AE Works Ltd. (AE Works) has been certified as a B Corporation, making it the sixth company in Pittsburgh to achieve B Corp status. As a Certified B Corporation, AE Works voluntarily meets a higher standard of transparency, accountability, and performance, harnessing the power of business to solve social and economic problems. AE Works’ full B Impact Report is available to the public here. Astorino has utilized its design-led, integrated design-build delivery method to design and construct the new Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Health + Wellness Pavilion in Wexford, which opened earlier this fall. The 174,000 sf mixed-use medical facility followed an extremely compressed design and construction schedule of just 22 months – an achievement that would have been nearly unattainable...

Due to a rapidly expanding firm size, AE Works has relocated to East Liberty, hoping to establish the firm’s roots and ties with the local community. AE Works is also serving as engineer in infrastructure upgrades at all six State Veterans’ Homes in Pennsylvania, which is the final step toward achieving a uniform, all-inclusive security and elopement plan across the State Veterans’ Home System. Astorino has been named as one of the nation’s leading architectural and engineering firms by Engineering News-Record (ENR). The publication ranked Astorino at 426 among the country’s Top 500 design firms for 2012. Chosen from more than 1,000 firms that submitted data for the survey, the Top 500 companies are ranked according to revenue for design...

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...

Sustainable design isn’t just about doing what is right. It’s smart, current, and for design professionals, has added an important layer to their work. The clear consensus is that green design adds value, but how professionals integrate sustainable design and use LEED certification varies through the region’s architectural community. This brief analysis highlights some of the issues and projects in the region. Pittsburgh is second in the nation with 20 LEED certified buildings, most of them commercial, which is something to be proud of, but the commercial sector is still part of the problem. According to the Pittsburgh Climate Protection Initiative, the commercial sector is responsible for over half of the total CO2 equivalent emissions, which is a far greater...

Two weeks ago the Buncher Company presented Riverfront Landing, a 37-acre development on property in the Strip District, to the Planning Commission requesting the creation of a Specially Planned (SP) zoning district.  Last week, Councilman Patrick Dowd released a letter addressed to Mayor Ravenstahl in which it was revealed that a $50 million dollar Tax Increment Financing (TIF) package is proposed for, presumably, site improvements. This week, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed zoning district, where the public will have its first opportunity to voice their opinions regarding this several hundred million dollar project. This public hearing is far too late in the process for meaningful input. The SP district classification is for developments over...

Peter Rempe has joined the Pittsburgh office of Allen & Shariff Engineering, LLC. Astorino has created a new executive management team in which Louis P. Astorino has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer; Timothy Powers, AIA is now President of Architecture; John Francona, LEED AP assumes an expanded role as Senior Vice President – Architecture to include Senior Vice President – Marketing; and Michael Brennan strengthens his role from Senior Vice President – Structural Engineering to Senior Vice President – Project Management.  The firm has also won a Citation of Merit in Regional & Urban Design from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Pennsylvania for the design of “Pittsburgh’s Tribute to Children” honoring Fred Rogers.  Additionally, the  Astorino-designed Children’s Hospital...

Urban Design Associates has been chosen to head an international team to guide a master plan to expand Moscow, Russia. UDA was the only American firm selected to lead one of the ten teams, teams which will spend months studying the city and region, exploring how the city can expand while redeveloping its historic core. Click here to read more.

It starts with a meeting, a seed of concern that grows into a dialog, rooted in the heart of a city. Size, demographics, and location differ at every meeting, but the topic is always the same: how can we make our community safer, more diverse, more livable, and more prosperous? The discussion morphs into analysis. Residents, public officials, police, and community leaders all lend a voice or a concern to address the issues. Market and city data is scoured and absorbed. A plan of action is made and a community development corporation is born. Reinventing East Liberty Pittsburgh is no stranger to Community Development Corporations (CDCs), as the city has been subject to many serious revitalization efforts since its decline...

How it Works Each year, AIA Pittsburgh hosts the Design Awards – a juried design competition open to AIA members and firms whose principal(s) are members of AIA Pittsburgh, or any member of any AIA chapter across the country who has a project in the 10 county area represented by AIA Pittsburgh. All projects must have at least one AIA Pittsburgh architect on the project team. All submissions for the AIA Pittsburgh Design Awards Competition can only be submitted by an AIA Pittsburgh architect. The mission of the awards is to recognize and honor architects and designers, and promote excellence, innovation, and achievement in the craft of architecture. Last year AIA Pittsburgh revamped the Design Award submission categories, introducing three...