Innovative structures and life cycle efficiency combined with aesthetic insight to make the Greater Cleveland RTA Rail Maintenance Facility a model for future designs. Resembling the trains it serves, the structure displays a rhythmic flow of steel and glass to passengers commuting on the adjacent transit lines. But it is functional as well as attractive, using an efficient "earth storage" heating system and a cost-effective combination of natural and artificial light. In addition, the layout of the buildings and yards makes maximum use of a limited site to streamline maintenance functions, save time and cut operating costs. Thus, what was once a narrow wasteland of abandoned track has been transformed into a gleaming facility that symbolizes the new spirit of the Regional Transit Authority and the community it serves.

*This project was firm principal Jerry Payto's experience while with another firm.