OUTCALT AND GUENTHER, an architectural firm, was founded by Richard Franklin Outcalt and Carl F. Guenther in 1942. Outcalt, born in Wauseon, Oh, had practiced architecture in Cleveland since 1928, while Guenther, a Cleveland native and WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY alumnus, began almost a decade later. The firm was first known for the many school buildings it designed throughout the state, including the Columbus School for the Blind. In 1952 it designed the STANDARD PRODUCTS CO. building in Cleveland. The Cleveland Airport main terminal, which gained notice for how well it functioned, was designed by the firm in 1956. The company also was general architect for the airport and did such buildings as the parking garage (1971). Other notable buildings that followed included CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE's main campus, and CLEVELAND STATE UNIV.'s main classroom and main tower buildings. The firm also did master plans for both colleges, the Convention Center, the MALL, and BURKE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT.
The firm became Outcalt, Guenther, Rode & Bonebrake by 1964, and Outcalt, Rode, Kaplan & Curtis by 1971. Guenther, who left the firm in the late 1960s, died in 1978. Outcalt retired in 1971 and died in 1977 at the age of 72. In 1972 the firm became Rode, Kaplan, Curtis & Woodward. By the early 1980s the company had evolved into Kaplan/Curtis, which did designs for the WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY library (1984) and Fire Station #36 (1987) at 3720 East 131st St. The firm became Richard H. Kaplan, Architects, by 1991, and did the redesign of Mall A that year.