Staff Development and Administrative Offices

This new centralized administration building for Cleveland ISD allows one of the fastest growing districts in the nation to serve its constituents. Designed by Huckabee, the center optimizes the public’s access to district services, increasing community engagement and consolidating formerly dispersed operations into a single facility. The new two-story building includes district offices, a superintendent suite, a board room, staff development training spaces, and vital support spaces.

The building’s site is prominent, locating administrative services along the central thoroughfare of Houston Street. In effect, the facility creates an extended campus with adjacent district schools. In keeping with the themes of prominence and community accessibility, the entry is a recognizable, welcoming presence, including bold signage, metal paneling, and extensive glazing against a background of Cleveland red.

The entry lobby is multipurpose, serving as a reception area, public gathering space, and meeting room. An adjacent single-story portion houses meeting space for board members and also includes the superintendent’s suite. Throughout, materials and finishes with clean lines, streamlined forms and a lack of ornamentation provide the durability and functionality of an educational and training environment, while also bridging the gap for a professional administrative office setting.

Huckabee’s planning process for the project included a review of precedent imagery, as well as tours for the CISD board and superintendent through the administrative and educational facilities of neighboring districts. The design team noted the features they found most significant, ensuring the building aligned with the vision of its key stakeholders.