For a long time, the construction industry has followed a linear process - extract raw materials, build structures, demolish them, and then dispose of the garbage in landfills. This approach has serious negative effects on the environment and society and is inherently unsustainable. Reconsidering traditional methods and workflows requires support from all stakeholders and a sense of urgency proclaimed by authorities. In the United States, city organizations have begun to implement new policies to keep construction waste out of landfills and support circular practices. Several cities like Seattle and Pittsburgh, have started implementing deconstruction ordinances that require older buildings to be carefully deconstructed rather than demolished. How might their key provisions influence circular practices in the country?
Pittsburgh: The Latest Architecture and News
Studio Libeskind Reveals Design for the Memorial at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
Studio Libeskind, working in close partnership with the Memorialization Working Group, has unveiled the preliminary design for the memorial for the 11 killed on 27 October 2018 at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, United States. The design was developed in a process led by the victims’ families, communal leaders, and concretional representatives. The building’s official groundbreaking is expected in 2024.
The Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green / GBBN
Ford Assembly Plant Renovation Tops Out in Pittsburgh
ZGF Architects, Wexford Science & Technology, and The University of Pittsburgh have revealed new details of the Ford Motor Assembly Plant adaptive reuse in Pittsburgh. Called The Assembly, the project aspires to become a hub of university research, entrepreneurial activity, and innovation programming. The six-story crane shed was used to hoist parts unloaded from the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks for assembly.
South Side Courtyard House Pool Pavilion & Landscape / studio d'ARC
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Architects: studio d'ARC
- Area: 3700 ft²
- Year: 2018
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Manufacturers: BLUDOT, Kohler, McNeel, Nemetschek, Optimum Steel Windows, +2
Tustin Street Adaptive Re-Use / studio d’ARC
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Architects: studio d’ARC
- Area: 1900 ft²
- Year: 2019
Brandon Haw Imagines a New High-Tech Office Tower in Pittsburgh
JMC Holdings unveiled images of a 21-story office building in Pittsburgh’s 1501 Penn Ave. Designed by Brandon Haw Architecture, an international architecture studio based in New York, in collaboration with the AM/Woolly Group, the new commercial structure is LEED-certified.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh / GBBN
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Architects: GBBN
- Area: 9800 ft²
- Year: 2016
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Manufacturers: Pinnacle Architectural Lighting, Richlite, Shaw, VitrA
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Professionals: WNA Engineering, SciTek Consultants, WBCM
Over View Installation at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh / FreelandBuck
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Architects: FreelandBuck
- Year: 2019
Tree Pittsburgh Headquarters / GBBN
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Architects: GBBN
- Area: 5500 ft²
- Year: 2018
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Professionals: Adele Beaves, Gateway Engineers, Iams Consulting, Pashek + MTR
Postcard Pittsburgh: An Urban Renewal of an Underrated American City
The public has often condemned urban renewal, but for the Pennsylvanian city of Pittsburgh, its revival earned a status of "renaissance". In their latest volume of Imagining the Modern: Architecture and Urbanism of Pittsburgh Renaissance, editors Chris Grimley, Michael Kubo, and Rami el Samahy explore the reasons behind the city's congratulatory rebirth.
Carnegie Mellon University Sorrells Library Renovation / GBBN
PNC Legacy Pavilion / GBBN
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Architects: GBBN
- Area: 121 m²
- Year: 2011
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Manufacturers: Bendheim, Pilkington, Kawneer, LiveRoof, ROCKWOOL, +1
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Professionals: Cenkner Engineering Associates
Frick Environmental Center / Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
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Architects: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
- Area: 15570 ft²
- Year: 2018
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Manufacturers: BRAE, Black Locust Lumber USA, Marvin, SolarWorld, Urban Tree, +1
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Professionals: Atelier Ten, Barber & Hoffman, H.F. Lenz Company, La Quatra Bonci Associates, Nitsch Engineering, +2
Uber Advanced Technologies Group Center / Assembly Design Studio
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Architects: Assembly Design Studio
- Year: 2016
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Manufacturers: 3G Lighting, Allied Maker, Apparatus Studio, Bec Brittain, Blackened, +6
Frick Environmental Center / Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
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Architects: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
- Area: 15570 ft²
- Year: 2016
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Manufacturers: Ardex, Black Locust Lumber USA, Carlisle SynTec, J+J Flooring Group, Nucor Steel