He knows the power of architecture
To two-time graduate Sam Rosenthal, CEO of Schooley Caldwell, designing spaces and renovating landmarks are about creating amazing experiences for people.
Sam Rosenthal’s Schooley Caldwell office includes a prolific asparagus fern and framed print of Ohio Stadium. As a grad student, Rosenthal was awarded a scholarship named for Howard Dwight Smith, architect of the ’Shoe. (Photo by Jodi Miller)
Columbus architect Sam Rosenthal ’00, ’04 MArch has an incredible knack for keeping things alive.
Take his asparagus fern, which you’ll find flourishing in his airy, light-filled office in the Arena District of Columbus. He’s had the plant since he was 5 years old. And while you won’t find this achievement on Rosenthal’s resume, you can be sure the CEO of Schooley Caldwell will nurture any project that comes his way, particularly giving new life to old buildings.
At Schooley Caldwell, where historic preservation is a specialty, Rosenthal has worked on the renovation of LeVeque Tower, a 47-story art deco landmark built in 1927, the restoration of the Ohio Statehouse and other impressive projects. Touring his office, you’ll see blueprints of one of his newest, Front & Fulton, a $113.7 million project that will transform a former brewery complex built in 1836 into apartments, stores and restaurants.
Tackling such massive projects can be daunting, but Rosenthal knows where to look for inspiration. He keeps a print on his desk of Ohio Stadium, which was designed by Howard Dwight Smith and opened in 1922. Smith graduated from Ohio State in 1907 and served as university architect for 27 years.
Rosenthal received the print when, as a graduate student in architecture, he was awarded a scholarship Smith’s friends and colleagues established in his honor when he died in 1958.
“It’s good to have reminders like the picture on my desk of why you do things, and that is the opportunity to improve spaces and places for people,” Rosenthal says. “Think about the Horseshoe, where 100,000 people come together to celebrate and to watch sporting events and for graduations and convocations. The Horseshoe is one of our greatest spaces in the state, and that’s really the power of architecture: to be able to create things where people don’t just use them, but they have amazing experiences together.”
The stadium print fosters a sense of gratitude in Rosenthal and symbolizes his own desire to pay forward. A regular donor to Ohio State, Rosenthal is pleased his firm can take on pro bono projects, including the recent renovation of 22 outdated apartments into new suites for residents of Huckleberry House, which helps Central Ohio youth struggling with poverty and homelessness.
“Having benefited from the scholarship, I know what a difference it makes to have a little extra support, so when we’re in a position to help, we do,” Rosenthal says.
His interest in architecture started early on, he says. As a child, he lived in New York, where skyscrapers fascinated him, and he often visited family members in Mexico City, where the sprawling architecture captured his interest.
“I was surrounded by human creation, and often when I was playing, I’d end up stacking blocks — not Legos, but two-by-fours — to build structures and towers. One day, my grandmother said, ‘You like to build and make things, you must want to be an architect.’”
And the seed was planted.
In 1985, his family moved to Columbus, where the skyline looked very different from New York, but Rosenthal remained passionate about architecture and decided to study at Ohio State, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture. After that, Rosenthal worked for several design firms in Columbus before landing at Schooley Caldwell in 2011. His talent for design and strong project management skills earned him the job of president in 2019 and CEO in 2021.
While he’s busy overseeing multimillion-dollar projects, Rosenthal remains hands-on in his work. Just as he faithfully cultivates his asparagus fern, he tends to long-term projects such as the renovation of LeVeque Tower. “I’ve spent 10 years working on the restoration there, and I’ve been on every inch of the building inside and out. I was just out on the roof last week to do an inspection.”
Being a leader does have its privileges. Ever wonder how the colorful lights change on LeVeque Tower? That’s Rosenthal. He simply reaches for his phone and, with a few taps, can turn the lights pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, red and green for Christmas or other colors for nonprofit causes.
And when the Buckeyes make a touchdown during evening games, Rosenthal likes to flash scarlet and gray for a few moments.
From abandoned to inspiring
A long-abandoned school building north of the Ohio State campus has been transformed into a lively destination offering a bar, restaurant, café, fitness center and event space, thanks to a renovation designed by Sam Rosenthal and his team at Schooley Caldwell.
Noted architect Howard Dwight Smith designed the innovative Open Air School in 1928 for students at risk of contracting tuberculosis. The building featured abundant windows, indoor and outdoor play areas, and an open-air concept. The school later sat empty for years until the Kelley Cos. bought it in 2018 and hired Schooley Caldwell for the redesign.
Howard Dwight Smith designed the Open Air School in 1928 for children at risk of contracting tuberculosis. (Photo from Lauren K Davis/Feinknopf)
The renovation turned the school into a modernized community space at 2571 Neil Ave. in Columbus. (Photo from Lauren K Davis/Feinknopf)
“We were able to keep the vast majority of the building and its character intact,” Rosenthal says. His team retained the windows, doors, staircases and hallways, and kept the lockers and chalkboards. On the exterior, they repaired some brick work, which was intentionally laid out in angles rather than a straight line — “a fun feature for the kids,” Rosenthal says.
His firm also preserved the exterior’s colorful tile and terra cotta detailing, a hallmark of Smith’s design. And in keeping with Smith’s goal to create a healthy environment, Schooley Caldwell designed a link from the patio of the building to the nearby Olentangy Trail.
“This connection to the trail has brought so many more people to the building,” he says. Hikers and cyclists can pop off the trail for rest and refreshments.
“It feels great to create a place where we can all come together in this community,” says Rosenthal.
Nearly 100 years after Smith designed the building, it’s as good as new.
Reinvigorating an icon’s work
Schooley Caldwell has many projects in its portfolio — including renovations, master planning and interiors — that originated from Howard Dwight Smith. In addition to the Open Air School, projects have included:
- Ohio State’s Mershon Auditorium, William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library addition, the Faculty Club, and Baker, Ramseyer and Siebert halls
- Columbus City Hall
- Poindexter Village
- First Congregational Church
- Indianola Junior High, Bexley Junior High and the West High School cupola
