Kent City Schools – Athletic Facilities Tour

Written by

Kent City Schools – Athletic Facilities Tour
Superintendent George Joseph provides a “sneak peek” into the new athletic facilities that are slated to be completed in the fall of 2022. This virtual tour shows the construction of the buildings and outlines the benefits that they will bring to the District.

Kent City Schools – Athletic Facilities Tour

Kent City Schools is a District in Northeast Ohio serving over 3,000 students. In the spring of 2020, a $25 million “No New Tax” construction bond was passed and is being used to make improvements to each school in the community. While the safety, security and educational environment is being enhanced in each building, another component of the project is improving the athletic facilities at Theodore Roosevelt High School.

Superintendent George Joseph gives a virtual tour of the construction progress and outlines the benefits these spaces bring to the District.

A tour given by the superintendent of the new Theodore Roosevelt Athletic Addition

“Right now, the education we are providing our students is excellent, but our facilities don't always match what we are providing. This new athletic facility, along with the other building improvements, will match the education we're providing to our students.”
George Joseph
Superintendent of Kent City Schools

Bond Passage and Vision

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

Then with the passage of the Bond, it allowed the District to move forward with their facilities plans.

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.”

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.”

A tour given by the superintendent of the new Roosevelt Stadium Field House

"The new gymnasium complex, stadium synthetic turf and new field house will be a dramatic change at the Theodore Roosevelt High School."
Brad Gellert
Architect

Improved Athletic Facilities

Construction is underway on Theodore Roosevelt High School, with upgrades to its athletic facilities.

The high school gains a 14,000 sf addition on its north side, which includes a new competition gymnasium, entryway, ticket booth, concession stand, athletic storage, locker rooms and an 1,800 sf multipurpose space to be used for wrestling in the winter season.

Cheryl Fisher, an educational planner for TDA who worked closely on this project 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. Now, multiple activities can take place simultaneously.”

In addition, a new synthetic turf field was installed last summer, and an adjacent field house is being built which includes a concession stand, public restrooms, “spirit shop,” varsity team locker rooms and training room is included. The stadium also received an upgraded sound system and lighting improvements.

Scenes from the construction update at Theodore Roosevelt High School and the new field house
“Kent is 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. Now, multiple activities can take place simultaneously.”
Cheryl Fisher
Educational Planner

Athletic Facilities Tour

“I am pleased to bring a “sneak peek” of these buildings to the community and can’t wait to see our athletes put them to use,” commented Mr. Joseph.

An athletic facilities tour is one way to give everyone a glimpse of these important spaces before they open.

“Right now, the education we are providing our students is excellent, but our facilities don’t match what we are providing,” Mr. Joseph states. “This new athletic facility, along with the other District-wide improvements, will match the education we’re providing to our students.”

Construction will be completed this fall with the new facilities open for the upcoming school year.

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.
See more Posts

Fairport Harbor EVSD Moves Forward With Design of New School

Written by

Fairport Harbor EVSD Moves Forward With Design of New School
On May 10th, members of the Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School District, the Fairport Harbor Public Library, and community members gathered to hear about the design process for the new 116,000 sf, $50 million Prek-12 school.

Fairport Harbor Exempted Village Schools Moves Forward With Design of New PreK-12 School

On May 10th, members of the Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School District, representatives of the Fairport Harbor Public Library, community members and students gathered in the Harding Auditorium to hear from representatives of ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) explain the design process for the new school, talk through the project scope, while providing an opportunity for questions.

The new 116,000 sf school will be located on the existing site for Harding High School. The $50 million dollar project will serve as a PreK-12 school, consolidating the existing high school, junior high and elementary into one building. It will include a new Fairport Harbor Public Library which will be attached to the main building and is tentatively scheduled to open for the 2025-2026 school year.
"This has been an exciting time for me, it has been a dream of mine for years to get to this point. Our architects, ThenDesign Architecture, worked with us in planning for this bond issue and are ready to start designing our new school."
Domenic Paolo
Superintendent of Fairport Harbor EVSD

Roots of the Fairport Harbor School Construction Project

The District embarked on this project almost 5 years ago in 2017, as they began exploring options for new facilities.

Domenic Paolo, superintendent of Fairport Harbor Schools commented, “This has been an exciting time for me, it has been a dream of mine for years to get to this point. Our architects, ThenDesign Architecture, worked with us in planning for this bond issue and are ready to start designing our new school.”

At the outset of the project, a master planning process set the vision for this project.

The first meeting, held in February of 2017 which was led by the district administration and board members, was attended by 37 stakeholders from the community. The group began to explore options to replace the District’s aging infrastructure and then communicate on the District’s needs.

As an initial step, TDA was hired to validate the District’s building assessments from 2008. This validation process included tours of the buildings for deficiencies, identifying the costs to correct any issues, and then incorporating those findings into the official Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) assessment reports. If the cost to renovate is over 2/3 the cost of new construction, then the OFCC recommends new construction.

Considering the age and necessary repairs to the two schools, the District decided to pursue new construction.

Throughout 2018-2021, TDA and the facility committee explored a variety of site and master plan options for the new consolidated school. Although some sites seemed to offer greater advantages, such as flat ample acreage, there were usually other challenges associated, such as presence of hazardous materials, which ruled out feasibility.

Ultimately, the existing Harding High School site was deemed as the most appropriate site.

To view the full meeting, view the video below:

"The plan is to use the existing high school and middle school building during the two years of construction, then demolish the old building once the new building is complete."
Adam Parris
Architect

Developing Plans

A careful and thoughtful plan was developed and vetted by key stakeholders which included the facility planning committee, the District, TDA, and the OFCC. In fact, OFCC Senior Planner, Bill Prenosil commended the in-depth plan, noting that the project “was likely the most complex, but well thought out planning effort he has worked on to-date.”

In November 2021, the Fairport Harbor School District passed a bond issue to generate $5 million dollars which would go towards the construction of a new PreK-12 school. By participating with the State of Ohio through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, the District qualified for state assistance, to fund 93% of the total school construction.

At the May 10th meeting, Cheryl Fisher, an educational planner with TDA commented, “I want to give you what we hope is really exciting news. When we passed the bond in November 2021, we weren’t anticipating the state to provide their 93% for another year or two or three.”

This could mean that the District would construct a small portion of the building, then wait for state funding to construct the remaining portion.

Fisher continues “What we have heard since then is that all of the “stages are set” and we are hopeful for the OFCC funding to come in as early as July 2022. So, that eliminates the need to do a segmented portion of the project, and we can do the entire design of the PreK-12 project at once. That’s very, very exciting news for the community.”

If the OFCC fully funds the project in July, the new school will be built all at once, instead of phasing the construction over several years.

Project Site

The new school will be constructed on the existing site of Harding High School.

Adam Parris, project manager for the new school commented, “The plan is to use the existing high school and middle school building during the two years of construction, then demolish the old building once the new building is complete.”

This is common for projects built near existing schools.

Parris continues, “Students won’t be using a “swing space” or be moved off campus during the project. Construction and education will happen on the same site for two years.”

Formal traffic and site studies will be carried out at the beginning of the project to ensure feasibility of construction on this site.

“This is a challenging site, as you can see, the existing school takes up a portion of the site and the gym addition is facing the football field. We’re fairly limited to what we can do. As architects, we love challenges, and this site has its fair share of challenges for us to work with.”

Despite a challenging construction climate, the team is confident the school and library project will fit on the site and work within the budget established.

To view the presentation, access the information below:

Next Steps

An Educational Visioning Session is a collaborative event that will be held at the end of the school year. Its purpose is to allow architects, the School District and key stakeholders to imagine the ways a new school facility can provide a better educational environment. Information is gathered to establish project goals, design challenges and priorities, along with providing a glimpse into how these new spaces will further the school district’s curriculum.

A detailed report will be released after this event on the District’s website.

Then, over the summer, the design team will be spending time putting together building components and initial plans for the new school with educator and community engagements planned for the fall of 2022. This crucial feedback informs the overall layout and design of the new school.

For those with questions or feedback on the project, please visit the District’s website to learn more, or submit any questions and feedback you have.

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.
See more Posts

Perry Local Schools – Progress Continues on New Elementary Schools

Written by

Progress Continues on Elementary Schools, Perry Local Schools
In early 2020, the Perry community approved a bond levy to secure funds to build new elementary schools and perform needed renovations to the high school. The design and construction process face unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic but move forward with providing the best educational environment for Perry Local School students.

Progress on the Perry Local Schools Building Plans

In early 2020, the Perry Community approved a bond levy to secure funds to update their educational facilities. This came after an intensive engagement process where the Perry Local School District, educators, community members and design professionals gathered to outline goals for education in Perry Township. The community was clear– addressing the need for new elementary schools was the #1 priority.

Due to the successful bond passage, the District raised $85 million from the community which allowed them to secure funds from the state of Ohio, through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), who agreed to provide another $80 million towards the project. While the total project is divided into phases, the first phase includes initial renovations to Perry High School and a plan to address the aging elementary schools in the District. At phase 2, when state money is distributed, then build a new middle school and complete the renovations to the Perry High School.

Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 and material supply shortages, the District is moving forward with constructing new elementary schools, acting on promises made during the Bond campaign, and ensuring the best educational opportunities for students. The project is expected to break ground in the fall of 2022.
"We’ve learned relationships are important...in smaller schools it is easier to build a relationship with a young person. You have to build interpersonal positive relationships with kids for them to learn and grow."
Scott Beatty
Superintendent at Perry Local Schools

The Foundation of the Plan

The District began laying the foundation for the building project in early 2017. They conducted a widespread survey to understand whether the community supported a project that addressed their facilities, and if so, which buildings were a priority. The results were clear, addressing the elementary schools was the #1 priority.

Soon after, the “Building Advisory Group” was formed. The group was comprised of thirty-four individuals who volunteered their time to examine master plans, funding sources, and the educational future of the District. It included township trustees, union representatives, current and former Board of Education members, parents, and educators.

Design and construction professionals then assessed District buildings. Their goal was to determine building needs, cost of renovations and structural soundness. Armed with this information, the Advisory Group examined around a dozen different facilities master plans with the OFCC.

An “educational master plan” is a document that presents different building configurations that would satisfy District needs. It takes into account District enrollment, building assessments, necessary square footage and identifies the amount that the state will co-fund for the project.

While the OFCC recommended consolidating elementaries into much larger buildings, with higher student counts, the community clearly favored solutions that kept student populations lower, in a more intimate setting.

Having received all this information, the District combined it into a phased plan that could create more efficient buildings, make improvements to every building in the District, and honor the community’s desire to address the elementary schools, maintaining their intimate, community-oriented feel.

To fund it, a bond issue was passed in 2020 on the first attempt.

Perry Local Schools - Project Timeline

Download the Project Timeline
“New facilities will definitely foster a love of learning among young students, because we're modernizing very quickly. Upgrading our buildings, making a better learning space, and adapting to how the next generation of kids are learning will definitely help them."
Perry High School Senior

Design Process

Since that time, administrators, educators, and design professionals have been preparing plans for three new elementary schools, located strategically across the community.

While the Covid-19 pandemic presented a challenge to the project, the team persisted through the process. They have conducted over 30 meetings and have been involved for countless hours designing the schools.

During the design process, the District assembled a “Building Focus Group” to provide feedback on the new elementary schools. One purpose of this group was to solicit the community’s feedback on how best to integrate the buildings into their neighborhood locations. Local educators, the Perry Historical Society, administrators, and others provided input on each building. One idea adopted from this group was to use the exterior design for each school to represent a different aspect of the community.

The new schools would each exemplify an aspect of the Perry community. Southway gives a nod to the area’s industrial history, Watson represents music and the arts and Lohr echoes the agricultural roots of the community.

The Building Focus Group also helped identified many important interior features. Some examples include:

  • An independent gymnasium and cafeteria space, which would bring much greater flexibility to the school’s master schedule
  • Separate the “community focused spaces” from academic areas to allow for easier community use in after school activities
  • Minimizing travel distance from classrooms to the restrooms, which is more efficient and reduces behavioral issues
  • Incorporate more natural light into the building, and create easy access to outdoor play spaces

April Board Update

Download the April Board Update

Concept Imagery for the new elementary schools:

Southway P.J. Lohr Watson
"Concepts for the building's exteriors were derived from meetings with members from the Perry historical society, local teachers, administrators, and people involved in the community. They all decided these are some of the elements that reflect who Perry is as a community."
Ryan Schmit
Architect

Architectural Features

In each of the three buildings, the school is organized around a series of zones. The community focused zone includes the gymnasium, student dining, restroom facilities and media center. These are centrally located near the main entrance to provide easy access for community for after school activities. The gymnasium doubles as a performance space, with an included stage which is easily serviced by the school kitchen across the hall. The Media Center features flexible furniture for collaborative work, with two attached small group rooms. The academic zone is a two-story wing where classes are held. Classroom sizes are larger than the current facilities and banks of windows allow for more abundant natural light. Space is also dedicated for future expansion and special education. The zone for building administration is centrally located with areas for guidance counsellors, a health clinic, and staff offices. Safety and security is also enhanced by a secure vestibule which is connected to the main office for visitor check-ins.

In addition to the construction of 3 new elementary schools, the Perry High School is receiving targeted improvements. Starting this summer, the roof will be replaced to extend the life of this building. More updates are coming and will be announced as the project continues.

Perry Local Schools - Project Update Brochure

Download the Perry Local Schools - Project Update Brochure

Next Steps

A tremendous amount of work has gone into the Perry Local Schools Building Project. After receiving feedback from educators, community members and design and construction professionals, these improvements and enhancements will best position the District for the years ahead.

The District will continue planning discussions in the hope of moving dirt the summer or fall of 2022. New developments and progress will be communicated via the District’s webpage. In addition, the District is interested in continuously seeking feedback and input from the community which can be directed to PerryFAQ@perrylocal.org.

The mission of Perry Local schools is, “To emphasize excellence in learning and provide opportunities for every child to realize his/her potential in a safe environment. To encourage students to become responsible, productive citizens and life-long learners.” Understanding the benefits these new schools will bring to the District, maintaining momentum on the project is necessary to provide students with the best educational environment possible.

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.

Lexington 7-12 School -Academic Success Under One Roof

Written by

Lexington 7-12 School - Academic Success Under One Roof
In 2019, Lexington Local Schools embarked on a journey to consolidate and redevelop their educational facilities. After a successful bond issue in 2018, combined with extensive educational planning, the district began designs for the new Lexington 7-12 school.

Lexington 7-12 School - Academic Success Under One Roof

In 2019, Lexington Local Schools embarked on a journey to consolidate and redevelop their educational facilities. After a successful bond issue in 2018, combined with extensive educational planning, the district began designs for the new Lexington 7-12 school. This 200,000sf project hosts grades 7-12, dividing them into two academic wings, 7-8 and 9-12. This state-of-the-art facility incorporates a variety of student-centered design principles including open collaborative and flexible spaces, alongside more traditional academic and classroom spaces. The building also houses a new performing arts center that seats 750 guests, 3 gymnasiums and collegiate level baseball and softball fields.

This $56 million dollar school is scheduled to open for the 2022-2023 academic year and will provide expanded educational opportunities for its 1,200 students.
"The district was adamant that academics were the number one focus, but they pride themselves in athletics and the arts."
Scott Alleman
Architect

Educational Visioning - Setting the Right Goals

The average age of District buildings is 69 years old, and this aging infrastructure was increasingly difficult to maintain. The administration felt strongly that new facilities would put the district on a path to success It became clear it was time for the community to consider new school buildings.

In November 2018, district voters approved an 8.6-mill bond issue for $55.95 million to be used for construction costs associated with the project. Working together with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission through the Expedited Local Partnership Program (ELPP), the district plans to consolidate their 5 existing school buildings into 2 buildings, a 7-12 school and pre-K-6 school. They began designs for the 7-12 building first.

With funding secured, design began in earnest with educational visioning in 2019. The Lexington School District met with educators, community members, and local leaders to determine their educational priorities for their new facilities. 

Visioning combined with touring local schools allowed the administrators and designers to craft a layout that would suit the educational needs of the district.

Project architect, Scott Alleman commented “Lexington is a traditional community and they wanted to establish a forward-thinking model for education.” He continues, “They knew they didn’t simply want “double loaded corridors,” so we worked through a variety of layouts. It became clear what strategies would work best.”

Historical Significance and Layout

The Lexington Ohio community is proud of their rich history in education. The oldest school building in the district was built in the 1890’s and is a part of the existing Junior High School. This building is a patchwork of buildings and renovations built over the decades. The bulk of the school was built in 1930 with the 1890s school, now housing the history department. Major renovations in 1970 were the last major improvement. This along with other aging infrastructure prompted the district to take action. However, in recognition of this history, the district plans to salvage relics from the existing buildings and incorporate these pieces into key spaces of the new school.

During planning, the existing high school site was identified as the best location for the new school. This forced the district and design team to be efficient with spatial designs for the new building. Safety is a major consideration during construction as the new building is being built 30 feet away from the existing building. This allows the construction site to become a “real time” classroom for students as they watched their new school assembled right in front of them.

The high school wing occupies the northside of the building, while the junior high is located on the south side. They are joined together by an elongated student dining collaborative and transitions in flooring material and other interior finishes signify the transition between the two academic spaces.

While both academic wings are organized around collaborative learning spaces, the High School academic wing features a 2 story open collaborative space. Math and Science open to the collaborative space on the second floor, and English, World Languages and Social Studies open to the space on the first floor.
"Lexington is a traditional community and they wanted to establish a forward-thinking model for education." They knew they didn't simply want "double loaded corridors," it became clear what strategies would work best."
Scott Alleman
Architect

Arts and Athletics in the Lexington 7-12 School

“The district was adamant that academics were the number one focus, but they pride themselves in athletics and the arts.” At the educational visioning session, many in the community voiced support for these programs. “The music and arts programs are amazing and were a huge focus of the design process,” recalls Alleman, “they shone through in Educational Visioning and are received well in the community.”

A 750 seat Performing Arts Center and serves as a focal point for the arts program and joins to the student dining space. “This is one of the spaces that gets me really excited. When I stand on stage and look out, even though there aren’t seats yet, you can imagine what it will look like when it’s done” continues Alleman.

In addition to this, the athletic program is receiving a number of enhancements with the new facility.

Enhanced softball fields are located down the hill from the 7-12 building and are anchored by a concessions and storage building centered between the two fields. Each field features bleachers with a press box, mesh backstops and beautiful new scoreboards highlighted in purple and gold, the school’s colors. The fields are connected to the junior high school parking lot by a stairway and processional ramp that provides stunning views of the fields and site while also providing ADA access. The whole complex will provide a streamlined and engaging experience for visitors. These “collegiate level” fields will provide added athletic opportunities for Lexington’s baseball and softball programs.

The new facility also features 3 expanded gymnasiums–a high school competition gymnasium, an auxiliary gymnasium and a junior high school gymnasium. The competition gymnasium has seating capacity for 2,400 people with a mezzanine which will be used for wrestling practices and other activities.

Exciting Spaces / Move in and Next Steps

“I think I am most excited about the student dining space,” states Alleman, “It’s hard to picture now, since it isn’t far along, but entering into that 2-story space will be dramatic as you enter the building.”

Student Dining is central to the scheme, as it can be used by 400 students during lunch periods, connects the academic wings for the high school and junior high school and serves as the lobby for the Performing Arts Center and gymnasiums. “You can program the student dining space to support so many different functions, it’s how you economize the design and make the most of your budget.”

The student dining separates these public spaces from the more private, academic focused areas.

The Lexington 7-12 School is scheduled to be finished this summer and open for the 2022-2023 academic year. At that point, demolition of the existing high school will begin, with sitework finished by the summer of 2023.

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus – Preliminary Design Unveiled

Written by

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus - Preliminary Design Unveiled
On Thursday January 13th, the community, school district and professionals from ThenDesign Architecture and Hammond Construction met to deliver an update on designs for the new 6-12 Campus.

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus - Preliminary Design Unveiled

On Thursday, January 13th, the community, school district and professionals from ThenDesign Architecture and Hammond Construction met to deliver an update on designs for the new 6-12 Campus. This presentation gave an overview of the schedule and provided a glimpse into key spaces for the new building. Inside the Cuyahoga Falls High School Auditorium, over 200 community members attended either in-person or online to hear the update and ask questions about the project.

The new $113 million, 365,000 square foot facility will serve grades 6-12 and was funded by a voter approved Bond-issue in 2019 along with funding from the state of Ohio, through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. The goal of the project is to create a facility that provides strong, innovative programs for students, a safe and secure learning environment, and work as a gathering place for the Cuyahoga Falls community.

At this event, conceptual renderings and a site plan were shown and discussed with the community.
Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus Preliminary Site Plan
Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus Preliminary Site Plan
“This design puts academics first, and that's the most important part of the project. We are building new facilities because we believe they will help us provide better education to our students."
Anthony Gomez
Board of Education President

Project Timeline

In 2015, the Cuyahoga Falls City School District laid the foundation for future buildings by assembling a master plan. Planners examined the existing conditions of school buildings, student enrollment projections, and the needed square footage to serve future populations. This was then submitted to the OFCC in a report that is used to assess funding options for the District.

Then, in fall of 2019, community members approved a Bond issue that would provide $80.6 million for the project and the state would commit $33.6 million. As the Covid-19 pandemic swept the country in early 2020, the state froze funding for new projects and the team was forced to delay until early 2021.

This is when design officially started with Educational Visioning happening in April.

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus Project Timeline
Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus Project Timeline
“This project will mean the world for Cuyahoga Falls. This current building has been here a long time, and has its challenges. Having a new facility will be a huge shot in the arm for this community.”
Russell Chaboudy
Interim Superintendent of Cuyahoga Falls City School District

A Challenging Construction Environment

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, construction material prices are inflated across the country. It is not unique to Cuyahoga Falls, or the state of Ohio. All school districts currently involved in a building improvement program have been affected. Supply chain shortages, labor scarcity and market conditions haven’t existed like this in recent history and challenge school construction projects everywhere.

In August of 2021, as schematic design was completed, TDA acquired two cost estimates for the project. One was from Hammond Construction, the Construction Manager at Risk and another from an independent provider. While both estimators agreed on costs, due to market conditions, initial designs were 20-25% over budget.

The team spent the next several months refining designs and making the building more efficient. A variety of design strategies were used to alleviate costs. A few examples of cost cutting measures included minimizing site work by incorporating the natural slope of the land in the stadium, reducing the building footprint by grouping some academic spaces into a 3-story structure rather than a 2-story structure and developing a more efficient building exterior. These modifications have lowered costs significantly from the initial estimate.

Board of Education President Anthony Gomez commented: “I think the community is concerned about the cost overages but recognizes the reality of the economic situation we’re in due to Covid-19.” He continues, “They feel that when you say something, you do something about it. We have to continue to look at our options that will make a difference in this project.”

While significant progress has been made on initial designs, the current 10% overage resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic is still being addressed.
“In Cuyahoga Falls we have always faced challenges; our current buildings present some of those. This building project is a big deal for us and we will do it right. And we have to make the public understand that we're doing it for the benefit of future students."
Cuyahoga Falls Resident

Moving Through Design Development

Over the last several months, the District and design team have been outlining three pathways to solve the budgetary challenge. All three elements will be pursued simultaneously and evaluated through the next two phases of design.

  1. Examine alternate phasing and bid strategies for the locally funded initiatives (LFI’s). This means, bidding out locally funded initiatives separately, possibly at different times, to capitalize on construction efficiencies and capture potentially lower material prices when construction begins.
  2. Identify additional funding options that may be available to the District to help with overages. This could include grants, additional funding by the state or creative methods of leasing equipment and other items during the construction process.
  3. Continue to refine the current scheme in terms of design and construction methods to implement value engineering, making the school design as efficient as possible.

At this time, the building is being designed to its full scope, with all the academic elements of the building, along with the auditorium and stadium. By focusing on these 3 simultaneous pathways the District is hopeful to provide a path forward, solving the uniquely challenging budget conditions.

“I'm a Cuyahoga Falls graduate and now a freshman at Akron University and I think this is a really cool opportunity which is long overdue. I love the Falls, but I would love to see this plan built. It makes me want to go back to high school!”
Cuyahoga Falls Graduate

A Glimpse of Key Spaces in the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus

To better understand the site and design, the team developed a scaled model to display the current building scheme. This rough model has been a valuable tool to quickly assess site conditions, building massing, spatial relationships, and site visibility.

Interim Superintendent of Cuyahoga Falls City School District, Russell Chaboudy commented, “From my experience, a new building will bring people back to our schools and it creates new excitement for the teaching staff and students. I think it will benefit the student’s education and will mean so much to the kids in the community. You will see good things happening as a result.”

By working quickly between a massing model and conceptual renderings of the building, we can begin to imagine what the final building will look like. While imagery is still conceptual and being refined, the following perspectives provide a glimpse into the final design.

13th Street Entrance

13th Street Entrance
13th Street Entrance Rendering

West Entrance

West Entrance
West Entrance Rendering

Academic Space

Academic Space Model
High School Collaborative Rendering

Auditorium

Auditorium Model from Portage Trail
Auditorium Lobby Rendering

Stadium

Stadium Model
Stadium Rendering
“It is exciting to see the ideas of having outside areas and courtyards for student dining, learning areas and these beautiful plazas. Isn’t that what we learned with COVID-19? You should be outside as much as possible to benefit your mental health.”
Cuyahoga Falls Parent

Next Steps for the Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus

Over the next several months, the District and architectural team will be meeting with educators to continue developing the interior of building. This will include the layout of academic areas, shared and collaborative spaces along with discussing interior finishes and furniture.

The whole team is committed to developing the best facility to provide greater educational value for Cuyahoga Falls City School Students and meet the needs of the community.

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.

Richmond Heights Upper School – A School in Flight

Written by

Richmond Heights Upper School – A School in Flight
The Richmond Heights Upper School is an 88,000 sf educational facility located in the city of Richmond Heights, Ohio and serves 420 students in grades 7-12. Designed with the concept of "aviation" in mind, this modern school uses a mixture of curved metal panels and light brick to evoke feelings of lightness, movement, and flight.

Richmond Heights Upper School – A School in Flight

The Richmond Heights Upper School is an 88,000 sf educational facility located in the city of Richmond Heights, Ohio and serves 420 students in grades 7-12. Adjacent to the Cuyahoga County airport, the school was designed with the concept of “aviation” in mind. It uses a mixture of curved metal panels and light brick to evoke feelings of lightness, movement, and flight. It is home to School Board offices and a branch of the Cuyahoga County library , which is a major component for students and the local community. Technology and flexibility play a major role in the school’s design which is evident in the extended learning area and other student oriented spaces. The new school expands District athletic capabilities with two gymnasiums for the high school and middle school, along with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) focused areas such as a “Clean Makerspace ” and “Technology Commons.”

Superintendent Dr. Renee Willis, who led the project for the District feels this facility has the opportunity to transform the community. “It’s the crown jewel of this community and has become a catalyst for a renaissance in Richmond Heights, which is on its way to ‘bigger and better.’ The students, the community, and the library all rallied around this project and made it become a reality.”

This educational facility becomes a technological focal point for Richmond Heights students to further their education, collaborate with peers and receive training in many STEAM related programs.
"It's the crown jewel of this community and has become a catalyst for a renaissance in Richmond Heights, which is on its way to ‘bigger and better.’"
Dr. Renee Willis
Superintendent at Richmond Heights Local Schools

Educational Visioning for the Richmond Heights Upper School

In January of 2018, the District and TDA hosted an Educational Visioning session with Richmond Heights Local Schools to explore the educational goals for the new school. Held in the gymnasium of the existing Richmond Heights High School, dozens of educators, designers and District administrators participated in a series of exercises which would serve as a foundation for the design of the new school. They identified the successes and challenges of existing facilities, documented goals for the new building and collaborated in an interactive exercise that allowed attendees to layout the new site and explore spatial relationships between the main components of the building.

James Cowan, the project manager for the Richmond Heights Upper School recalled: “First, we listened to the community and made sure we understood what was most important to them. In terms of spaces and usage but also in terms of safety and security.” Considering security in a building that had both “public” and “private” areas was paramount, “This was a huge component to consider from day one. We had to understand how to best separate public spaces like the gymnasium, Media Center and Student Dining from the more private academic oriented spaces.”

Many of these relationships were established in the Educational Visioning Session and many community meetings throughout the design process.

“Through an Educational Visioning Session and multiple community meetings, we listened to feedback and incorporated their concerns into the design. This was in terms of safety and how spaces should function, even at different times of day.”

Richmond Heights Upper School, Educational Visioning
"In this school, we provided a blend of modern and traditional spaces for the District to educate their students in."
James Cowan
Project Manager

Design Concepts and Features of the Upper School

Since the school is located adjacent to the Cuyahoga County Airport, this provided the inspiration for building materials and design cues. Sweeping curved metal panels accent the exterior and create a feeling of lightness. This gives the sense that the structure could “take off” at any moment and roots it in the aviation aesthetic. This sense of dynamic movement is carried over into the interior using a central corridor which connects the major spaces in the building. This central spine is activated by full scale wall graphics and provides select views into more public spaces through glass curtain walls. Furniture in public spaces includes soft seating that compliments the modern environment.

A partnership between Richmond Heights Local School District and the county airport allows for additional academic programs that introduce high school students to the aviation industry. Space in the school is dedicated to teaching aviation by providing hands on experience with unmanned aerial vehicles and flight simulator equipment.

“Students are excited because they’re engaged in new programs,” said Dr. Willis, she is particularly excited about these new programs for students. “There’s no longer just traditional reading, writing, and arithmetic, you now have innovative electives that excite students. Our teachers are also connecting those electives to their core teachings.”

The architecture combined with new programs, elevates educational opportunities for students in the District.

One challenge that designers faced with this project was incorporating a significant 9′ elevation change from the north end of the site to the south. To prevent costly extensive sitework, the central corridor was constructed to slope across the building. This slope, being ADA compliant, eliminated the need for stairs at various points in the school and further emphasized the concept of movement throughout building.

The school responds to the site elevation changes and its contextual surroundings. Near an existing elementary school on the east side of the site, the Richmond Heights Upper School reduces to a single story so as not to tower over the shorter school . The circulation paths were designed so elementary school students could have access to the new upper school. It also takes advantage of existing traffic patterns, using existing roads for bus transportation and library access. Additionally, the schools’ new athletic facilities and locker rooms were carefully placed to allow students easy access to the existing track and field.

Richmond Heights Upper School, Classrooms and Building Details
"It's surreal, because I remember stomping the streets, knocking on doors, speaking to homeowners’ associations, trying to sell a vision and now the vision has come to reality."
Dr. Renee Willis
Superintendent at Richmond Heights Local Schools

Cuyahoga County Library

A unique feature of the new school is the inclusion of a branch of the Cuyahoga County Library. This public space provides opportunities for both community access and student collaboration. During design, the Richmond Heights Local School District, along with the Cuyahoga County Public Library provided input on the library’s design. The location of this 5,600 sf branch was carefully chosen, and allowed the library to have its own separate entrance while also connecting to the Upper School’s entrance lobby. The library features small group rooms for use by the community , including the YMCA’s Silver sneakers program, with technology-rich connectivity. Easy parking is provided for public access, even while school is in session.

At the “Unity in the Community Back-to-School Extravaganza,” an open house for the school, educators, students, vendors and community members all came to tour the facility, to learn more about the District, support local businesses and celebrate National Night Out, among other activities.

At the event, Superintendent Willis talked about her hopes for an impact on the broader region. “People in the community are excited about the school and hopefully other ideas come from this because I want it to be a city school collaborative.”

The school having been designed with a focus on technology, flexibility and collaboration presents many future opportunities for student and residents.

Richmond Heights Upper School, "Unity in the Community" and the Cuyahoga County Public Library

Designed with Flexibility in Mind

A hallmark of the Richmond Heights Upper School is flexibility. The student dining space is an excellent example of this. During the school day, the space is used for student dining, while in the evening, it can transform into a community space that can be rented out. This assembly space is outfitted with wall mounted mechanized seating for 210 people. A raised platform serves as a stage with lighting and acoustics to support both school or presentation functions.

Middle School academic spaces feature overhead doors that can open into an extended learning area. Educators can open their classrooms and combine with other educators to collaborate on large group projects.

The school’s “Technology Commons” provides a flexible environment for students to meet in smaller informal groups and use the learning stair for presentations. Connected to the Tech Commons is a “Makers Lab” that includes 3D printers, and other modern digital creation tools. These spaces further promote the concept of movement and activity since glass curtain walls allow visibility to the central corridor.

“How do we transform what was yesterday, into what see today…and what we want to see tomorrow?

James Cowan believes that flexible building design can help students incorporate technology to face challenges they will see in the future. “It is hard to respond to changes in technology since it moves so quickly, but we can definitely provide space for students to explore technology. In this school, we provided a blend of modern and traditional spaces for the District to educate their students in.”

James credits the wide variety of stakeholders and leadership from the District.

“This is partially a result of the input we had from stakeholders such as the school board, superintendent , community, students, educators, consultants and interior design teams. Everyone was asking themselves—‘How can we have a balanced, realistic approach for a unique school district like Richmond Heights Local Schools?’

Richmond Heights Upper School, STEAM focused "Clean Makerspace" and the new gymnasium facilities.

"There's no longer just traditional reading, writing, and arithmetic, you now have innovative electives that excite students. Our teachers are also connecting those electives to their core teachings."
Dr. Renee Willis
Superintendent at Richmond Heights Local Schools

Impacting the Community with the Richmond Heights Upper School

“A student’s experience is the most important part of school design, thinking about that is the “bread and butter” of an educational architect’s work.” reflected James on the design process. “There was a point in design where we presented an animation of the building before construction. A middle school student who wasn’t a part of Richmond Height’s Upper School yet, was brought in by the Superintendent to watch the animation. I won’t forget the look on his face, and he said ‘Wow, I can’t wait to see that building next year!’ and that really pumped me up. He is probably attending the new school now.”

The superintendent echoed the same sentiments in bringing that vision to the community during design.

“It’s surreal, because I remember stomping the streets, knocking on doors, speaking to homeowners’ associations, trying to sell a vision,” Dr. Willis commented standing in one of the extended learning areas in the new school, “and now the vision has come to reality.”

Good architectural design can positively impact a community in multiple ways.

“It’s not just about transforming an environment,” commented James, “the school can bring new energy.”

The motto at Richmond Heights Local Schools is: “It’s a new day for the Richmond Heights Way,” James reflects, “I feel like this building embodies that saying. ‘It’s a new day.’ We hope to transform the community with this new beacon for Richmond Heights.”

Project Design Challenges:

  • Develop an efficient 7-12 facility that aesthetically ties into its immediate site, while taking cues from the surrounding site, such as an existing elementary school and residential areas.
  • Incorporate a 9' elevation change running north/south in the school without disrupting circulation on the interior.
  • Develop a 5,600 sf branch of the Cuyahoga County Library inside the school, allowing it to be easily accessible to the public during school operation.
  • Provide clear spatial separation between middle and upper schools and emphasize safety and security measures while also maintaining an open and dynamic interior environment.
  • Utilize existing site circulation to service both the Upper School and Cuyahoga County Library.

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

Ryan Caswell

Ryan Caswell

Communications

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.

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

Written by

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

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.
See more Posts

Cuyahoga Falls 6-12 Campus, Academic Design and Construction Estimation

Written by

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

Get our newsletter with insights, events and tips.

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram

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.