John C. (Jack) Mascaro, the chairman of Mascaro Construction Company, L.P., has been awarded the James Kling Fellowship Award from the AIA-MBA Joint Committee in recognition of the high standards Mascaro has maintained for the industry while fostering a community spirit among design and construction professionals. “A primary focus of the AIA-MBA Joint Committee is dialogue and collaboration between architects and contractors,” says Joseph Chaffin, AIA of the AIA-MBA Joint Committee. “This nomination is based on Jack Mascaro’s longstanding commitment to fostering a more collaborative environment and achieving the best outcomes for our client partners and our community.” The James Kling Fellowship Award is given each year alternately to an architect or contractor, who, through their action and example, provide both members...

Each year AIA National the 2017 Architecture program celebrates the best contemporary architecture regardless of budget, size, style, or type. These stunning projects show the world the range of outstanding work architects create and highlight the many ways buildings and spaces can improve our lives.  Here are four 2017 winners highlighted by Pittsburgh’s own Bea Spolidoro, AIA who was invited to participate on this year’s jury. Last summer, I was invited to be a juror for the 2017 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture with other eight professionals. The jury typically features architect members of the AIA and one non-architect, acting as an allied professional and client representative. At the time, I was serving as the Associate AIA member of the...

The Center for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a recipient of the 2016 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Projects Award. Conceived as a building that provides both a home for administrative and classroom functions, as well as a tool to further the institution’s mission “to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research,” the concept and design brought together many Pittsburgh- and Pennsylvania-based firms to create this skillfully crafted solution. Designed by The Design Alliance Architects, the project team also included Andropogon Associates, Ltd., evolveEA, 7group, Massaro Corporation, Civil and Environmental Consultants, Atlantic Engineering Services and CJL Engineering. Other team members included Turner Construction, Indevco, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, and...

ARCHITECTURE: Honor Award PROJECT: Uptown Lofts on Fifth CLIENT: ACTION-Housing, Inc. ARCHITECTURE FIRM: FortyEighty Architecture ENGINEERS: Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc.; Keystone Structural Solutions; Iams Consulting, LLC CONTRACTORS: Mosites Construction Company PHOTOGRAPHER: FortyEighty Architecture DESCRIPTION: The Uptown Lofts on Fifth are two new multi-unit apartment buildings constructed on opposite sides of Fifth Avenue in Uptown, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh that suffers from steady population decline due to a lack of adequate housing. The developer for the project, ACTION-Housing, Inc., serves a mission to empower people to build secure and self-sufficient lives through decent, affordable housing, and has worked to demonstrate the importance of energy efficiency through various projects. This project was designed to allow for a comparison of the...

At the beginning of each year, AIA National unveils the newest recipients of the Institute Honor Awards. And each year I scroll through the dozen or so projects, hoping to see one I recognize, hoping to see one of ‘our own’ listed, a local firm receiving this big honor. This year, for the first time in over a decade, Pittsburgh made the list! A huge congratulations goes to Rothschild Doyno Collaborative for their Honor Award for Sant Lespwa Center for Hope. This project has now won an award at all three levels of the AIA – a 2013 Honor Award from AIA Pittsburgh, a 2013 Citation of Merit from AIA Pennsylvania and now this. Columns caught up with Dan Rothschild,...

Design Pittsburgh 2014 The Design Pittsburgh 2014 Awards Ceremony & Gala took place on Thursday, October 23, 2014, and was held at the Cultural Trust Education Center. Take some time to look through the photos of the event! Read more about the Design Award Winners. View all of the Design Pittsburgh project submissions. [sws_aia_slideshow AIA_Slideshow=””] [/sws_aia_slideshow] Photos by Renee Rosensteel. View photos of all Design Pittsburgh 2014 events on our Facebook Page.   

ARCHITECTURE: Honor Award
 PROJECT: Graduate School of Public Health 
CLIENT: University of Pittsburgh ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Joint Venture: Renaissance 3 Architects, P.C. and Wilson Architects CONTRACTOR: PJ Dick 
ENGINEERS: Affiliated Engineers Metro DC, Inc.; Barber & Hoffman, Inc.; The Gateway Engineers, Inc. PHOTOGRAPHER: Anton Grassl of Esto Photographics DESCRIPTION: The Graduate School of Public Health is located on a main thoroughfare that runs the length of the University of Pittsburgh’s urban campus. The University sought a building that would establish a real presence for GSPH in the community and reflect the significant research occurring within. By designing an elevated addition with extensive glass facades, the building showcases the school’s activities along the main avenue; the transparent facades eliminate barriers between the...

ARCHITECTURE: Silver Medal PROJECT: Gateway Station – North Shore Connector CLIENT: Port Authority of Allegheny County ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Light/Motion Collaborative CONTRACTOR: Whiting-Turner PHOTOGRAPHER: Massery Photography, Inc. ENGINEERS: AECOM; Atlantic Engineering Services; Allen & Shariff Corporation DESCRIPTION: Gateway Station is the centerpiece of a 1.2-mile extension of the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s light rail system.  Located in the heart of the Golden Triangle business district, the station provides intermodal connections and dramatic views of the city.  The extensive use of glass introduces natural light deep into the station and serves as a visible gateway and readily identifiable landmark. JURY COMMENTS:  As the entry says, “It is intuitive, it’s transparent, and it’s transit.”  The architect captured this very essence. This is...

Many years ago, I was tortured for a number of months by an architect who insisted we had to standardize the graphic presentation of the notebooks that everyone submitted for design awards.  He was convinced and remained so, no matter what I said, that the jury members would be unduly influenced by a flashy graphic presentation.  I never saw any evidence of that then anymore than I see it now. I had another architect tell one of his employees that if I didn’t like a project I could influence the jury to not give an award.  Again not true.  Juries are extremely independent. While I am flattered that anyone would think I have that much power, even if that was...