The American Institute of Architects Cleveland (AIA Cleveland) programming committee in December hosted the final installment of its 2025 Body of Work lecture series: The Work of Robert Maschke.

AIA Cleveland’s Body of Work: An Architecture Design Lecture Series is “a celebration of design as the heart of architecture. The series provides a forum where architects present their work through a purely aesthetic lens, sharing the philosophies, influences, and ideas that shape their creative process.”

Robert MaschkeThe December lecture was held at the Italian American Museum of Cleveland in Little Italy and focused on contemporary Cleveland architect Robert Maschke, who presented his existing projects in Gordon Square and Little Italy. He described his lecture as “exploring how his design process responds to neighborhoods with rich histories and ever-changing character.”

He also discussed the Black River Landing project that is currently under construction and the unbuilt Residences of the Union Club.

The lecture concluded with a Q&A session and discussion on City of Cleveland’s plans to decommission Burke Lakefront Airport to use the land for public use. Gregory Soltis, RDL Architects senior designer and AIA co-director of programming, led a walking tour of the projects he is currently working on in Little Italy.

Maschke’s projects
In Gordon Square several of Maschke’s projects were highlighted including: 1point618; the former Arcadian Food & Drink (currently Blue Habanero); C-House; Gordon Square Bus Shelter; Loft House; Mintz Residence; slots-n-folds STUDIO; the future perchHOUSE; and the future Corduroy House | Corduroy House Too!.

The 1point618, 6421 Detroit Ave., was designed as a “hybrid space, functioning as both a fine art gallery and an architecture studio,” says Maschke, who explains the exterior was restored and the entire fire-damaged interior was modernized into a glass storefront with the urban street environment.

Maschke’s Little Italy projects are the little BIG house, 2067 Random Road; the future Casa d'Angolo; and VIA | 126, 1979 E. 126th Street.

Maschke, who has been an established architect and a leader in the profession for nearly 30 years now, says he was inspired to become an architect because it fulfilled his attraction to filling empty space.

“I have always been very creative and drawn to the sculptural quality of space—its materials, proportions, and the way people experience and respond to it,” he says. “Architecture offered a way to combine that curiosity with discipline and the opportunity to shape lasting environments.”

His philosophy is simple: give the same care and attention to small projects that some of his contemporaries lavish on much larger projects.

Street-facing view of Maschke,'s little_BIG house in Little Italy. Conceived as “two houses in one,” the residence responds to the client's request for flexibility, including the potential to divide the property into independent homes.A highly visible example of his work is the C House, located near Edgewater Park and easily seen by commuters driving on the West Shoreway. The modern white building takes full advantage of a striking location to provide unique views of the city and its lakefront.

The house brings a suburban environment to a gritty blue collar environment.

Maschke describes this unique structure as an upside down house, in that visitors enter through a library and then rise to a higher level including a kitchen, living room, and ultimately a master suite.

Remarkably, he describes the roof as the house’s yard, which includes a grill, seating, and several small trees in planters. Of course, it also provides an unobstructed view of downtown and the lakefront.

Maschke explains how the C-House got its name: It was named for the lot it stands on. Several lots in the immediate area are identified by letters, and the letter has nothing to do with the design of the house.

He explains that architecture provided an opportunity for him to combine his natural curiosity with the opportunity to shape lasting environments.

A large skylight introduces the night sky into the interior of the C House.Maschke predicts architectural trends in the next 10 years to be a continuing shift toward context-driven pragmatic realism and designs that meet a variety of needs rather than repeating a single dominant architectural style.

Among his favorite Cleveland architects are J. Milton Dyer, a towering figure responsible for some of early 20th century Cleveland’s most notable buildings, and Robert P. Madison, who overcame racial barriers to achieve an enviable record as the area’s first successful Black architect, creating a legacy that encouraged many other minorities to pursue careers in architecture.

Maschke also cites Piet Van Dijk, Don Hisaka, and Richard Fleischman as seminal influences in Cleveland.

Asked to point out his favorite Cleveland buildings, Maschke names the Cleveland Trust Tower, designed by Marcel Breuer, and 55 Public Square, designed by Carson & Lundin. In both cases, these buildings represented a sharp departure from traditional architectural forms and pointed the way to an imaginative future. This future is something that Robert Maschke will play a large role in.

At the December event, Soltis announced the 2026 AIA Cleveland Body of Work Series schedule, which will kick off on Thursday, Feb. 5 with a discussion led by Sung Ho Kim, architecture program director for Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Urban Design.