From West High Graduate to District Architect: Meet Caleb Janus

When Caleb Janus walks the halls of West High School, it brings back vivid memories of his own time as a student there in 1989. Now, as MMSD’s new district architect, he is tasked with adapting these familiar learning spaces to meet the evolving needs of today’s students.

Janus, a graduate of West High School, returned to MMSD in January. With 28 years of registered architectural experience ranging from large-scale construction in Sarasota, Fla. to working on high-tech facilities in New York, Janus is providing the district with new design perspectives from several sectors.

He views this role through a human lens, viewing school architecture as a tool for equity for the expanding city.

Whether he is designing spaces for children with different sensory needs or ensuring schools have dedicated room for food pantries, Janus wants to design facilities that serve as a staple for the whole community. His goal goes beyond blueprints, it is ensuring that every student, regardless of ability or background, feels that their school was built for them.

"I wanted to do something that actually had an impact on people," Janus said. "I grew up here, I have deep roots in this community, and I want to give back."

Janus is meeting with principals to assess their facility goals firsthand. From there, he will take on the architectural planning and permitting internally before passing the baton to MMSD’s carpenters, plumbers and electricians to see projects carried out.

Currently, his big focus is designing secure welcome centers across several schools to strengthen staff and student safety. By creatively reconfiguring existing office layouts to redirect foot traffic to the front desk, Janus aims to upgrade the welcome centers without compromising the space's hospitable atmosphere. For some facilities, Janus says this can be done by adding an additional set of doors to the office while other locations require different approaches. 

Recognizing that technology and the job market are constantly shifting, he wants to ensure that new technical education classrooms, makerspaces and general learning environments can easily adapt as technology and workforce needs evolve in the coming decades.

"If there's one thing I can do as an architect, it is to try to design buildings that encourage children to feel that it's their space and that they can go and be heard, seen and educated," Janus said.