Some spaces are receiving new flooring.
Stanton will receive upgraded LED lighting throughout.
The exterior of Davey Elementary School.
Entrance of Davey Elementary School.
The entry will receive a new secure vestibule.
Classrooms will receive new "univents" for improved air transfer.
Some spaces will receive new flooring.
Historic details of Davey Elementary.
Brickwork on historic Davey Elementary School.
Elevation details on Davey Elementary School.
The exterior of Walls Elementary School.
The entrance to Walls Elementary will receive a new secure vestibule.
Signage on Walls Elementary School.
A colorful bench outside the school.
The entrance which will receive a new secure vestibule.
Classrooms will receive new LED lighting for improved visibility and color reproduction.
New classroom "univents" will improve indoor air quality.
The exterior of Longcoy Elementary School.
The entrance which will receive a new secure vestibule.
This interior entrance will receive a new secure vestibule.
Classrooms will receive new "univents" and LED lighting for a better educational environment.
An exterior pathway outside Longcoy Elementary.
An exterior shot of classrooms outside Longcoy.
Longcoy Pride
The exterior of Holden Elementary School.
The entrance to Holden Elementary which is receiving a secure vestibule.
The existing entry of Holden Elementary which will receive a new secure vestibule.
Classrooms are receiving new LED lighting.
Classrooms are receiving new "univents" to provide air conditioning and better indoor air quality.
New LED lighting is being installed in office spaces as well.

Kent City Schools - Existing Conditions

The district has done an excellent job of maintaining their facilities. They have made a commitment over the decades to keep up with the technological and physical improvements needed for each school.
Cheryl Fisher
Educational Planner

The Bond Issue

In the spring of 2020, the community passed a “No New Tax” Bond issue. This new construction bond was key to making the large-scale improvements planned by the district.

Gratefully, George Joseph, the Superintendent of Kent Schools, stated: “Our “No New Tax” Bond Issue is a unique opportunity for Kent citizens to improve our facilities without raising taxes. Although we constantly maintain and repair our facilities, the district has not had the funding to make substantial building improvements or additions in the last 20 years. Funds generated from this Bond Issue will allow us to make needed improvements and upgrades to all six Kent schools.”

A construction bond is a commitment made by the community to pay a certain amount of taxes which go towards permanent construction or asset improvements. Kent City Schools took advantage of the maturing bonds issued over 20 years ago from the construction of the Stanton Middle School and improvements in Roosevelt, and Davey schools. This new bond now finances the cost of renovations to the schools in 2020-2021 without raising taxes.

The superintendent was grateful to the community for their support. He stated, “Thank you to the Kent community for your overwhelming support of the Kent City Schools by voting to support the “No New Tax” Bond Issue in April…it makes a huge difference in making needed improvements and upgrades to our six school buildings.” Mr. Joseph has been a tireless advocate for students and educators in the Kent school system, “Our educators care deeply about students and their academic and emotional success. We are grateful for the support of the Kent community.”

This bond issue enabled the district to make these large-scale improvements to support future students.

A site plan showing the revised parking layout around Theodore Roosevelt High School.

Three Categories for District-Wide Renovations

Kent City Schools engaged with The Impact Group, their Strategic Planning facilitator, to gauge the community’s preference on renovation versus new construction. According to the Impact Group, the Kent community turned out for the highest level of participation they had ever experienced. 41% of respondents supported renovations, while 31% supported new construction. Renovating existing facilities was a clear choice in the community.

Leading up to construction for the district, Kent City Schools partnered with ThenDesign Architecture to create an educational masterplan for the district. This extensive process allowed the administration and educational planners to work together, identifying the needs and opportunities for each school facility.

Having this master plan allowed the designers to identify a roadmap for educational success in the district. Even though the buildings had not received significant improvements in the last 20 years, they were very well maintained and good candidates for renovation.

Cheryl Fisher, an educational planner with TDA worked extensively with the district on their plans. “We started assessing all of the district facilities and identifying what their building needs were district-wide and even exploring the possibility of new schools with the OFCC. We looked at the facility condition, we looked at educational adequacy of space and worked with a large “facilities improvement cabinet” and went through an in-depth analysis of the data. The project was just so big, we had to come up with a list of priorities.” These priorities revolved around, safety and security, improving the instructional environment and upgrading the athletic and performing arts facilities.

During the design process, the district has engaged with educators, students and professionals on the new building improvements. In late October 2020, students in the urban forestry program engaged with professionals, including Geo-Sci, a local Geotechnical and Engineering consultant, to take soil samples where the future addition will be located. Since the land being developed is near a wooded lot, this new construction project becomes a real time “laboratory” for high school students to better understand the impact of construction on the natural environment.

Student engagement in the Urban Forestry Program

"Our educators care deeply about students and their academic and emotional success. We are grateful for the support of the Kent community."
George Joseph
Superintendent of Kent City Schools

1) Safety and Security for Students

The first area of improvement was in rethinking safety and security for students.

As education has evolved, so has the need to maintain the perimeter of schools and keep track of visitors. Modern schools utilize “secure vestibules,” as a transition space that allows guests to check in using electronic access controls, ensuring the administration can run a background check on visitors before they enter the building.

Since most of the schools in the Kent district were built before secure entries were considered necessary, all 6 schools in the district will get enhanced security at the entrances. Features include electronic access controls and security cameras. These measures will make a huge difference in allowing staff to maintain a safe environment for students. In addition, site security will be improved by providing each building with energy efficient, high output LED lighting in their parking lots. Not only does this feature enhance safety forces patrolling the schools, it also enhances visibility for families attending after-school activities in the early mornings or evenings.

Student parkers at the high school now have to cross the heavily trafficked Roosevelt Drive to enter the school. With the reconfigured site plan, Roosevelt Drive will be moved to the south and all parking relocated to the north of Roosevelt Drive creating a safer entry. The visitor and ADA parking spaces are also moved closer to the main secure entrance along with a drop off lane separate from the bus drop off. The bus drop off road that enters off the north entrance of Mantua has been widened to allow parallel parking along this road while providing a fire lane.

The entry will receive a new secure vestibule.
A rendering of the new secure vestibule in Davey Elementary.
The existing entry of Holden Elementary which will receive a new secure vestibule.
A rendering of the new secure vestibule in Holden Elementary.

Secure Vestibules for Davey and Holden Elementary Schools

2) Improving the Instructional Environment

The majority of student’s time is spent in a classroom or other instructional environments. When determining important facilities upgrades, the classroom environment was prioritized with two major improvements for every building in the district.

The first of these improvements is replacing the fifty plus year old ‘univent’ classroom heating and ventilation units. The existing units have no capability for air conditioning and take around 30 minutes to completely exchange the indoor air. The new system replaces those with heating and cooling units which exchange air in almost half the time, provide a better indoor air mix and are equipped with bipolar ionization capabilities. The air quality and thermal comfort of the students will be greatly improved with these new univents while also reducing maintenance costs. The second major improvement to the learning environment will be new LED’s replacing the aging fluorescent bulbs. LED lighting has many benefits including energy efficiency, better light output, long lasting lifespan and a much better CRI count. “CRI” or “color rendering index” measures a lights ability to represent colors in a more natural way, with higher CRI’s being better suited for educational environments.

Additionally, two of the elementary schools (Holden and Walls) are receiving new gymnasium floors, while the Davey and Longcoy gym floors were refinished in the summer of 2020. Davey and Stanton also will receive new flooring to replace finishes that have failed with age.

"The new gymnasium complex, stadium synthetic turf and new field house will be dramatic changes at Theodore Roosevelt High School. The security vestibules at each school increase student and staff safety. The lighting and air conditioning improvements will create a better educational environment."
Brad Gellert
Project Manager

Athletic Engagement Session in Richard Roberts Auditorium

3) Improving Athletic and Performing Arts Facilities

Finally, Theodore Roosevelt High School is receiving several upgrades in the form of improving the athletic facilities and performing arts spaces.

As budgets and plans were formulated, TDA began engaging directly with the district on designs for the new sports field, gymnasium, and field house. Teachers, administrators, and coaches met with representatives from TDA and Shook Construction to get updates on the design and construction progress. Among the details discussed, were preliminary plans for the new gym and field house.

The new gymnasium complex will be a large addition to the high school and will dramatically change athletic events there. The addition creates a new 14,000 sf gym that includes a new entryway, ticket booth, concession stand, athletic storage, locker rooms and an 1,800 sf multipurpose space to be used in the winter season for wrestling. Completing the athletic upgrades will be the high school natatorium. It is budgeted to get new bleachers and filtration system.

Cheryl having worked closely with the team throughout master planning noted: “They’re one of the few districts of this size and enrollment that only has one gym. They are challenged when trying to fit all the activities scheduled during the day and night during game seasons. This addition gives them a new gym which is larger than the old one and allows them to have a competition and auxiliary gym. So multiple activities can take place simultaneously.”

Theodore Roosevelt High School students can also look forward to a new synthetic turf field with an adjacent field house that houses a concession stand, public restrooms, “spirit shop,” varsity team locker rooms and training room. The stadium is also receiving an upgraded sound system, and lighting improvements.

Finally, additional plans are underway for the 50-year-old Richard Roberts auditorium. Improvements to this performance space include a thrust stage extension that will improve acoustics while adding performance space, widened aisles for easier visitor access, wayfinding floor level LEDs, acoustic treatment, and new red upholstered auditorium seating and carpeting throughout the auditorium.

“The district recognizes the value of the school system and they want to be good stewards of what the community trusts in terms of money, the quality of education and the quality of spaces.”
Cheryl Fisher
Educational Planner

Kent City Schools - A District-Wide Renovation Project

The net result of these changes across 6 buildings, is a big impact on the quality of education, athletics, and artistic pursuits by students. The cumulative effects of such improvements make a profound difference in the overall educational experience.

Improving on existing facilities through renovation work can breathe new life into structures, extending their life spans. Targeted improvements in facilities provide solutions that will service the community for decades to come. Kent City Schools, by assessing their current facilities, master planning and executing on their plans shows that a district-wide renovation project can be successful.

To stay up to date on future construction announcements, visit the Kent City Schools website.

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.
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Memorial Junior High – An Adaptive Reuse Project

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Memorial Junior High School - An Adaptive Reuse Project
Downtown Willoughby is home to many historic structures, some of them going back to the 1800’s. Memorial Junior High School is one such building. Built in 1925, ThenDesign Architecture is adaptively re-using this building for our future headquarters. Understand what goes into the decision between renovating a historic structure or building something brand new.

“As architects, we have a professional responsibility to design environmentally sensitive buildings.  We also believe strongly in investing in our community.  Rehabilitating a historic school building for our new headquarters provided the opportunity to accomplish both.” stated Chris Smith, president of ThenDesign Architecture.  Specializing in educational design, and having extensive experience in historic preservation, TDA is perfectly suited to rehabilitate a historic school.  The project involved an adaptive reuse of Memorial Junior High School which was originally constructed in the 1920’s into TDA’s new offices.  Not only did TDA’s designers have to address concerns around costs, working with the city, planning commission and community, but had to consider the fine line between respecting the historic nature of the building and designing a modern office space.

Tough Decisions

TDA has operated out of historic buildings near Downtown Willoughby, for most of their history. The first building was the St. John House, an old home which the firm moved into in 1991. Then as growth continued, moved to the Carrel Building (1885) in 1998, and now the decision to repurpose and move to Memorial Junior High School (1925) in 2021. The team has always appreciated these spaces and both the aesthetic and historic quality they bring to the fabric of the community.

Memorial, or “Building B,” as many affectionately call it, sat empty for years. It being reimagined, the target of an adaptive reuse project, to become TDA’s new headquarters.

Exterior Photos - ThenDesign Architecture

However, when construction commenced and progressed, community interest has skyrocketed as did public support for the project. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of comments we have received since the beginning of the project.

  • “Thank you, TDA Architecture! I went there for 9th Grade, and my father-in-law attended the old Willoughby Union High School in the building. Beautiful structure and so many memories!”
  • “I have respect for any company that takes on such a monumental task to preserve and repurpose a school that is an important part of our city’s history. Thank you!”
  • “I’m so grateful this lovely, memory-filled bit of Willoughby is being given another opportunity to be a contributor to this charming city. It breaks my heart to see one representation after the next of the design and workmanship of American days gone by torn down and replaced by structures that have no heart nor character. Thank you to all of you who’ve made this happen.”
  • “So nice to see the building is being repaired and will be occupied by people who appreciate the historical value of the building.”
  • “What a wonderful way to share your enthusiasm with all of us who care about Willoughby’s charming perseverance! This was such a special place for so many people — including my late dad and brother. Thank you for update!!”

Early on, our staff studied the building and thought deeply about how this existing school could be reimagined and used as a headquarters by an educationally focused architectural firm. This thinking informed the interior spaces, finishes and the construction details. While the construction and renovation process has been challenging, keeping this landmark in the city, reusing the structure, and extending its life through good design has brought many concrete opportunities and intangible benefits for our firm.

Construction Photos - ThenDesign Architecture

"There's something very special about educational designers being able to repurpose an historic school. This is something symbolic for our team for sure."
Chris Smith
President of TDA

Construction Updates

A tremendous amount of progress has been made since work commenced in early 2020. After an office wide “Visioning Session” in 2015, the architectural staff worked closely with our interior designers taking feedback from the staff and transforming that into architectural designs. Incorporating technology, expanding workspaces for the designers, adding flexible meeting rooms for collaborative work, and individualized spaces for solitary work, greatly impacts how we can perform educational, planning, and architectural work in the 21st century. Focusing on a concept of education within the building, designers left the structure and utilities exposed. This allows occupants to experience it as a “living architectural museum,” understanding both historic and modern construction techniques.

The “Architectural Studio” is a two-story open space that houses our design teams. This open area supports both collaborative and individual work with room for expansion. Additional offices support additional departments such as Construction Administration, Accounting, Human Resources and Communications. Each one plays a crucial role in educational public design and architecture.

Windows on the façade were upgraded and restored to their original design, featuring rounded half arches. They provide additional insulation against the elements and replace the dated glazing installed in the early 70’s. This brings the building back to its original aesthetic. Utilities such as water, electric and data have been upgraded to support the growing activities of the staff.

An expanded “Flex Café” space provides the flexibility for large or small team meetings, video production and recording, design charettes, along with on-site client meetings that can take place safely when socially distancing.

While the space is nearing completion, the decision to renovate wasn’t an easy one. The team wrestled with whether to use this historic structure in their plans. Ultimately, Chris summed it up well, “Why would we do a renovation rather than just build a new office, especially in this area? Right now, it actually costs us more to renovate the building than it would have to build new, but I think it shows our commitment to the community and to Willoughby…Just because something is new doesn’t mean it’s better.”

Seeing the final renovated space come together, the impact of the reuse is striking.

The decision to renovate an old structure versus build new is a huge decision and one that we have helped many other communities face.

Construction Details - ThenDesign Architecture

Renovate or Adaptive Reuse versus New Construction?

In our K-12 educational design practice, we often collaborate with school districts who are facing the same question we did: “Should we renovate our existing facilities or construct a brand-new building?” This is a difficult question and one that’s not easily answered. However, facilities assessments are one of the many tools we have developed to help districts with this question.

The myriad of considerations are dizzying, but there are a number of overall points to consider.

Bob Orovets, a project architect with TDA, explains there are often three considerations in school design when deciding between renovation or new construction: “The decision sometimes comes down to cost, sometimes it’s the availability of land and sometimes it’s about timing.” He continues: “Often, the cost to retrofit and maintain a building exceeds that of a brand-new building. However, if you want to build a new building, its usually hard to find a piece of land big enough for a school and if you can, the question is, “Is it in the right spot to meet the neighborhood’s needs?”

In addition, architectural technologies have advanced drastically in the last 60 years. Systems for heating and cooling are now high tech, insulation in the walls and windows are much better with new construction and the longevity of roofing membranes is more durable using todays construction methods. Since many schools in Ohio were built in the 50’s and 60’s, environmental factors didn’t play as much of a role and the masonry walls weren’t built with energy efficiency in mind. These structures often lacked heating or cooling systems, so a portion of our renovation work consists of simply installing air conditioning systems into these historic structures. While this can be done successfully, aging building envelopes often leak conditioned air more readily. So, while cost savings happen through retrofitting, maintenance over the years can outweigh savings.

When it comes to both land and timing considerations though, it is a challenge to satisfy both of those at once. Bob recounts, “A lot of times we do schools on the same property, possibly in one corner of the site, so the existing school can operate and then when the new building is done, you can switch over because the school owns the land, and the new building is now finished. Then, the old school is demolished, and you can build sports facilities on this later.” Renovations to a school would mean moving students to an alternate facility to continue their education and if delays happen, it puts educators in a bind. He continues, “So sometimes it’s money-driven, sometimes it’s land-driven, and sometimes its timing-driven. If you are buying land for a new building, be prepared for a wait. It takes time to acquire enough parcels of land and consolidate them into larger portions. You might have to go through rezoning to get the school in a certain area and this could take years.” When it comes to educational design, finding a partner who has done it before is key. Bob, having been through many adaptive reuse, as well as new construction projects sums it up well: “It’s true that nothing’s easy!”

Architectural Character in the City of Willoughby - ThenDesign Architecture

"The project is a significant investment in our city, keeps a great group of professionals in our community and allows for future growth of this expanding design firm. This is a great adaptive reuse of a building that had no other practical use."
Robert Fiala
Mayor of the City of Willoughby,

Benefits of Rehabilitation, Renovations and Adaptive Reuse

Even though the renovation work at Memorial Junior High School has been challenging, there are several benefits.

Adaptively reusing a historic structure, breathes new life into a “place” in the community. Not only is it more environmentally friendly since there is less waste from demolition, it will potentially attract new activities to an area where they weren’t present before. For Memorial, we seek to extend the activity and energy from the downtown environment further south past Wes Point Park. For this area, it’s just a continuation of our efforts in developing and reenergizing this part of Willoughby.

Speaking about the rehabilitation project, Mayor Fiala of the City of Willoughby and founding partner of TDA who supports continued preservation of the downtown area, commented: “Memorial Junior High School was built in the 1920s. The building was purchased by TDA and is now being renovated. The project is a significant investment in our City, keeps a great group of professionals in our community and allows for future growth of this expanding design firm. This is a great adaptive reuse of a building that had no other practical use.

Buildings like Memorial are part of the historic and cultural fabric community. The construction materials match other surrounding historic buildings creating a cohesive “story” of the City. Since Memorial Junior High School was often photographed, the history of this building will be told well into the future. Many of Willoughby’s residents attended this school going back to the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and appreciate the investment in. They view this adaptive reuse project as a way to keep a landmark in Willoughby well into the future.”

While those benefits may seem intangible, the impact on the architects designing future schools, in an historic school holds special significance for the designers. Chris concludes: “Just because something is new doesn’t mean it’s better. In a sense there is an obligation, a responsibility as an architect to be responsible environmentally and responsible towards our community, to retain that history if possible. And let us be honest, there’s something very special about educational designers being able to repurpose an historic school. This is something symbolic for our team for sure.”

Construction Details - ThenDesign Architecture

Key Takeaways:

  • When considering whether to renovate versus build a new structure, three major considerations are, cost, land availability and timing.
  • With historic structures that are rooted in a community, intangible factors, such as aesthetic value, environmental context and placemaking may provide reasons to maintain the building through rehabilitation or adaptive reuse.
  • "Adaptive reuse," or changing a structure intended use, is more environmentally friendly than demolishing and rebuilding. It uses fewer resources but could cost more in maintenance over the years.
  • Reimagining an existing structure has the potential to reenergize a neighborhood or community and bring added activity and attention to a locality or city.

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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The Big Impact from a Little Green Roof

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The Big Impact from a Little Green Roof
Against the backdrop of one of Cleveland's most popular bars, a small environmental project has made big impacts on the design of a little green roof in dense urban environments.

Against the backdrop of one of Cleveland’s most popular bars, a small environmental project has made big impacts on the design of a little green roof in dense urban environments. In 2013, Claire Bank, an architect with ThenDesign Architecture (TDA), managed a green roof project that was installed on one of Cleveland’s popular “Bike Box” installations and sought to demonstrate a new way to think about sustainability in a concrete jungle. Now, this internationally recognized project has attracted hundreds of professionals annually, showing them a new way to integrate native plant species into an otherwise inhospitable environment.

Challenging Environmental Context

Deep in the Gordan Square Arts District, sits the Happy Dog, one of Cleveland’s most popular bars. This local joint established itself as one of the most welcoming live music venues in Cleveland. Situated on Detroit Ave, in a dense urban environment that historically hosted music and food venues, the owners of the bar, along with partners at the Gordan Square Arts District and local musicians have been able to attract talent from across the country. With a menu that eschews exotic items, they focus on their staple–hot dogs–and offer a dizzying array of homemade and unique toppings. So this menu, with live music and a monthly TEDx style talk with scientists, writers and academics, they maintain their status as an educational, community oriented location.

However, like many venues set in an urban context, this corner bar is adrift in a sea of pavement. Detroit Ave, is a heavily trafficked city street that runs parallel to Lake Erie, through the City of Cleveland, Ohio City and the Gordan Square Arts District. On this busy thoroughfare, semi-trucks, delivery vehicles, city buses, commuter cars, construction trucks and many other vehicles frequent the road. Adding to this activity, is a bike path in this corridor which provides alternate means of transportation and seeks to encourage more pedestrian use.

The impervious city pavement stretches as far as the eye can see. This ground covering is a slick surface that does nothing to slow or capture rainfall that rushes directly into city sewers. During rainy seasons, a common issue in Northeast Ohio, water streams across the road surface, creating flooding and taxes the city sewer systems. Additionally, during winter months, salt, from deicing frozen roads collects in pools and is deadly for most plant material. In addition, vast expanses of pavement contribute to climate change, as the dark asphalt holds on to heat another challenge in urban environments. An overhead canopy of utilities, old signs, fences and telephone poles choke out potential tree covering.

So while there is life and energy in the district, challenges facing most dense urban environments are present here also. However, through intelligent, sustainable design, we can provide nature a way to mitigate rainwater, reclaim runoff, provide shade and beauty.

Enhancing the "Bike Box"

Claire Bank is a registered architect working at TDA and in 2013 was attending Kent State, studying in the graduate Architecture and Urban Design programs. It was here, that her interest in urban design overlapped with Dr. Reid Coffman, an Associate Professor at Kent State, who focused on urban ecology. Since they were located near Cleveland, with its sprawling urban downtown, it was natural to explore ways to improve this environment. Together, they pursued a grant through the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to fund a green infrastructure project: a small green roof in an unexpected place.”

Claire recounts: “I was doing a number of different research projects around green roofs, so I think the identification of the box and the opportunity came from Dr. Coffman, but I was working with him on a number of other research projects throughout the year, looking actually at green infrastructure for parking garages, which doesn’t sound the most exciting. We were looking at ways to bring green infrastructure into cities that just have so much hardscape and could really use more pervious surface to clean water.”

Thus, Land Studio’s “Bike Boxes” became an unlikely partner in their project. The “Bike Box” was a green transportation project spearheaded by Land Studio, who was focusing on improvements in urban environments. They worked with several local arts and non-profit organizations to repurpose steel shipping containers from Cleveland shipyards and transform them into bike racks in the city. Since each one takes up roughly a single parking space, its goal was to raise awareness for alternate transportation.

Claire and Dr. Coffman’s project centered on taking an existing “bike box” and retrofitted a green roof on it. This was in an effort to create a scalable solution that could mitigate water runoff, provide pervious surface and promote native plant growth.

“So [our] bike box is outside the Happy Dog. It sits in a pretty dense urban neighborhood. There’s a lot of businesses right around it and a lot of street parking of cars as well. So with the initial design and placement of the bike box, it was supposed to take over a parking spot and raise awareness for alternate transportation. It’s like, “Hey, this many bikes could fit in one parking spot” so it is “green transportation.” We also were considering the amount of hardscape and looking to add more pervious surface which gathers water, decreases the flow to storm sewers, cools the surrounding environment and cleans the water. It was the first time that we worked with other organizations pursuing grants to help pay for this improvement. Even the owners of the Happy Dog were excited about the potential to grow culinary toppings for hot dogs potentially on the green roof.”

The Happy Dog, which prides itself as a creative, community friendly, culturally focused venue is now adjacent to urban infrastructure that promotes alternate transportation, sustainable environmental stewardship and has become a laboratory for good design.

Images Courtesy of Kent State University

Green Roof Design

Minor modifications were made to the bike box, but with a small budget of a little over four thousand dollars, they had to make every penny count. “We just started out with the storage container that was turned into a bike shelter. Then we added sides to allow depth for the growing medium. Then we waterproofed it and did a layer of soil and varied the depths of soil to see if different plants did better at different depths. So not only was it designed to be a bike shelter, retain surface water and providing plant material it also was a place to perform plant life experiments in a dense urban environment.”

Many were surprised to learn the green roof doesn’t require much work to maintain it. “Green Roofs scare people, they think it’s going to take a lot of maintenance and that it’s going to leak, but it doesn’t have many layers to it. The planting medium was made of native species and that also doesn’t require maintenance. They survive here and in the years since it was installed they are surviving really well which is interesting.”

Project construction was a huge success due to the efforts of local contractors and volunteers. Claire had coordinated between multiple stakeholders at TDA, but this was one of the first times she took a leadership role. Tasked with finding economical solutions to construction problems, organizing and leading a team of volunteers, and interacting with community members was a big responsibility. Claire recalls, “When you’re planning the project, you think nobody’s going to see this. However, as we were constructing it, everyone in the community saw it and it was pretty obvious that it was good for the community. It was refreshing seeing people that lived in the neighborhood coming out and voicing their support.”

Claire, now a resident in the Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood, sees the bike box regularly now. “It’s been rewarding in the summer, passing by and seeing a lot of interaction with our bike box.”

International Impact and Lessons in Sustainability

Since the project’s completion in 2013, this 149 SF green roof, is an example of sustainable design and was more recently won the “Award of Excellence” from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. In its small footprint, this green roof demonstrates how cost effective, living architecture in a dense urban environment can integrate with existing infrastructure. It provides stormwater management, reintroduces native plant life, a natural aesthetic and shade into an otherwise difficult environment. Each year, it’s visited by hundreds of professionals and students who are studying it to bring these sustainable principles into their projects. Now maintained by Kent State University, it has contributed to over a dozen research initiatives, including PhD dissertations, journal paper, masters studies and awards. It is a testament of collaboration among stakeholders that leads to a lasting community impact and serves as a laboratory for ecological conservation.

For Claire, as an architect focused on educational design, she draws a variety of lessons from this small project. “I find nature beautiful and that includes plants and vegetation. I’ve always been really interested in how the built environment interacts with the nature. That means integrating nature in the built world to mitigate the impacts of climate change. I think it’s a responsible way to minimize the built environments impact on the natural world.” In terms of deploying these techniques for educational architecture, she notes, “there is an opportunity to use green infrastructure in school districts. All the new schools that are co-funded [by OFCC] have to be LEED Certified. So naturally we’re building in sustainable practices into schools. There’s also more of an educational push for it, where people are aware of a building’s impact on the environment and they’re looking for ways to offset that, while educating those attending the school.”

For now, this small project illustrates how green initiatives don’t need to be pricy or complicated. By partnering with stakeholders, businesses and the community, their team was able to construct an excellent case study for environmental stewardship for use in cities that wish to integrate greenspace and vegetation into the streetscape.

“Having a small project like this, which has such a big impact, gives me hope that it’s achievable at a larger scale. There is no harm in trying to find these opportunities and develop them for the school districts we work with.”

To learn more about the project, visit: 

Key Design Points:

  • Develop a scalable solution that integrates a small (149 SF), sustainable green roof into the existing infrastructure of an inhospitable urban environment.
  • The project provides continuing education opportunities and is maintained by the ongoing efforts from Kent State University. It is studied by hundreds of AEC professionals annually. It has also been the subject of over a dozen masters studies, PhD dissertations, journal reviews and awards.
  • In an aesthetic package, provide a rainwater management solution, that can potentially reduce heat retention in the environment, provide shade to the city street and support alternate transportation.
  • It serves as a template for how sustainable solutions can be integrated into much larger facilities, providing ecologically responsible construction methods, mitigate rainwater and temperature impacts and use native plant life to soften an otherwise entirely hardscaped environment.

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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Brunswick Middle School – Brunswick Ohio

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Brunswick Middle School – Brunswick, Ohio
The Brunswick Middle School is a 21st century learning facility designed to serve grades 6-8 in the Brunswick City School District. This LEED Silver, 243,000 SF building houses 1,660 students and replaces three aging middle schools. Learn more about what went into this project below.

The Brunswick Middle School is a 21st century learning facility designed to serve grades 6-8 in the Brunswick City School District. This 243,000 SF building houses 1,660 students and replaces three aging middle schools, two of which were previously on the site. A design concept for the building was to create a network of 18 “learning pods,” connected to a “central hub” of shared spaces. This LEED Silver project includes four classrooms per pod, with six pods dedicated per grade. The “central hub” consists of student dining, a media center and “Project Lead the Way,” STEM classrooms. Adjacent to the hub are two gyms, and an auditorium with music rooms. A stadium and athletic field is also connected to the hub on the east side of the property.

Under a tight design and construction deadline, the district, architects, and construction professionals worked closely to keep the project moving forward and on budget, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Brunswick Educational Visioning Session

Early in the building’s design, Brunswick City School District had a clear vision for implementing a modern and collaborative educational curriculum. They wanted teachers to have the freedom to create customized lesson plans for each student, instead of following a standardized plan. This flexible approach directly impacted the architecture and new educational spaces were needed. The community was engaged through an “educational visioning session” early in the design process. Over 100 attended this session and stakeholders engaged on school program analysis, building layout and elevation designs. Through this, stakeholders saw how architecture could support their curriculum goals.

Site Influence

A major design hurdle was dealing with the 34’ grade change distributed among three existing plateaus at different elevations on the site. Designers used these plateaus to situate the major elements of the facility. Parking was located on the top plateau which gradually sloped to the middle plateau where an exterior bridge connected the sidewalk to the building’s main entry and interior “connecting hub.” This hub fed circulation to the athletics field and stadium on the lowest plateau.

Two existing middle schools, Visintainer and Edwards Middle Schools, were on the site and had to remain operational throughout construction. When it was completed, the team only had three months to demolish these and build the parking lot for the new facility in order to open for the 2020-2021 school year.

The entrance bridge is a striking feature of the Brunswick Middle School. It created a large public entrance, allowed for exterior windows on the “Project Lead the Way” STEM classrooms and carved out a unique exterior plaza below. This became an extension of student dining and hosts a large collaborative stair for outdoor gatherings, performances, and classes.

Brunswick Middle School Interior Design

Student dining serves as the “connecting hub,” located on the middle plateau of the site. Its interior design colorfully displays Brunswick’s signature blue and networks together the “learning pods” and other major interior spaces.

Since the district intended small groups of students and teachers to work together, each of the eighteen “learning pods,” consist of a central collaborative space surrounded by four classrooms. While each classroom serves a specific subject, the collaborative area is a flexible, extended learning area that houses technology, white boards, student lockers and educational furniture for its small group of students. Six pods are dedicated to each grade in the Brunswick Middle School. Architectural and interior designers paid careful attention to the lighting in these collaborative spaces. To enhance lighting and the overall aesthetic, special ceiling soffits and lighting fixtures add texture to the ceiling, ensuring plenty of light for group activities.

Auditorium and Gymnasium

To expand the music program, the district included a new performing arts center in the Brunswick Middle School. The auditorium seats 700 people and is connected to several large music rooms for vocal, orchestra and instrumental practice. One semester of music is a district requirement for Brunswick students and an important part of their education.

The Media Center, while still containing physical books, was designed to accommodate modern, digital media. It includes a small “maker’s space” and a dedicated green screen recording studio.

The Brunswick Middle School now has a full gymnasium and auxiliary gym which will support their expanding sports program. An eight-lane track, synthetic turf sports field and stadium are situated at the rear of the site. These new facilities will become an important venue for future athletic events in the district.

Project Design Challenges:

  • Develop an architectural solution on a complicated site, that incorporated a 34' vertical grade across 3 plateaus to accommodate parking, athletics, the school building and district wide bus storage and maintenance facility.
  • On a tight design and construction schedule, build a new structure adjacent to the two existing middle schools, Visintainer and Edwards Middle Schools, demolishing them before the school year begins.
  • Design architecture that supports the district's educational vision, allowing teachers more flexibility in their spaces to help them develop individualized lesson plans and student schedules.
  • Ensure excellent lighting to support educational activities. This included both artificial and natural lighting solutions where possible.

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.
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Citizen Architect – Robert Fiala, AIA

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Citizen Architect - Robert Fiala, AIA
Robert Fiala is the founding partner of ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) and the mayor of Willoughby, Ohio. He was recognized as a "Citizen Architect" by the American Institute of Architects and featured in an article detailing his path from architecture to public service.

Citizen Architect - Robert Fiala, AIA

Robert Fiala is the founding partner of ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) and the mayor of Willoughby, Ohio. During his 40-year career in architecture, he has been primarily involved with publicly funded projects, with an emphasis on K-12 educational facilities and civic architecture. Recently he was recognized as a “Citizen Architect” by the American Institute of Architects and featured in an article detailing his path from architecture to public service.

TDA continues to be driven by an “insatiable desire to learn” and the need to improve communities through relationship building, public engagement and design. These principles were the foundations for starting a business with a focus on enriching lives through design. This evolved into a love of public service.

Much of his time was spent designing public works and engaging with communities. This gave him a unique perspective on the positive social and economic impacts of planning and design. This has greatly informed his mayoral role.

“Those opportunities were my testing ground, they showed me that I loved public service and that there are many ways to be a voice and an advocate.”
-Robert Fiala

Recognized as a "Citizen Architect" by the American Institute of Architects

The American Institute of Architects defines a “Citizen Architect” as a member who uses their talent, insight, and experience to make positive contributions to their community. This is done primarily through engaging in the administrative and legislative political process and embodying the ideals of public service.

The article recounts his path working as an architect and his transition to public service.

The public service bug had bitten Fiala years earlier, however, as his firm worked with leaders in education throughout the state to plan new school projects. “I felt the excitement of engaging with the community,” Fiala said. “I also had an epiphany: I realized that, as architects, we are trained to problem-seek and -solve, then to communicate our solutions. However, with the unique tools that we, as designers, possess, we are rarely at the table in public policy and planning discussions and decisions.”

Through its founding and early years, Fiala made sure tda was built on a different operating model. In fact, under his direction, TDA’s design philosophy—“Think, Design, Act”—had a community- and public policy-oriented feel. The firm is driven by an “insatiable desire to learn” and “to create tailor-made design solutions.” In other words, to accomplish what public officials attempt to accomplish: identifying and executing a shared vision.

Read the full article here.  

To learn more about ThenDesign Architecture and our work, visit our blog and subscribe to the newsletter.

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 a corporate video environment and brings a production mindset to videography, editing, photography and content marketing. He is passionate about supporting the arts, and can be found hiking in the Ohio parks system.

New Educational Wickliffe Campus

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New Educational Wickliffe Campus
Wickliffe City Schools has been ambitiously planning the new educational Wickliffe Campus to house students in a Pre-K through 12th grade facility which will replace the aging city schools in their area. We are honored to present a video animation of the new facility, narrated by Wickliffe High School students.

Wickliffe City School District has been ambitiously planning the new educational Wickliffe Campus to house students in a Pre-K through 12th grade facility which will replace the aging city schools in their area. Engaging with the community, the district has been presenting their educational vision which seeks to address the challenges that students face, ensuring they receive the best educational opportunities possible.

Working together with Wickliffe City School District, we are honored to present a video animation of the new facility. Narrated by Wickliffe High School students, viewers can get an inside look at how the new facility will impact future attendees.

Education in Wickliffe, Ohio:

In a News Herald article in early 2020, Wickliffe School District Superintendent, Joseph Spiccia identified his “four E philosophy, Employed, Enrolled, Enlisted or an Entrepreneur” and focused on ensuring these are present in every graduating class. These beliefs are part of a larger motivation to build a future ready education model for all students going through Wickliffe Schools. He and Julie Ramos, the Director of Strategic Innovation, are driven to develop student outcome and seek to expand the format and educational opportunities in the district.

In 2019, voters approved a $60 million bond issue, which allows for the construction of a new pre-k through 12 educational campus which will serve as the single school building for the district. It will replace the aging elementary, middle and high schools. The two story, 204,000 SF building incorporates spaces that will greatly expand opportunities for the curriculum, provide students better collaborative spaces, flexible classrooms and athletic areas, adjacent to a new performing arts center that seats 500. In addition, the new facility allows expansion of the Family Resource Center, a community center that offers free services to many who are in need. 

“We need to make sure the curriculum and the programs are broad enough to meet the needs of this diverse group of students."
Joseph Spiccia
Wickliffe School District Superintendent

“Our priorities are to ensure our students are future ready,” states Superintendent Joe Spiccia. “We need to make sure the curriculum and the programs are broad enough to meet the needs of this diverse group of students. Another priority is to create a culture and environment that takes great advantage of the wonderful tradition of the community yet moves the community forward progressively.”

Project Renderings:

Construction is slated to begin in late spring of 2021 and will take around 2 years to construct. The new facility is scheduled to open for the start of the 2023-2024 school year. We appreciate the opportunity to work with districts to realize their educational goals and develop spaces, such as the new educational Wickliffe Campus which will serve students for decades to come.

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.