Member & Partner Updates    AE Works Becomes a B Corp Real Leaders recently selected winners of its 2021 “Top Impact Companies” from around the world.  In the company of game-changers such as Patagonia, Tesla and Beyond, AE Works made the global list of 150 organizations that represent a range of industries.  A full list of this year’s impact companies is available here. As one of two integrated building design and consulting firms in the world to achieve B Corporation certification, AE Works voluntarily meets a higher standard of transparency, accountability, and performance, harnessing the power of business to solve social and economic problems. “We believe there is a better way to do business, and we want our work, the...

Member & Partner Updates  AE Works, a Pittsburgh-headquartered building design and consulting services firm, is excited to announce the appointment of Patrick Rakszawski, AIA to the role of Design Manager. Patrick brings experience on a diverse range of commercial, healthcare and science and technology projects spanning international corporate headquarters, research laboratories and highly unique spinal cord injury care facilities.   Margittai Architects is excited to welcome Allison Huchko as a Graduate Architect. Allison graduated with highest honors and earned a B.S. and Master’s of Architecture degree with a focus in Urban Design from Kent State University. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology. LGA Partners is pleased to announce the hiring of Gerard Schmidt, RA,...

Member & Partner Updates    Matthew Dawson, AIA, Architect at Hayes Design Group Architects, recently obtained his professional architect’s license and is now licensed to practice architecture in Pennsylvania.  Matt is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelors of Architecture.   Allen & Shariff Engineering, LLC is pleased to announce that Alexander Radkoff, PE has joined the Pittsburgh Office, as a Mechanical Engineer. Allen & Shariff Engineering, LLC is a mechanical/electrical/plumbing/fire protection engineering and commissioning services company, with its headquarters in Columbia, MD and offices in Pittsburgh, PA, Zelienople, PA, and Salisbury, MD.   Allen & Shariff Engineering, LLC is pleased to announce that Sean Daugherty has joined the Pittsburgh Office, as an Electrical Designer. Allen & Shariff Engineering, LLC is...

evolveEA has named Anna Rosenblum, Chris Guignon, AIA, and Elijah Hughes as Associates and Senior Project Managers. Founding Principals Christine Mondor, FAIA and Marc Mondor, AIA are pleased to recognize these outstanding employees, for their significant and far-sighted contributions to projects, client management, strategic direction and firm culture. As Associates, Anna, Chris, and Elijah will continue to advance evolveEA’s strategic consulting work in architecture and landscape design, mobility and water infrastructure, energy and community systems, and ecodistrict planning. Read more about their accomplishments and contribution to architecture here.   In February, team members of DLA + Architecture & Interior Design, attended the American Heart Association Heart Ball to support medical advancements related to heart disease and stroke.   Anthony Pitassi,...

Congratulations to Lena Andrews, AICP, for her new role of Director of Real Estate Development at  ACTION-Housing. Lena joined the AIA Pittsburgh Board of Directors in 2020 as a Public Director. Congratulations to Ernest Bellamy, Assoc. AIA, of Ae7, for his new role of Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Ernest will be co-teaching an introductory architecture studio course. Anthony J. Lucarelli, AIA, has joined Pittsburgh-based DLA+ Architecture and Interior Design (DLA+) as vice president, Higher Education.  Lucarelli, a veteran expert in architecture for higher education who brings significant expertise and a national perspective to DLA+, will also oversee the firm’s marketing and business development initiatives. Congratulations to Anastasia Markiw, AIA, NCARB, of DesignGroup, on becoming the 2020 Chair...

Paul R. Williams, AIA in front of the LAX terminal. Before diving into the Oscar’s broadcast this Sunday, if that’s your thing, consider taking a gander at a new documentary airing on WQED-TV at 4 pm.  This one-hour special explores the journey of iconic Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams, AIA, and his professionalism and determination in the face of discrimination. From the early 1920s until his retirement 50 years later, Williams was one of the most prolific architects in America. His list of celebrity clients included Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. He is noted for his mastery of various iconic architectural styles that include the Beverly Hills Hotel, the original MCA Headquarters Building...

Members of the AIA-MBA Joint Committee Chartered in 1965, the AIA-MBA Joint Committee in western PA was one of the first committees in the United States to bring together AIA member architects with general contractors and owners.  The group provides a unique forum to meet and discuss existing conditions of the construction industry. As a result, a set of guidelines have been created to reflect the best practices for procedures involving drawings and specifications, bidding, contract documents and administrative procedures during construction called The Best Practice Guides. These guides were originally published as the Yellow Book of Recommended Construction Practices in 1967, and for decades existed as a yellow book, or binder, that floated around offices or constructions sites, and served...

William Bingham, AIA and Cynthia Metzler are new members of the WTW Architects professional team.  Bingham has degrees from both the Yale School of Architecture in New Haven, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and has held positions with architectural firms in Beijing, Detroit, Omaha, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. Bingham joins the WTW team on a project at the University of Pittsburgh. Cynthia Metzler is the firm’s new Marketing Coordinator. She joins WTW from a similar position at Eckles Architecture & Engineering in New Castle, PA. She is a graduate of Thiel College in Greenville, PA and earned an MBA from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, WTW Architects has announced a series of...

Palaces for the People cover.  Image courtesy Penguin Random House. On the same day I received Palaces for the People to review, I wandered through the Carnegie Library Downtown & Business on my lunch hour. A whiteboard faced the front door advertising the month’s events. Book clubs, reading lists, support groups. Men and women in suits mingled with the less well-heeled to browse the new book tables and utilize the free WiFi. In Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg (who also authored a previous work of social history chronicling the Chicago heat wave of 1995 that inspired this book) advocates for stronger “social infrastructure,” of which the library is a prime example. The author defines social infrastructure as “the physical...

AE Works employees show off their CANstruction structure.  With the support of local business partners, AE Works has donated over 6,000 cans of food during this annual event Volunteerism is an integral part of the architecture profession whether it is through individual architects’ efforts to give back in their own communities or ingrained in firm culture. In this article we take a closer look at different ways two firms make community support integral to their bottom line. This article is part of a series; read Part 1 here. AE Works: Business for Good The architects, engineers, and building consultants at AE Works think about how they are affecting the environment, community, employees and their clients in each project. To measure...