Cleveland State University - Rhodes Tower Plaza

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Behnke collaborated with a multidisciplinary team for this central plaza space at Cleveland State University.

Walks provide direct pedestrian access between buildings, with curvilinear elements organizing the plaza into a hierarchy of spaces for large events, outdoor dining, small group gatherings, and pockets for individual solitude. A series of seat-height walls provide informal seating, and serve as low retaining walls to provide sufficient soil depth for plantings over the structural deck.

Close coordination between the structural deck, waterproofing, snow melt components, a water feature, lighting, irrigation, and large masses of plantings was critical for overall project success.