A New School Vision: The Campus International School was the theme and subject for the 2011 Cleveland Design Competition. The program was to design a new home for the Campus International School, a new Charter School Institution in need of a K-12 campus.

The Competition Site is near the Cleveland State University Campus, located in an underdeveloped neighborhood just east of Downtown Cleveland. The University has provided several resources for the School and dedicated a portion of the Competition Site for the future construction of the School.

The Cleveland Design Competition was initiated in 2007 by two young Architects seeking to raise awareness of the built environment and promote discussion about Design and Architecture in the Greater Cleveland area.

Project team:   Richard Lucas; Lydia Kiehborth; Thomas Petersen

  You can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the seed.

- Anonymous, MIT Media Lab chalkboard

Inspired by Cleveland's landmark projects such as Public Square, the Cleveland Arcade, University Circle and the Group Plan of 1903, this new home for the Campus International School also draws from the Roman Forum and Greek Agora, the Campus Plans of Universities from Medieval Europe and the U.S., as well as other great 'living-rooms' of the world like Rome's Spanish Steps, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Highline urban park and Lincoln Center in New York.

In the spirit and scale of these works, the new School is designed to promote learning, foster discovery and nurture interest in the world at large, as well as complement the Cleveland State University Campus, revitalize the immediate neighborhood, and provide a lasting contribution to the city of Cleveland overall.

Implementing the 'green-corridor' concept initiated within the CSU Campus Master plan, we envision the North-South 19th Street passage through the Campus as a Linear Sculpture Park: An open-air Museum, meeting space and promenade featuring works by world renowned sculptors, local artists, students and faculty from both Cleveland State and the Campus International School.

Leading toward the School, the Sculpture Park and promenade culminate on an elevated plaza bordered by a monumental, perforated concrete wall to the west, while to the east an amphitheater and Zen Garden nestle beside a restaurant-café, performance hall and observatory building.

The Plaza becomes the Forum and Agora for the School, the CSU Campus, and the neighboring community where produce from the School's Greenhouse can be sold, and local Farmer's Markets, Arts Festivals and other public events can occur. Similarly, students and faculty can play a role in operating the restaurant-café, performance hall and observatory, thus generating additional revenue for the School while providing hands-on entrepreneurial experience to the students.

Large, circular openings in the concrete wall unveil a 6-story, 430' long Central Hall, featuring stepped seating platforms, elevated walkways and suspended open-classroom trays, a Library Court and an 80' high replica of Foucault's Pendulum.

The longitudinal Section through the Central Hall looking West with the stepped seating platforms, suspended open-classroom trays, elevated walkways and administrative offices cantilevered at both ends.

The 5-story 'block' of Classrooms and Laboratories is beyond.

The Plaza and Entry Level Plan, with the Wind Turbine Playground and upper Gymnasium level on the far left. The middle zone contains the 5-story block of Classrooms and Laboratories, the Central Hall with stepped seating platforms and Library Court, and the open air Plaza. Toward the right are the Performance Hall atrium, stage and seating spaces, a Restaurant/Café, and the Amphitheater.

The overall campus and assemblage of spaces is formally organized by a series of parallel walls defining mechanical and circulation cores interlaced with a grid of tapered columns that support a sky-lit roof over the Central Hall which is in-filled with solar energy glass panels.

Transverse Section through the Campus, looking North: Greenhouse and Roof Garden above the Gymnasium at the extreme left; Classrooms and Laboratories, Central Hall and Plaza in the center; Performance Hall atrium, stage and seating to the right with the Observatory above and Music Rooms and Public Auditorium below.

Lower Level Plan, from left to right: Wind Turbine Playground and Gymnasium; Science and Life-Skills Labs, Library Court, Media and Performing Arts Studios and Cafeteria Kitchen; Performance Hall Shop and support spaces, Music Rooms, Public Auditorium and Restaurant Kitchen.

Upper Level Plan from left to right: Greenhouse and Roof Garden; Classrooms, Laboratories, Administrative Offices and Central Hall with the elevated walkways and suspended open-classroom trays; Stage and Performance Hall.

The inter-weaving and cross-pollination of structure, program and circulation are designed to create a dynamic, invigorating educational environment with a network of casual gathering and teaching spaces that complement the various classrooms and laboratories that are tailored to more formal instruction.

Conceived as a catalyst for interaction, involvement and the sharing of knowledge, the School and its grounds become a revised Cleveland Arcade -a new type of Public Square- where the exchange of ideas and information is encouraged, and the opportunity to learn is enhanced. The new home for the Campus International School is a place where young minds are challenged to learn about the world and environment around them. It is a place where the seeds of curiosity and discovery are planted; where knowledge and learning take root; and the desire to meaningfully contribute to the world can grow.