Dover High School
Client: Dover City Schools
Location: Dover, Ohio
  • New 174,000sf high school designed for students in grades 9-12.
  • Three-story academic wing.
  • 1,000+ seat auditorium.
  • Indoor/outdoor learning stairs in commons area with floating media center.
  • Shared sunken courtyard and interior dining commons allows for flexibility and blurs the boundaries between academic, extracurricular and social learning opportunities.
Interesting Fact: Dover High School was one of two US high schools to receive the 2021 Learning By Design Grand Prize.
Awards: Learning By Design - Grand Prize Award Winner

Shaped around people, this award-winning design delivers an open, flexible and accessible environment with something for every student. Built on the site of the existing 1915 high school, the new school navigates the more challenging portions of the available site and responds with innovative ways to connect the students to each other, and to the community beyond.

"The SHP team and the services they provide are well beyond just designing a school. SHP staff spent countless hours listening to district personnel, Board of Education members, and community members to grasp the collective vision."
– Carla Birney, Former Superintendent, Dover City Schools
"Flexibility has become a buzzword synonymous with 21st Century design. But at Dover, we're not just going to be flexible, we're aiming to be future-proof."
– Jeffrey Sackenheim, Vice President of Architecture, SHP
“Sometimes, the most valuable ideas we bring to a project are the things that the client doesn’t even know are possible. That’s where we can really showcase our creative ability.”
– Gregor Lewis, Design Leader, SHP
“It’s immensely gratifying to tackle a problem this complex and turn it into such an elegant, sophisticated and yet practical space.”
– Jeff Parker, Director of Visioning, SHP