Reimagined as a community-facing campus, Cleveland Heights University High School restores the clarity and civic presence of its original 1920s architecture while aligning the building to today’s educational needs. The design re-establishes the historic main entrance and rebalances the overall massing by removing a 1960s science wing that once overshadowed the façade. Along Cedar Road, the project is attentive to setbacks and streetscape rhythm, maintaining the school’s traditional character as it shifts from an insular posture to a more open, welcoming front door. 

Inside, targeted retrofits transform underused areas into flexible learning environments, a response to declining enrollment and district-led right-sizing efforts that improve operations without sacrificing identity. A new aquatics center is carefully integrated within the site and building circulation, pairing student and community access with clear wayfinding. Life-safety upgrades most visibly, new egress stairs, bring the building to code while improving day-to-day legibility. 

Site and security strategies strengthen edges and entries, culminating in a renewed, clearly addressed entrance that supports secure arrival and engagement with the adjacent Cedar-Lee neighborhood. The result is a coherent, right-scaled school that honors its past, meets present standards, and invites the neighborhood into its future.