Media & News

Cuningham Group continues its longstanding relationship with the Sharing and Caring Hands organization and helps break ground on its latest addition — a chapel at the transitional housing complex, Mary’s Place.

Cuningham Group is the architect for Mist Condominiums – the new housing development taking over a premier location on the shores of Lake Minnetonka.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. announces that 26 staff members recently completed the examination process to receive LEED® Accreditation.

Affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professionals are experienced building industry practitioners who have demonstrated their knowledge of integrated design and their capacity to facilitate the LEED® certification for buildings. The exam tests an individual’s understanding of green building practices and principles, and familiarity with LEED® requirements, resources, and processes. The accreditation program recognizes expertise in green building and LEED® to help meet the growing demand within the industry¹.

Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. brings a personal and professional commitment to environmentally responsible living and design to every project on with which we have a role. This is driven by the opportunity to help our clients achieve better quality environments for less cost overall. We boast in-depth knowledge of green products and materials, as well as issues of indoor air quality, resource efficiency, and waste reduction.

Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. has utilized several sustainable design courses in our project work including the Minnesota Sustainable Design Guidelines and LEED®. Epic Systems Corporation, an office project of approximately 500,000 square feet in Madison, Wisconsin, is now registered with U.S. Green Building Council to obtain LEED® certification. The firm’s goal is to include the sustainable design process in every project — an expression of the value Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. places on an environmentally responsible approach to design.
The following individuals are LEED® 2.0 Accredited Professionals on staff at Cuningham Group:

• John W. Cuningham, FAIA – Chairman of the Board
• John E. Hamilton, AIA – Vice President
• John Quiter, AIA – President
• Thomas L. Hoskens, AIA – Vice President
• Douglas A. Lowe, AIA – Vice President
• John W. Culligan, AIA – Principal
• Timothy Dufault, AIA – Principal
• Roger W. Kipp, AIA – Principal and Corporate Counsel
• John Pfluger, AIA – Principal
• James S. Scheidel, AIA – Principal
• David M. Solner, AIA – Principal
• Mark G. Sopko, AIA – Principal
• Jonathan V. Watts, AIA – Principal
• Scott Beckman – Project Designer
• James Doyle – Project Architect
• Janet Dray – Interior Designer
• Judith P. Hoskens, REFP – Associate
• William C. Jensen, Associate AIA – Project Architect and Designer
• Paolo Lovagnini – Project Designer
• Patricia Nieto – Project Designer
• Meg Parsons, REFP – Associate
• Darryl Pratte, AIA – Associate
• Mark Rosberg, AIA – Project Architect
• Jeffrey A. Schoeneck, AIA – Project Architect
• Kathryn M. Wallace, AIA – Associate
• Cheryl Zehoski, CID – Interior Designer

¹ U.S. Green Building Council. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2003, from http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/LEED_main.asp

Profiles three schools across the country – including the WMEP Interdistrict Dowtown School designed by Cuningham Group – in an examination of how schools are emerging as agents of change and attraction in downtown environments.

Cuningham Group’s University Episcopal Center/Keeler Apartments is featured as an example of a unique twist in changing student housing environments.

Brief profile of the Cuningham Group-designed Metropolitan Learning Alliance school in the Mall of America.

Many new condo towers in Minneapolis look like throwbacks to earlier styles. Some architects despair that we are becoming a… Retro Metro.

_While many Minneapolis condominium designs are falling victim to conservative neighborhood groups, a few stand out with more modern characteristics. Cuningham Group designs have found themselves on both sides of the fence – 710 Lofts for the conservatives and Skyscape for the more forward thinking. _

BILOXI, MS — Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. has announced the opening of the first Las Vegas-style nightclub in the southern gambling coast of Biloxi, Mississippi. Resort guests and locals alike have quickly taken to the new entertainment option and the response has patrons literally waiting in line to be part of the experience. The industry has taken notice too — the Mississippi Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors recently recognized Cuningham Group and the project with a Merit Award for Interior Finishes.
Z the Club opened in June 2004 as part of the Palace Casino Resort. The $1.7-million entertainment venue is nearly 9,000-square feet and doubles as an ultra-chic dance club and a theater for international headliners.

A little over a decade ago, Biloxi was known as a sleepy town still recovering economically from Hurricane Camille. The city came alive in 1992 when officials legalized dockside gaming. Today, Biloxi is a major tourist city, attracting both visitors and major celebrities alike.

“We wanted to design an adult nightclub that attracts a youthful audience to bring a different level of excitement and allure to Biloxi, Mississippi,” said Tom Hoskens, principal with Cuningham Group. “And we wanted Z the Club to incorporate the nuances of the Palace Casino’s Persian-style design with the hip, glitz and glamour of a Las Vegas nightclub.”

Entering through the casino-level entrance, patrons experience a sense of arrival as they walk down an elaborate pre-show vestibule with pronounced Persian-style columns and a gold-leaf mosaic tile “Z” embedded in the black granite, criss-cross floor.

The vestibule leads directly into the general seating level, accommodating the dance floor and main stage. Two large 10’ by 10’ (LED) projection screens, displaying computer-generated images and activity from the dance floor, flank the DJ booth on stage.

The general seating area includes plush, high-back lounge sofas with front-row views of the dance floor and stage. Dramatic uplighting highlights the lounge furniture and color scheme of rich mahogany, stainless steel and black granite. Wall treatments shine with jewel tones of red, blue and violet.

Go-go dancers perform on circular, curtain-beaded, cage-like raised platforms around the dance floor. Two main bars in the club are unique, with one designed with a sheet of ice running through the entire length to help keep the drinks cold. Z the Club opened its doors with a performance by the popular rock band Tonic. Other well-known groups such as Better Than Ezra and Uncle Kracker have since performed.

“Z the Club is a destination for both locals and out-of-town visitors looking for a popular place to dance and mingle,” said Palace Casino’s general manager, Keith Crosby. “Each weekend there are long lines up to 50 to 60 people deep.”

Two separate VIP areas, known as the “ultra lounges” are perched on an elevated level. A curtain of beads separate the two areas framing the stage and action taking place on the dance floor below. With private bars, ultra lounges can be used for parties as a place to “see and be seen.”

Located in the Palace Casino Resort, Z the Club is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. The Palace Casino Resort has 236 AAA four-diamond rooms, a 43,500-square foot casino, four restaurants, a pool, a first-class marina, a full-service spa and salon.
In addition to Z the Club, Cuningham Group designed the Palace Casino Resort’s:

• SportsZone – a modern spacious slot parlor and home to the longest bar on the Gulf Coast. SportsZone is designed with stylized sports walls, 50 televisions and slightly tiered, comfortable sofas.
• Mignon’s – considered one of the Gulf Coast’s finest dining establishments, with a wide selection of fine wines, USDA Prime steaks and fresh seafood dishes. Mignon’s design incorporates lime walls and berry woods, overflowing with Persian influence, distinctive of the Palace Casino Resort.

AIA Minnesota firms extend their reach by partnering with clients and firms from other cultures.

While many firms partner with clients outside the US, Cuningham Group also partners with clients from different cultures inside our borders. According to Cuningham Group principal Tom Hoskens, AIA the right approach to providing services to another culture includes a deep understanding of that culture – an approach that has worked especially well for the firm’s Native American clients on projects such as Mohawk Mountain Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Great Smoky Mountains Resort.

The dramatic increase in loft and condominium developments in the Twin Cities area means plenty of options when it comes to style and amenities. Designed by Cuningham Group, 710 Lofts provides a contemporary urban living experience in the hip and rapidly growing Minneapolis North Loop Warehouse District.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – In an effort to help people remember or discover all the ways trees delight and support, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is presenting a four-month exhibit on Totally Terrific Treehouses. The treehouses on display were selected through a competition that attracted more than 30 design entries by some of Minnesota’s most innovative architects, artists, and landscape architects. Cuningham Group’s design was one of twelve selected for building and display in the Arboretum’s gardens.

Several members of Cuningham Group’s staff designed and built a whimsical creation, which they appropriately labeled, “The Poetry of Trees.” The house-like structure, crafted from reclaimed wood salvaged by The Reuse Center, finds inspiration from a great white oak. Similar to a mature tree, its solid base is engaged with the ground. Once inside the structure draws attention upward toward shafts of light. Wrapped in thoughtful poetry, the treehouse connects the viewer more closely to nature.

A jury of design professionals was impressed by how Cuningham Group’s treehouse met the criteria of creativity, the delivery of interactive experiences, the ability to “WOW” visitors, and a respect for the environment.

The Totally Terrific Treehouses exhibition was on display at the Arboretum from June 5 through October 10, 2004.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, a premier public garden, is part of the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota and developed as a community and national resource for horticultural and environmental information, research, and public education.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – Judith Hoskens, REFP, an Associate at Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A., officially assumed the role of President of The Council of Educational Facility Planners International’s (CEFPI) Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Chapter at CEFPI’s Annual International Conference held October 21-24, 2004 in Atlanta.

An active member of CEFPI—the primary advocate and resource for planning effective educational facilities, Judy has been recognized with the prestigious Presidents Award in 2002 and has also chaired or served on a number of Council committees and award juries since 2001. Thomas A. Kube, CEFPI executive director, has stated that “Judy Hoskens’ contributions have been exceptional in furthering the vision of the Council—to promote excellence in student learning environments…Judy’s dedication to the development of effective educational facilities utilizing a successful planning process with attention to the community, the educational specifications and the environment is unparalleled.”

As a senior educational planner and project manager in Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A.’s Minneapolis office, Judy has first-hand experience listening to and translating client goals and needs into unique building solutions. Through her participation on many projects, she has reaffirmed her belief that the best educational facilities result from the active participation of all stakeholders, including learners, educators, administrators, parents and community members. Judy leads the continued development of the Vision-Based Planning™ process for Cuningham Group, a proven process that has assisted a number of schools and districts to realize their vision and goals for students and the communities they serve.

Judy will draw upon her wealth of experience and expertise gained both through Cuningham Group and CEFPI as she leads the Council’s Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Chapter to foster, promote and disseminate best practices in school planning, maintenance and operations within the states and provinces of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN — Members of Cuningham Group were among the speakers at CEFPI’s 81st Annual International Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia on October 21-24, 2004. One of the largest education conferences in the nation, CEFPI attracts a wide variety of professionals — from school administrators to government officials to architects and designers — all dedicated to enhancing the learning spaces of students.

Cuningham Group speakers included Meg Parsons, REFP – Associate and Senior Educational Facility Planner; John Pfluger, AIA – Principal; and Judith Hoskens, REFP – Associate, Senior Educational Facility Planner, and President Elect for CEFPI’s Midwest/Great Lakes Region Chapter. The following is a list of the presentations.

• Head, Heart & Hands: What Waldorf Schools Can Teach Us About Learning & Learning Environments
• Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School: A Middle School for the Future
• Schools for Successful Communities: An Element of Smart Growth

To read the full descriptions of the stories listed above, please see below.

*Head, Heart & Hands: What Waldorf Schools Can Teach Us About Learning & Learning Environments

Presented by: Meg Parsons, REFP – Associate and Senior Educational Facility Planner.

This seminar examined the Waldorf education model and the physical environments that support it. It related how elements of this model may be applied to other learning situations.

Called ‘the best kept secret in education’, Waldorf schools have been part of the learning landscape since 1919. Today approximately 850 Waldorf Schools can be found in 40 countries, including some 150 in the US that helped shape graduates such as Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, and Victor Navask, publisher of The Nation.

The guiding principle of this educational model is the idea of whole child development – not just the academic (head), but the spirit (heart) and the body (hands) as well. A primary goal of Waldorf education is ‘to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning on their lives’. With an emphasis on arts, music, and creativity, the 3 “Rs” of Waldorf schools are Respect, Reverence, and Responsibility. By using arts and activities to teach academics, teachers instill a love of learning and an internal motivation to learn is developed in students. In the current educational climate of testing and standards, how is an educational model based on cooperative, ungraded learning, useful?

Moreover, with these defining program principles in place, the focus turns to the critical role the physical design of the school environments takes on in the philosophy of Waldorf education. Classrooms and schools spaces support and enhance the educational program and instill respect in the children. Material, color, day lighting, entry, community space and connection to the earth are all thoughtfully considered in the design of Waldorf schools; so too, soft colors, lighting and natural materials create environments that reflect the beauty and calmness that are hallmarks of Waldorf learning environments.

Audience members learned about this successful educational model and how it is designed to offer the right learning stimulus at the right developmental stage and how the environments created in Waldorf schools enhance student learning.

*Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School: A Middle School for the Future

Presented by:
John Pfluger, AIA – Principal
Meg Parsons, REFP – Associate and Senior Educational Facility Planner
Patrick Quinn, AIA – Executive Director of Operations, Saint Paul Public Schools

Given current educational research that shows social and emotional influences shape learning differently at the middle school level, how can we create innovative environments that are specific and appropriate to middle school students and their needs? How might we look at middle schools differently? How do we plan a ‘best practices’ middle school? In this seminar presenters explored these and other questions as they looked at the planning process for a completely new type of middle school-Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School, the 2002 James D. MacConnell Award winner.

As a school of choice, Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School, an inter-district school, was planned and built to address the specific needs of middle school education in a way never before envisioned. Educators, community members, and parents from seven communities collaborated “to create a year-round program where urban and suburban students, families, and staff join together to explore, create and learn.” Critical aspects of the school were defined through a series of vision-based meetings. From these meetings came a series of filters by which design decisions were made and consensus about the building reached. Audience members enjoyed an up close look at a planning process that produced a new type of middle school.

Schools for Successful Communities: An Element of Smart Growth

Presented by:
Judith Hoskens, REFP – Associate and Senior Educational Facility Planner, President Elect for CEFPI’s Midwest/Great Lakes Region Chapter
Janell Weihs – CEFPI
Kelvin Lee – Dry Creek Joint Elementary School
Ed McMilin, Facility Planner – Milwaukee Public Schools
Tim Torma – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) cooperatively developed a publication that explains why and how communities should employ smart growth planning principles to build schools that better serve and support students, staff, parents, and the entire community. When school districts collaborate with city leaders to incorporate smart growth principles in the master facility planning process, the community benefits socially and economically. Each community should use its education dollars to fulfill academic considerations and to express the values and vision of the community. This publication helps communities invest in schools that will give their children the best possible education, use taxpayer dollars wisely, and improve the quality of life for all citizens. This session presented examples of supportive state and local policies, as well as case studies from around the country that show how community-centered schools and the planning process used to design and build these schools have improved education and fostered more livable places.

New education designs link institutions closely with communities.

Judith Hoskens, REFP, Cuningham Group associate and president of CEFPI’s Midwest/Great Lakes Region and Tim Dufault, AIA, Cuningham Group principal discuss how smart growth is fueling changes in educational design and how those changes are manifest in several of the firm’s projects including the Interdistrict Downtown School (Minneapolis), Heinävaara Elementary School (Finland), and Bloomington Public Schools (Minnesota).

Uses the Cuningham Group-designed University Episcopal Center/Keeler Apartments as an example of how developers and designers can blend uses in one building and bring value to multiple stakeholders.

Hopkins School District featured in this special report on the changing face of food service in local schools. Cuningham Group designed the food service renovations at Hopkins High School and Eisenhower Elementary School (Wetlands Café).

_Cuningham Group’s award-winning “Poetry of the Trees” treehouse is part of a display at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. _

Cuningham Group principal Tim Dufault, AIA discusses the approach the firm took toward creating a new stimulating environment for the Metropolitan Learning Alliance at the Mall of America.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – Recognized Educational Facility Planner (REFP) and Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. Associate, Meg Parsons was a presenter at the recent CEFPI 2004 Pacific Northwest Regional Conference in Girdwood, Alaska.

Meg shared her expertise in a July 19th presentation entitled “Elements of Excellence.” Using Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A.’s James D. MacConnell Award winning projects — WMEP Interdistrict Downtown School and Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School — as case studies, Meg helped audience members discover those elements of excellence in learning and educational design that lead to truly remarkable learning environments that help children succeed.

Meg will continue to share her stories and experience on a national level at CEFPI’s 81st Annual International Conference this coming October in Atlanta where she will co-present “Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School: A Middle School for the Future” and present “Head, Heart & Hands: What Waldorf Schools Can Teach Us About Learning and Learning Environments.”

Great looks and innovative school designs aren’t just about aesthetics––they can help improve learning while not breaking a district’s budget.

Profiles the transformation of Bloomington Public Schools and how Cuningham Group helped the district buck the status quo by renovating around the best way to teach rather than the existing cookie-cutter theme of the buildings.

After some difficult years, Mohawk gaming enterprises are poised to liftoff.

Article looks at the history of the St. Regis Mohawk in the gaming industry and how a new resort designed by Cuningham Group will help bolster both the tribe and the economics of the Catskills region.

A need for housing, pride in historic downtown and proximity to entertainment are among the reasons these projects are becoming popular.

710 Lofts, designed by Cuningham Group, is used as an example of the variety of infill projects that are springing up around the country.

In L.A.’s crowded housing market, even luxury developers are getting vertical

Cuningham Group’s 100 East Ocean project is touted as an example of the changes happening in the L.A. housing market. Includes quotes from Cuningham Group principal, Jack Highwart, AIA.

Cuningham Group’s Metropolitan Learning Alliance project profiled for being a winner in Non-Traditional Learning Spaces category.

Cuningham Group’s award-winning “Poetry of the Trees” treehouse is part of a display at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Cuningham Group-designed University Episcopal Center/Keeler Apartments is a newsmaker as a unique example of mixed-use.

Two new stores for LEGO reinforce the company’s “play well” philosophy toward children and creativity

Details the approach Cuningham Group took towards creating LEGO’s new stores in Anaheim and on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Big boxes and branding, prototypes and property sites, neighborhood places and lifestyle centers are all part of the discussion when the topic is trends in architecture

Cuningham Group principal, David Solner, AIA provides his insight for this article on the direction of retail design and how architecture is responding to the ever-changing demands of the dynamic market segment.

Brief profile on the renovation and reorganization of Bloomington Public Schools from a suburban district in decline to a district prepared for the challenges of 21st-century education.

If Maryland ever OKs legalized gambling, what will facilities look like?

Tom Hoskens, AIA, Cuningham Group principal in charge of casino resort design, gives a brief overview of typical features in a casino.

A new exhibit at the arboretum in Chanhassen is branching out from the traditional treehouse.

_Cuningham Group’s award-winning “Poetry of the Trees” treehouse is part of a display at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. _

John Cuningham, FAIA promotes one of the nation’s leading environmental conferences, EnvironDesign8, which took place in Minneapolis in 2004.

John Cuningham, FAIA offers his thoughts on the changing downtown Minneapolis community.

Cuningham Group projects Calhoun Place, Pillsbury ‘A’ Mill Master Plan, and University Episcopal Center/Keeler Apartments featured as finalists.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. welcomes Michael Lamb as Director of Urban Design.

Lamb brings to his new position at Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. a history of providing design leadership with the development, management, and delivery of specialized urban design services. As the firm’s Director of Urban Design, he will be an integral team member in applying established urban design principles to create balanced, sustainable places for communities and citizens.

Lamb brings an established reputation in the planning and design of neighborhoods, cities, and developments. As one of the leading urban designers in the Twin Cities he has participated in some of the most significant planning and redevelopment efforts in the metropolitan area such as the New Town Center/Park Commons (St. Louis Park) and the West Side Flats Master Plan (Saint Paul).

He has worked for both public and private sector clients throughout the Twin Cities, the upper Midwest and nationally. His recent work has focused on urban infill and redevelopment plans in cities such as St. Louis Park, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Duluth, Madison, WI and Des Moines, IA. His expertise covers a wide range of urban design work including housing/mixed-use development, new neighborhoods, transit-oriented development, and town centers, often using community-based participation techniques.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN — The WMEP Interdistrict Downtown School (IDDS) has been recognized by KnowledgeWorks Foundation as one of just fourteen schools in the nation that best exemplifies a growing national trend to build schools as “centers of community.”

“From its very beginning, everything about IDDS promoted community building,” said Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. principal John Pfluger of the school the firm designed in 1999. “From its downtown setting and place atop an underground municipal parking ramp to its partnerships with government, arts and business neighbors to its visible sustainable design elements, the school encourages an open and vibrant attitude toward learning and community that is often lost in larger, sprawling suburban schools.”

“Every year school districts across the country spend billions of dollars building new schools and renovating old ones,” said Chad Wick, President and CEO of KnowledgeWorks Foundation, which conducted the national search, “but too often there is limited connection to the community in this process. We conducted a national search to find schools that are built for and with the community in mind, schools that can be used as models for all of us in the country. We are pleased to recognize the Interdistrict Downtown School.”

“We have worked hard to establish connections with the downtown community, and have been very successful in leveraging additional resources to enhance our programs for kids,” said IDDS Principal Lee Fertig. “We’re thrilled to receive this recognition.”

KnowledgeWorks Foundation is Ohio’s largest public education philanthropy and a national leader in encouraging school districts to design schools as centers of community. Twelve other schools from across the country were also selected by a panel of nine judges to become part of the Foundation’s “Schools as Centers of Community Honor Society.” All thirteen schools are part of a new design “gallery” hosted by the Foundation on its website at www.kwfdn.org .

“The schools that have been selected for the Honor Society are all models of excellence when it comes to being centers of their community,” Wick continued, “If you want to put the public back into public education, a good place to start is to open up the facilities to the community and really make them community learning centers for people of all ages.”

Unlike traditional architectural design competitions, the Foundation’s national search took a unique slant and developed criteria that placed a strong emphasis on, among other things, community involvement in the planning and design of the school, community use of the school facility, and community partnerships to support lifelong learning.

“This search isn’t just about the architectural design of the school,” said Pam Loeffelman AIA, one of the judges and incoming Chair of the Committee on Architecture for Education, “you can have a school with a great design but with no real connection to the community. This search is all about how to marry up great design with community partnerships to improve teaching and learning and improve the community at the same time.”

This year, school districts across the country will spend about $29 billion to build and renovate school facilities according to the annual construction report of American School & University magazine. This same report projects $89.8 billion in new spending between 2004-2006.

The twelve other public schools that join the Interdistrict Downtown School in becoming charter members of the Foundation’s Honor Society show a set of emerging new trends in school design:

• Co-location of schools with other community organizations to encourage after-school opportunities;
• Greater collaboration between school districts and local government to provide educational, recreational, and health services;
• The recognition that construction of a new school facility can anchor and spur community renewal;
• A focus on serving people of all ages.

The other schools chosen to join the Interdistrict Downtown School in the Foundation’s Honor Society include:

• Carter-DuValle Education Center, Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, Kentucky
• Chippewa Middle School, Okemos Public Schools, Okemos, Michigan
• Langston High School Continuation/ Langston-Brown Community Center, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, Virginia * Noble High School, School Administrative District #60, North Berwick Maine
• J.J. Pickle Elementary School, Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas
• Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Tacoma School of the Arts, Tacoma Public Schools, Tacoma, Washington
• The Crossroads School/Mikulski Center, Baltimore City Public School System, Baltimore, Maryland
• Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, School District 5, New York, New York
• George Washington Community School, Indianapolis, Indiana
• YMCA Young Leaders Academy Charter School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

In addition to these outstanding schools, another school was selected by the judges to receive the top award — the Richard W. Riley Award for Excellence, named after the former U.S. Secretary of Education who has been a tireless champion of reconnecting communities and schools. This school was announced on September 28, 2004 at the Foundation’s conference in Columbus, Ohio entitled “Great Schools: The Building Blocks of Great Communities.”

KnowledgeWorks Foundation is Ohio’s largest public education philanthropy. KnowledgeWorks Foundation provides funding and leadership for education initiatives throughout the state and is focused on removing barriers to quality education. The Foundation is committed to sharing knowledge gained and lessons learned with others in Ohio and across the nation to help inform public policy. KnowledgeWorks Foundation is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Learn more about KnowledgeWorks Foundation at www.kwfdn.org .

Local architects are wielding their competitive clout to land major projects in other countries.

Firms like Cuningham Group have used their connections with major clients to capitalize on business opportunities overseas.