ADU Design Showcase: City Hall Atrium Exhibition
Cleveland Heights, OH — December 4, 2024
Concept
Most municipalities announce competition winners with a press release.
As a specialist, I built a format that the City could reuse.
I reimagined the City Hall atrium as a public gallery—turning a civic building into a flexible exhibition space that could be deployed across initiatives.
The goal wasn’t just to present the ADU Design Competition.
It was to create a cost-effective, repeatable model for public engagement.
APPROACH
Scalable Format
Designed the event as a lightweight, repeatable template:
existing civic space (no venue cost)
modular wall installations
simple programming layer (remarks + open viewing)
minimal staffing requirements
Built to be reused across departments and initiatives.
Spatial Strategy
Converted the atrium into a walkable exhibition using large-format prints of the winning ADU designs.
Narrative Framing
Positioned ADUs as lived solutions—affordability, aging-in-place, and density—rather than abstract policy.
Public Interface
Opened the event to residents and designed for interaction:
gallery-style viewing
direct conversation with designers and leadership
informal structure that encouraged participation
Atmosphere
Used timing and environment intentionally—an evening event with holiday lighting—to create warmth and accessibility within a civic setting.
Case Study Breakdown
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Five winning designs were installed throughout the atrium as large-scale visuals, each paired with designer context.
The open layout allowed attendees to move freely through the space, creating organic conversation between residents, designers, and City leadership.
The event functioned as both the culmination of the competition and a public entry point into broader housing and zoning conversations. -
Created a replicable event model for City-led public engagement
Translated a policy initiative into a public, visual experience
Increased accessibility and understanding of ADUs
Enabled direct interaction between residents, designers, and leadership
Demonstrated how civic space can be activated without additional cost
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Concept, Creative Direction, Communications Strategy
I led the framing, spatial concept, and public-facing narrative, designing the model for both immediate impact and long-term reuse across City communications. -
Most public engagement is treated as one-off effort.
This work established a reusable model—reducing cost, increasing consistency, and making complex initiatives easier for the public to understand.
Communications isn’t just messaging.
It’s how participation is designed.
