The mission of the State Architect's Office was "to effectively and efficiently lead capital planning, design, and construction of public facilities through quality service, expertise, and knowledge sharing."
Public Works was originally a Board formed for the purpose of building and maintaining Ohio's canal transportation system.
Created in 1921, the Office of the State Architect and Engineer and the newly formed Department of Highways and Public Works was originally located in the Ohio-Hartman Building, formerly the Hartman Hotel, at 275 South Fourth Street.
[1] In 1974, Public Works was "demoted" to a Division when the departments of Finance, State Personnel, and Public Works were reorganized into the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and the Office of Budget and Management, and moved to the new State Office Tower, subsequently named for Governor James A. Rhodes, at 30 East Broad Street.
Over the years, this authority has eroded significantly, and the institutions of higher education have had varying degrees of interaction with the office.