UNBUILT: Certificate of Merit
Just Imagine SWLA, A 50-Year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes
Architecture Firm: Urban Design Associates
Project Team: Megan O’Hara, AICP, LEED AP BD+C (Principal-in-charge); Eric Osth, AIA, LEED AP (Consulting Principal); David Csont, ASAI (Illustrator); Ashleigh Walton, AIA (Project Manager); Bethanie Martin (Senior Designer – formerly with UDA); Lily Xing (Senior Designer); Rebecca Lefkowitz (Senior Designer)
Public Facilitation: Franklin Associates
Infrastructure, Hazard, & Flood Mitigation: Stantec
Economic Development: Dr. Daniel Groft
Economic Development: Dr. James Richardson
Architecture: WHLC Architecture
The Just Imagine SWLA 50-year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes was intended as a strategic and comprehensive path for Southwest Louisiana beyond through long-term recovery from four federally declared disasters, including two hurricanes, to a more resilient future. Just Imagine is a multi-jurisdictional plan involving two parishes, four cities, two towns, unincorporated communities, two school districts, two port authorities, a housing authority, a university, a technical college, employers, the regional economic development alliance, and the visitors’ bureau. Eleven catalytic projects were identified through extensive community engagement and offer local leaders clear direction on the region’s aspirations for quality of life, economic growth, resilient infrastructure, housing, and placemaking.
JURY COMMENTS: “The project offers a series of catalytic interventions, at the scale of the building and the environment, that are used to create an actionable masterplan for community revitalization. The project addresses sustainability, resilience, community engagement, and economic growth for future generations.”
UNBUILT: Honor Award
FLOAT | Park Arena – Esports Experience in Nature
Architecture Firm: DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design
Project Team: Chris Haupt, AIA; Sunghoon Jung, LEED AP BD+C; Laura DeLuca, RA; Brian Gruendl
Local Architect, Structural Engineering, M/E/P Engineering, and Landscape: Sangji Group
Park Arena is an Esports-centric, multi-purpose venue integrated with an existing urban park. The design prioritizes sustainability, energy efficiency, and flexible year-round usage, accommodating diverse user groups including fans, performers, operators, and local community members.
To minimize impact on the park while meeting programming requirements, the arena employs the design of a “floating” mass. This approach reduces the building’s footprint, preserving maximum green space, and the ground level being more accessed by public.
The design incorporates the park’s identity, optimizing site circulation for both event and non-event days. By balancing community needs with environmental considerations, Park Arena addresses key challenges in modern arena development.
This concept serves the local Esports community while demonstrating a method for integrating large-scale venues with urban green spaces. The project showcases an approach to arena design that may be relevant for space-con.
JURY COMMENTS: “Imaginative building and site design that engages and celebrates participants and their activities both inside and outside of the building. Catalytic integration with the surrounding neighborhood that would undoubtedly escalate the vibrancy and appreciation of the area.”
SMALL: Honor Award
Balvanera
Architecture Firm: mossArchitects
Project Team: Andrew Moss, AIA; Katie LaForest, AIA; Jim Bischoff; Gina Konopack; Annie DeArmit; Nick Coppula; Dylan Stein
Contractor: Alex Moxie; Scott Rupert; Michael Chambers, PJ Dick
MEP/FP-FA & Structural Engineering: Brad Palmisiano; Scott Jackson, McKim & Creed, Inc
Food Service Consultant: Mike Ventresca, Food Facilities Concepts, Inc
Photographer: Craig Thompson Photography
The owners of celebrated New York based Balvanera Restaurant, whose cuisine and spirit are derived from Buenos Aires, expanded its legacy with a second location in the Strip District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh. Our firm was brought on to transform 4,300 SF on the ground floor of an existing 4-story 1920s warehouse structure into a vibrant and intimate dining destination. The design challenge was to layer new features within the existing structure, celebrating its original details, and to accommodate the desired program into a uniquely shaped footprint with extremely high ceilings.
JURY COMMENTS: “The rich color palette-including the wood-transports us into a cultural experience while uniting the space. Appreciate how the planning created distinct seating environments as well as the creative development of the mezzanine maximized the space available.”
SMALL: Honor Award
The SouthSide Works Public Spaces
Architecture Firm: AE7
Project Team: Philip Wilkinson, AIA; Teresa Bucco, AIA; Nathan Lutz; Matthew Gunther;
Rheanna Abel, NCIDQ
Collaborator: Marous Brothers Construction, Inc
Prefabrication Contractor: Modlogiq
Structural Engineering: Atlantic Engineering Services
MEP Engineering: WNA Engineering
Landscape Architecture: Floura Teeter
Lighting Design: Clear Story
Civil Engineer: Red Swing
Photographer: Ed Massery
To breathe new life into a once bustling district, this project redeveloped 3.75 acres of underutilized outdoor spaces. An open-space activation plan was created to guide each intervention, introducing new food and beverage venues, pop-up retail, performance areas, a dog park, and a sport court. Together, they work to make this district an inviting destination and amenity for the entire South Side community and greater Pittsburgh region.
JURY COMMENTS: “This project creates destination that enlivens both exterior and interior spaces. The connection between the existing building and the new exterior public space is deftly handled by providing a transitional place that is both glazed internally focused, but publicly viewable food court, and externally gesturing interior space.”
SMALL: Honor Award
Nuclear Innovation Commons
Architecture Firm: R3A
Project Team: Deepak Wadhwani, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP; Jozef Petrak, Associate AIA, LEED GA; Jon Williams, AIA; Luke Treskovich, AIA, NCARB
Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer: Cris Harbaugh, Mechanical, CJL Engineering
Wood Ceiling Fabricator: Russell Rice, National Woodwork
General Contractor: Jason Young, Leonard S. Fiore, Inc.
Photographer: Ed Rombout
Nuclear engineering has the potential to revolutionize energy, and Penn State’s Nuclear Engineering department aimed to create a multifunctional space for education and collaboration. The result is the Nuclear Innovation Commons, featuring a large, flexible central area with modular furniture, private meeting rooms, and an adaptable instructional lab. As designers, we focused on creating a space that reflects the field of nuclear engineering, drawing inspiration from industrial geometries, colors, and patterns. Design elements, such as lighting inspired by fission reactions and ceiling patterns echoing reactor vault doors, subtly connect the space to its nuclear roots, inspiring students and professionals alike.
JURY COMMENTS: “Appreciate the strong concept on a small project. It’s impactful and comes through in the atypical planning, detailing and interior color palette while still providing a flexible/adaptable space.”
MEDIUM: Certificate of Merit
Dancing Gnome Brewery
Architecture Firm: Margittai Architects
Project Team: Eric Nicklaus; Rob Zoelle
General Contractor: Anthony Martini, A. Martini & Co.
MEP Engineer: Steve Sulosky, Sulosky Design Group
Structural Engineer: Gateway Engineers
Photographer: Ed Massery Photography
With lines extending several blocks during beer release events, Dancing Gnome and Head Brewer, Andrew Witchey, decided it was time to expand. Drawing inspiration from the former Pennsylvania Canal, that had passed through this site almost 200 years ago, the second location of this Sharpsburg Brewery is housed by the river, in a repurposed, steel pre-engineered warehouse, originally manufactured by Butler. Working closely with A. Martini & Co. and Sulosky Design Group, this multi-purpose project now enables Dancing Gnome to produce approximately 10,000 barrels of beer per year. In addition to the brewing area, the tap room, cold room, and outdoor beer garden makes this facility a desirable destination and a wonderful community amenity.
JURY COMMENTS: “This project transforms a nondescript utility building type into a destination and gathering space that can become a catalytic agent for future development. A stylized bar is inserted as a focal point in the interior while simultaneously allowing the existing structural expression to read through in a complimentary manner.”
MEDIUM: Certificate of Merit
Wood Street Revitalization
Architecture Firm: AE7
Project Team: Teresa Bucco, AIA; DJ Bryant; Isaac Wimer; Nathan Lutz; Rheanna Abel, NCIQD; Matthew Gunther
Construction: Rycon Construction
Structural Engineering: Atlantic Engineering Services
MEP Engineering: WNA Engineering
Lighting Design: Lam Partners
Photographer: Ed Massery
The revitalization of four historic buildings on Wood Street is a catalyst for the transformation of downtown Pittsburgh’s Wood Street corridor. This project breathes new life into underutilized spaces, creating a vibrant hub that strengthens the area’s connection to the city while energizing the broader urban fabric. With a focus on the reuse of the existing building shells, the design preserves Pittsburgh’s architectural heritage while strengthening the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, blending history with forward-thinking design to foster the city’s growth, resilience, and continued evolution as a dynamic urban center.
JURY COMMENTS: “An important revitalization of a significant series of contributing buildings within the city’s historic core. Imaginative repurposed uses, meticulous restoration, and brilliant lighting to these four buildings ensures the continuation of Pittsburgh’s downtown vibrancy and vitality while preserving legacy.”
MEDIUM: Certificate of Merit
Architecture Firm: Gensler
Jeanette Fabry; Timothy Taylor; Faiza Mehmood
General Contractor: Ray Volpatt Jr., Volpatt Construction, Owner
Consultant: Robert Johnson, Cadnetics USA, Inc., Director of Reality Capture Services
Consultant: Jim Niesel, Theatre Projects Consultants, Principal
MEP: Jim Vizzini, CJL Engineering, Partner
Structural Engineer: Cyril Fox, McKim & Creed, Inc., Structural Engineering Group Leader
The opulent Carnegie Music Hall is an iconic and revered space, finished in 1895 as part of Andrew Carnegie’s vision to create a home for musical culture in Pittsburgh. This renovation of the Music Hall provided necessary updates to the historic hall, including railing and seating expansion and replacement with consideration to ADA requirements, plaster repair and preservation of historic mural work, and overall refinishing to refresh the aesthetics of the Music Hall to be truer to the hall’s original intent and style, along with improvements to electrical, audio, and mechanical systems, the latter of which will allow for the hall’s year-round use. The project demanded creative solutions to existing structural challenges and anomalies, accounting for the historic clay speed tile arch orchestra structure. This renovation allows for the Music Hall to be a more accessible and functional space to better serve its patrons for decades to come.
JURY COMMENTS: “Dedicated restoration of a valued edifice and institution that incorporated necessary 21st century code and standards upgrades without impacting the historical character of the building. Occupants today would be hard pressed to identify the alterations to the original structure because the upgrades were implemented so seamlessly.”
MEDIUM: Honor Award
A Residence in the Eastern Woodlands
Architecture Firm: studio d’ARC
Project Team: Gerard Damiani, AIA; Deborah Battistone, Associate
Barn and Silo: Sota Construction Services
Residence Phase 1: Dick Building Company
Residence Phase 2: Rossmam Hensley, Inc.
Architectural Concrete: Clarkson Consulting, Inc.
Structural: Konefal & Company, Inc.
MEP: Iams Consulting, LLC,
Civil: Groundwork Civil
Geotechnical: Garvin Boward Beitko Engineering, Inc.,
Pool Consultant: Waterline Studios, Inc.
Specifications: Donald G. Zeilman, CSI
Landscape Architect: Pashek + MTR
Photographer: Paul Warchol Photography
This project was a personal aspiration of the clients, one an inventor/ entrepreneur and the other an artist. The project is intended to provide a destination for friends, guests and private events while being a full-time residence and workplace for the clients. The landscape plays an essential role in many ways: how it is revealed as part of the approach, seen from within the residence, and how one engages it from the residence. As part of the local communities visual context, the barn and silo were saved and are the only site elements revealed to the larger community as they play an important part of the region’s site history. The co-existence of historic and present-day structures show the impact of history and the continuation of entrepreneurship within the western Pennsylvania landscape and region.
JURY COMMENTS: “Beautifully executed planning, detailing and site placemaking that is symbiotic with the topography. Love the integration of the existing barn and silo. Appreciate the commitment to sustainable systems, strategies and plantings.”
MEDIUM: Honor Award
Church of the Ascension: More Than Stones
Architecture Firm: Rothschild Doyno Collaborative
Project Team: Kenneth Doyno; Melanie Buzgan Dower; Colleen McDonough; Jason Andrews; Michael Gwin; Alek Kirchmann; Amy Misencik; Benita Nartey; Bryan Thompson;
Daniel Rothschild; Dan Tse; Drew Mosher; Eli Gutierrez; Jeff Kalina; Joe Wahy; Katie Johnson; Kim Rullo; Melanie Domzalski; Nadia Voynova; Nickie Cheung; Nick Rebeck; Tara Earnest; Walt Haim
A new beacon of light celebrates a thriving congregation, uniting the once isolated campus buildings with active social spaces. The separated stone Sanctuary and Parish Hall were connected by a dark, constrained hallway. The new connector creates a transparent entry that respectfully highlights the historic Parish Hall facade. The entry plaza is a comfortable and welcoming outdoor space for extended fellowship and neighborhood outreach.
JURY COMMENTS: “Successfully executed planning unites the three buildings while creating new usable space. Appreciate how the glazed new entry element and design allows the existing historic character to remain exposed.”
MEDIUM: Honor Award
Lawrence Hall
Architecture Firm: mossArchitects
Project Team: Andrew Moss, AIA; Katie LaForest, AIA; Nicholas Coppula; Jim Bischoff; Annie DeArmit
Contractor: Marty Marra; Chris Hohman, MM Marra Construction, Inc.
Structural Engineering: John Schneider, Gateway Engineers
Civil Engineering: Jared Neill; Shannon L. McCullough, Gateway Engineers
MEP Engineering: Jonathan Iams, Iams Consulting, LLC
Food Service Consultant: Frank Pfisterer, Tine Design
Photographer: Craig Thompson Photography
Located along the main commercial thoroughfare in Pittsburgh’s Central Lawrenceville neighborhood, the Lawrence Hall project took a unique abandoned building and transformed it into an exceptional gathering space and community asset. To create an informal, festive, and social dining experience, the design challenge was to honor the building’s original heavy timber truss framing and masonry, while introducing a totally new concept within the existing envelope.
JURY COMMENTS: “Thoughtful adaptive reuse breathes a new life into this 1890s masonry and heavy timber structure. The modern yet minimal exterior improvements engage the urban context in this Central neighborhood. The transformation of the interior space using natural finishes, that complement the existing structure, with pops of vibrant color create a lively and welcoming space.”
MEDIUM: Honor Award
The Conservatory Courtyard
Architecture Firm: Strada
Project Team: Tom Price; Monika Gibson; Mel Sloan; Eric Phillips; Mason Radkoff; Elena Alves
General Contractor: PJ Dick
MEP Engineering: Allen + Shariff
Structural Engineering: Atlantic Engineering Services
Lighting Engineer: Laface McGovern
Visualization Arts: YHRD
Photographer: Craig Thompson
The Conservatory Courtyard project aimed to activate Bakery Square by providing a variety of public spaces, food offerings, and a re-imagined outdoor “living room.” The architecture, paired with complimentary amenities and retail, creates an interconnected experience that encourages people to stay and play.
JURY COMMENTS: “This project brings a new life and energy to the project site through a variety of public spaces aimed at activating the community. The integration of wellness and public art throughout the facility makes for an inviting, thoughtful, and rejuvenating environment.”
LARGE: Honor Award
Seneca Valley Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School
Architecture Firm: CannonDesign
Project Team: F Jeffery Murray; Troy Hoggard; Jeremy Dwyer; Michael Corb
End User Experience Planner: Childrens Museum of Pittsburgh, Anne Fullenkamp
MEP: Tower Engineering
Civil: HRG
Owners Representative: Eckles Construction Services
Photographer: Laura Peters Pictures
Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School reimagines the K-12 learning experience. The building itself becomes a tool for teaching through a series of porous environments that allow students to exercise choice in a unique way. These environments transform historically unused features of a school’s built environment (i.e., corridors, walls, etc.) into elements that promote out-of-classroom learning. All design decisions were shaped by what students need to be successful, regardless of their learning style.
The design of Ehrman Crest embraces a more thoughtful approach to flexibility, and the school’s unique spaces allow all to feel comfortable through periods of change. Grade levels are strategically organized as communities that include classrooms, collaborative areas, peg walls, labs and areas for small group instruction.
JURY COMMENTS: This project creates a playful and explorative learning space for young children in the early phase of formal education. The thoughtful implementation of wayfinding, collaborative learning, and social interaction creates a vibrant learning environment beyond the classroom but to the whole experience.
LARGE: Honor Award
21c Museum Hotel St Louis
Architecture Firm: PWWG
Project Team: Andreas Lange, Anthony Pitassi, Alan Weiskopf, Jodokus Sieverding, Adrian Slider, Sean Lange, Jan Irvin
Contractor: Russell
Interior Design, Public Areas: Hufft
Interior Designer, Guest Rooms: Bill Rooney Studio
MEP/Civil/Acoustics: IMEG
Structural: KPFF
Food Service: MFI Enterprises
Historic Tax Credit Consultant: Rosin Preservation
Spa Consultant: Design for Leisure
Pool Consultant: Westport Pools
Landscape Architect: DG2 Design
Elevator Consultant: VDA
Façade Consultant: Wis, Janney, Elstner Associates
Photographer: Michael Robinson
The renovation of St Louis’ vacant historic downtown YMCA into an innovative new program as a 21c Museum Hotel was an effort in hope for the revival of urban life. Drawing inspiration from both typology and style, the design team created a playful mix of spaces that blended new and old and allowed 21c’s unique cultural programming of hospitality and contemporary art to live among the historic remnants of the old “Y”. The result is a building that playfully juxtaposes art and architecture, whimsy and rigor, and, most importantly, brings life back to an empty corner of the city. This meticulous restoration and reimagination of the 10-story Renaissance Revival-style building includes 173 rooms, a contemporary art museum, a restaurant, café, athletic facilities, and exhibit and meeting spaces.
JURY COMMENTS: “A transformative and impeccable reuse of a vacant historic structure into a sophisticated, energized, playful, and art focused environment. The meticulous integration of program spaces, color palettes, finishes, textures, and lighting make for a curated yet whimsical blend of historic and contemporary styles.”
LARGE: Honor Award
University of Pittsburgh Scaife Hall Addition
Architecture Firm: MCF Architecture
Project Team: MCF: Tim Powers, RA; Steve Szczepanski; Sandra Wasik, NCIDQ; Alan Hohlfelder, RA
Payette: George E. Marsh, Jr., FAIA; Nikolas Pappastratis, AIA; Charles Garcia, AIA
Moshier Studio: Gary Moshier, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD; Leanne O’Toole
Project Manager: PJ Dick
Structural Engineering: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
MEP Engineering: Affiliated Engineers Inc.
Electrical Engineer: Tower Engineering
Project Manager: Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc.
Vibration Engineer: Acentech
Technical Director: RWDI
Geotechnical Manager: Intertek
CIEC Performance Environmental Services
Commissioning Project Manager: McDonough Bolyard Peck
AV Consultant: NV5
Cost Estimating Consultant: Cipher LLC
The West Wing Addition was designed to redefine the university’s educational landscape, merging state-of-the-art design with a commitment to sustainability, to create a vibrant campus entry, fostering collaboration through dynamic student spaces, with spacious classrooms and advanced laboratories that would enhance the learning experience for all. The addition required the integration of essential utilities—air, power, chilled water, and emergency systems— to extend the building’s lifespan by 68 years, and a design to maintain a modern aesthetic with an elegantly curved two-story roof to house critical infrastructure. In stark contrast to the limestone of old Scaife Hall, this addition with a glass façade invites abundant daylight, creating an open, inviting atmosphere and thoughtfully designed aluminum sunshades echo the proportions of the original structure, providing comfort while enhancing visual connection.
JURY COMMENTS: “Provocative addition and upgrade to an aging mid-century education building. The building design not only provides a platform for active learning, but activates the surrounding area with its rich facade, massing, and transparency that showcases the vibrant uses within.”
LARGE: Honor Award
Architecture Firm: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Project Team: Kent Suhrbier, FAIA, LEED AP; Jon Szczesniak, RA, LEED AP BD+C); Kirsten Clemens, AIA, LEED AP; Chelsea Davis; Bill James; David Kitchen; Noah Dusich; Drew Balzer, AIA; Jason Morris, AIA, LEED AP; Katelyn Lentz
Construction Manager/Contractor: Justin Hugh, PJ Dick
MEP/FP Engineering and Energy Modeling: Jonathan Iams, IAMS Consulting, LLC
Structural Engineering: Andy Verrengia, Atlantic Engineering Services
Acoustic Consultant: Jeff Babich, Babich Acoustics
Civil Engineering: Dante Cellitti, Morris Knowles & Associates, Inc,
Landscape Consultant: Nina Chase, Merrit Chase
Retail Consultant: John Katz, Bandywine Agency Inc.
Photographer: Ed Massery; William R. Ulmer
JURY COMMENTS: “This project responds to its site by providing an artfully articulated facade that respectfully addresses the urban context without being overly deferential. Interior spaces are created that are developed as volumes that address the street front by being publicly visually accessible.”
Social Impact in Design Award
Second Avenue Commons
Architecture Firm: DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design
Project Team: Nick Doichev, AIA; Dennis Astorino, AIA; Jennifer Pavlik, NCIDQ; Joseph Sepcic, RA; Paul Kane, RA; Laura Deluca, RA; Shannon Baron, RA; Brian Gruendl, RA
General Contractor: PJ Dick
MEP and Structural Engineer: McKim & Creed
Civil Engineer: KAG Engineering
Civil Engineer: The Gateway Engineers
Landscape Architect: J Frank Studios
Data & Communication Consultant: Ceeva
Food Service Consultant: Bova Corp
Owner Representative: PNC Design & Construction
Photographer: Alexander Denmarsh Photography
Second Avenue Commons seeks to provide sanctuary, support, and resources for people experiencing homelessness in downtown Pittsburgh. The facility developed under the alias “Project Cares” is envisioned as a year-round “low barrier” shelter accepting adults without children and their partners, pets, and possessions. Within the facility wrap-around services address the myriad and complex issues confronting those among us who are most vulnerable and complete a place that enables individuals’ greater self-sufficiency on their path to a safe and secure quality of life.
JURY COMMENTS: “The team embraced the concept of what is needed to holistically serve the population, which goes well beyond housing. Trauma-informed design framed the whole project. The design team tapped into a wide pool of expertise to shape their work, including the unhoused, health care professionals, city & county workers, ACTION housing, and public safety.”
“The jury also noted the extremely difficult site constraints: such as large area being unusable due to a bridge right of way, aerial easements, gas tanks under the foundation and an abandoned vault space under sidewalk requiring a redesign.”
Social Impact in Design Award
Heritage Highlands
Architecture Firm: LGA Partners
Project Team: Jonathan Glance, AIA, NCARB; Jesse Gidley, AIA, NCARB CPHC; David Teufel, RA, LEED AP; David Buck; Samantha Clark, LEED Green Associate; Roger Druschel; William Edmonds; Gerard Schmidt, RA, LEED AP; Nikita Williamson, AIA, LEED Green Associate
General Contractor: Bud Wilson, Mistick Construction
Owner’s Representative: Vaughan Piccolo, Innova Services Corporation
Sustainability Consultant: Jon Jensen, MaGrann Associates
Civil Engineer for Phase I Redevelopment: Matthew Smith, Red Swing Group
Civil Engineer for Phase II Redevelopment: Brian Almeter, Fahringer, McCarty, Grey, Inc.
Structural Engineer: Mark Tayman, Keystone Structural Solutions
MEP Engineer: Rick Yates, RAY Engineering
Landscape Architect: Joe Hackett, LBA Landscape Architecture
Photographers: Tyler Newpol; puskaric/huang PHOTOGRAPHY
Heritage Highlands is a newly developed, community-focused neighborhood that replaces the former Hawkins Village, a struggling housing project in Rankin, Pa. This affordable housing initiative reduces the population density, enhances the streetscape, and offers energy-efficient homes in a variety of sizes to accommodate different families. The townhomes are centered around a Community Center and a large green space, which serve as a hub for safe gatherings, playground activities, and basketball games—helping to build a strong sense of community among residents and neighbors.
JURY COMMENTS: “Design justice was a key principle in this project. The design team recognized there was a greater issue to be addressed than the original request to fix roofs. They expanded the scope of the project to provide access to better housing and not just patch up post-war buildings with many problems.”
“They added a community center, a park, and resized the roads that residents did not have before – creating new amenities and building a sense of community connectivity and safety. The jury particularly liked that the streets were renamed after prominent equal rights advocates in Rankin’s history.”
Social Impact in Design Award
Just Imagine SWLA, A 50-Year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes
Architecture Firm: Urban Design Associates
Project Team: Megan O’Hara, AICP, LEED AP BD+C (Principal-in-charge); Eric Osth, AIA, LEED AP (Consulting Principal); David Csont, ASAI (Illustrator); Ashleigh Walton, AIA (Project Manager); Bethanie Martin (Senior Designer – formerly with UDA); Lily Xing (Senior Designer); Rebecca Lefkowitz (Senior Designer)
Public Facilitation: Franklin Associates
Infrastructure, Hazard, & Flood Mitigation: Stantec
Economic Development: Dr. Daniel Groft
Economic Development: Dr. James Richardson
Architecture: WHLC Architecture
The Just Imagine SWLA 50-year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes was intended as a strategic and comprehensive path for Southwest Louisiana beyond through long-term recovery from four federally declared disasters, including two hurricanes, to a more resilient future. Just Imagine is a multi-jurisdictional plan involving two parishes, four cities, two towns, unincorporated communities, two school districts, two port authorities, a housing authority, a university, a technical college, employers, the regional economic development alliance, and the visitors’ bureau. Eleven catalytic projects were identified through extensive community engagement and offer local leaders clear direction on the region’s aspirations for quality of life, economic growth, resilient infrastructure, housing, and placemaking.
JURY COMMENTS: “The multi-jurisdictional scope and 50-year timeline to develop a regional resilience plan required deep and wide strategic thinking and a skill for convening and listening.”
“The level of community engagement really stands out and richly informed the design of 11 potential interventions. The design team engaged over 2,500 people and collected over 7,000 comments through various methods to be as inclusive as possible.”
“Creating an open-source Resilient Housing Toolkit makes design outcomes more accessible to other designers and communities.”
Excellence in Masonry Award
Architecture Firm: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Project Team: Kent Suhrbier, FAIA, LEED AP; Jon Szczesniak, RA, LEED AP BD+C); Kirsten Clemens, AIA, LEED AP; Chelsea Davis; Bill James; David Kitchen; Noah Dusich; Drew Balzer, AIA; Jason Morris, AIA, LEED AP; Katelyn Lentz
Construction Manager/Contractor: Justin Hugh, PJ Dick
MEP/FP Engineering and Energy Modeling: Jonathan Iams, IAMS Consulting, LLC
Structural Engineering: Andy Verrengia, Atlantic Engineering Services
Acoustic Consultant: Jeff Babich, Babich Acoustics
Civil Engineering: Dante Cellitti, Morris Knowles & Associates, Inc,
Landscape Consultant: Nina Chase, Merrit Chase
Retail Consultant: John Katz, Bandywine Agency Inc.
Photographer: Ed Massery; William R. Ulmer
People’s Choice Award
Architecture Firm: Gensler
Jeanette Fabry; Timothy Taylor; Faiza Mehmood
General Contractor: Ray Volpatt Jr., Volpatt Construction, Owner
Consultant: Robert Johnson, Cadnetics USA, Inc., Director of Reality Capture Services
Consultant: Jim Niesel, Theatre Projects Consultants, Principal
MEP: Jim Vizzini, CJL Engineering, Partner
Structural Engineer: Cyril Fox, McKim & Creed, Inc., Structural Engineering Group Leader
The opulent Carnegie Music Hall is an iconic and revered space, finished in 1895 as part of Andrew Carnegie’s vision to create a home for musical culture in Pittsburgh. This renovation of the Music Hall provided necessary updates to the historic hall, including railing and seating expansion and replacement with consideration to ADA requirements, plaster repair and preservation of historic mural work, and overall refinishing to refresh the aesthetics of the Music Hall to be truer to the hall’s original intent and style, along with improvements to electrical, audio, and mechanical systems, the latter of which will allow for the hall’s year-round use. The project demanded creative solutions to existing structural challenges and anomalies, accounting for the historic clay speed tile arch orchestra structure. This renovation allows for the Music Hall to be a more accessible and functional space to better serve its patrons for decades to come.
Young Architects Studio Competition Award
Terrace Commons: A Community Hub on the Rise
LGA Team: Rye Ahronson; Amanda Barner; Amy Foster; Radene Jackson; Grace Messner
This project envisions a new series of connections that would transform and revitalize South Side Park and adjacent Quarry Street into a vibrant community hub that promotes accessible use and reignites the community connections between Mt Oliver and South Side Flats. A new accessible cable car connection from Mission Street to the top of South Side Park offers an iconic view of Pittsburgh and calls back to the heritage of cable-driven public transportation along the South Side Slopes, particularly the St. Clair Incline Plane, whose footprint can still be seen cutting down the Slopes parallel to Ormsby St.
The design of Terrace Commons leverages existing elevation changes to create distinct zones: a Community Plaza, Vista Point, and Community Garden. The Community Plaza stretches along the northwest border of South Side Park, featuring a series of paved pads equipped with utilities to allow for flexible programming, enabling a lively atmosphere year round. The staggered, paved areas of the Plaza utilize abandoned, now reclaimed material from the historic brickyard, which previously occupied the site. This material link between old and new creates a visual connection underfoot, while picnic areas and play areas encourage communal dining and social interaction for nearby residents. Ascending to the Vista Point, either by trail or by cable car, the highest elevation of South Side Park provides a landscaped overlook complete with seating, shade structures, and an elevated canopy view, offering a tranquil space for relaxation and socialization. Descending into the Community Garden, located midway down the slope, visitors and community members encounter garden beds, native wildowers, and fruit trees, promoting hands-on engagement with food production and educational opportunities for all ages. The atmosphere becomes a vibrant tapestry, where families plant seeds, and neighbors share gardening tips. Proximity to the Community Plaza facilitates a farm to market experience unlike any other in Pittsburgh, offering an abundance of local produce to the community of South Side.
The design incorporates sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood, permeable paving, and local stone, reflecting a commitment to environmental stewardship while enhancing the natural aesthetic of the space. Green infrastructure elements like bio-swales manage erosion and runoff while also supporting biodiversity with native plantings to attract pollinators and create a lush environment. The layout includes flexible spaces that enable various events, workshops, and community gatherings. To ensure accessibility and ease of movement, a network of pathways connects all areas, featuring gentle slopes and resting spots lined with native plants. Designated areas for workshops and community meetings further reinforce the garden as a shared space.
Ultimately, the vision for Terrace Commons embraces the development of an engaging and dynamic space that reconnects the communities of Mt Oliver and South Side Flats, and reconnects the community with the greater natural beauty of Pittsburgh.
BENNO: Lifetime Impact Award
William Bates, FAIA
A BENNO: Lifetime Impact Award honors an AIA Pittsburgh member who has had an extraordinary impact on our community over time. Impact can take many forms – such as building design, advocacy, mentorship, innovation and pioneering achievements, diplomacy and leadership within and beyond AIA Pittsburgh.
The award is called a Benno, after prolific local architect Benno Janssen who made a lifetime impact on our city, as well as elsewhere. He was an AIA Pittsburgh member starting in 1916 and was known for both exceptional residences, like Edgar Kaufmann’s La Tourelle, and civic buildings, like Soldiers & Sailors, Masonic Temple, Mellon Institute, and the 40th St Bridge, to name just a few.
The 2024 recipient, William (Bill) Bates, FAIA has been a leader in our community at the local, state and national levels. He has been an advocate for equity and inclusivity in architecture, a tireless supporter for a wide range of issues and people, a designer, a teacher, a husband, and a father. He is someone who truly embodies the concept of the citizen architect, both overtly and quietly behind the scenes.