PITTSBURGH’S IKM ARCHITECTURE WON THIS YEAR’S DESIGN PITTSBURGH PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR THEIR DESIGN OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY MEDICINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. | PHOTO BY ADAM WARNER/IKM ARCHITECTURE

Pittsburgh area architects were in the spotlight Oct. 12 as the winners of the 40th annual Design Pittsburgh juried awards and the People’s Choice Award were announced during a ceremony at the New Hazlett Theater on the North Side.

The Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, in partnership with The Young Preservationists Association, hosted the event, which also featured a design exhibition, the YPA’s Top Ten Preservation Opportunities presentation and the 13th annual Young Architects Studio Competition.

Michelle Fanzo, executive director of AIA Pittsburgh, says, “Design Pittsburgh is an opportunity for those who design, engineer and construct our buildings and interiors to come together and celebrate great design by local architects. Great design means the buildings we construct or adapt today will be beneficial not just now, but also for future generations. So we emphasize in our awards program how the design concept and execution can improve the experience of those who use a space, or how it can be a catalyst for strengthening communities.”

Buffalo-area architects Courtney Creenan-Chorley, Kisha Patterson, Christopher Romano and Philip Snyder served as this year’s judges. More than 60 buildings were judged based on their diversity, sustainability, functionality and design.

And the Winners Are…

The following designs and firms were presented with Certificates of Merit for designs in large, medium and small categories.

PWWG ARCHITECTS WAS HONORED AS A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT AWARD WINNER IN THE LARGE ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY AT DESIGN PITTSBURGH’S 2023 JURIED AWARDS ON OCT. 12 FOR THIS LUXURY APARTMENT COMPLEX DESIGN AT EIGHTH STREET AND PENN AVENUE. | PHOTO BY ED MASSERY

Large
Eighth & Penn, Downtown – PWWG Architects

Jury comments: This innovative project successfully integrates existing structures on the historical registry with a series of careful additions that manage the overall scale of the intervention.

PWWG ARCHITECTS WAS HONORED WITH A DESIGN PITTSBURGH CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN THE LARGE ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY FOR THEIR DESIGN OF FIFTH & CLYDE RESIDENCE HALL AND NEIGHBORHOOD COMMONS IN OAKLAND. | PHOTO BY ED MASSERY

Fifth & Clyde Residence Hall and Neighborhood Commons, Oakland – PWWG Architects

Jury comments: The three-dimensional massing strategy results in an elegant level of complexity to both the exterior as well as the interior. The spatial carving strategy generates clear results in how the building meets the ground, how it responds to the street, and how it becomes part of the fabric of the city. 

“Whether we are working on an urban campus, like at Fifth and Clyde project, or engaged in an urban infill and adaptive reuse project like Eighth and Penn, we are deeply honored to have our work recognized for its positive impact on the daily lives of so many. We believe in Pittsburgh and are humbled to contribute to the creation of its urban fabric,” Lisa Carver of PWWG Architects said in a statement.

CANNONDESIGN WAS AWARDED A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT BY DESIGN PITTSBURGH FOR ITS DESIGN OF THE PENN STATE HEALTH HAMPDEN MEDICAL CENTER IN ENOLA. | PHOTO BY LAURA PETERS

Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, Enola – CannonDesign

Jury comments: The formal use of the meandering curve is a multi-scalar strategy that relates the building to the land of Appalachia, the exterior to the interior, the circulation space to the functional space and the space to the furnishings.

GBBN EARNED A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FROM DESIGN PITTSBURGH IN THIS YEAR’S MEDIUM ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY FOR THIS DESIGN OF WILLKOMMEN ON VINE IN CINCINNATI, OHIO. | PHOTO BY RYAN KURTZ PHOTOGRAPHY

Medium
Willkommen on Vine, Cincinnati, Ohio – GBBN

Jury comments: There is a timeless quality to the facade that utilizes new technologies and brick coursing research to

create an elegant interpretation of a classic design element: the bay window.

THE DESIGN OF THE PENN ATLANTIC BUILDING IN GARFIELD LANDED MOSSARCHITECTS A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN THE MEDIUM ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S DESIGN PITTSBURGH AWARDS. | PHOTO BY ED MASSERY

Penn Atlantic Building, Garfield – mossArchitects

Jury comments: This urban infill of a twin-parcel property successfully engages with the corner, as well as the scale of the

neighboring building. The reconstruction of the podium building as part of the massing strategy is a successful nod to the past history of this land.

MOSSARCHITECTS ALSO WON A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR THIS DESIGN OF THE GODFREY LANDING RESIDENCE IN ARMSTRONG COUNTY. | PHOTO BY ED MASSERY

Godfrey Landing Residence, Gilpin Township, Armstrong County – mossArchitects

Jury comments: The organizational parti of Godfrey Landing successfully responds to the unique conditions of a residence adjacent to a waterway and within a floodplain. This parti operates in both plan, through the separation of the public from private spaces, and in section, by lifting the primary living spaces above the floodplain.

THE DESIGN OF CHATHAM ANDERSON DINING HALL IN SQUIRREL HILL EARNED THE ROTHSCHILD DOYNO COLLABORATIVE A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN DESIGN PITTSBURGH’S MEDIUM ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY. | PHOTO BY ED MASSERY

Chatham Anderson Dining Hall, Squirrel Hill – Rothschild Doyno Collaborative

Jury comments: Chatham Dining Hall is effectively transformed by the introduction of a faux skylight. The impact of this one element is astounding and its contrast with the wooden ceiling and raw steel columns generates an elegant composition. 

NEXTARCHITECTURE WAS AWARDED A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN THE SMALL ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S DESIGN PITTSBURGH AWARDS FOR THE RITUAL HOUSE DOWNTOWN. | PHOTO BY MIKE LEONARDI

Small
Ritual House, Downtown – NEXT architecture

Jury comments: The maximalist, fantastical approach to the design of Ritual House intrigued the jury. The strong concepts carried through the spatial zones create multiple levels of experience for patrons that do not disappoint.

DLA+ ARCHITECTURE EARNED A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN THE SMALL ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S DESIGN PITTSBURGH AWARDS FOR ITS DESIGN OF LAPRIMA ESPRESSO CO. DOWNTOWN. | PHOTO BY ALEXANDER DENMARSH

La Prima Espresso, Downtown – DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design

Jury comments: A simple, but clever wooden intervention that creates a lot of impact with limited scope. The design improves visibility for the cafe by embracing a pesky existing condition rather than simply masking it.

MOSSARCHITECTS ALSO TOOK HOME A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR THE DESIGN OF FLEMISH 51 IN LAWRENCEVILLE IN DESIGN PITTSBURGH’S SMALL ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY. | PHOTO BY ED MASSERY

Flemish 51 on Butler – mossArchitects

Jury comments: Flemish 51 successfully integrates modern design elements into a historic streetscape. The design approach develops a relationship between the old and new, using a steel structure to imply a third story that is home to a rooftop patio. 

LGA PARTNERS EARNED THE SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD FROM DESIGN PITTSBURGH THIS YEAR FOR THEIR DESIGN OF CLAIRTON INN APARTMENTS IN CLAIRTON. | PHOTO BY ALEXANDER DENMARSH

Social Impact Award
Clairton Inn Apartments, Clairton – LGA Partners

Jury comments: The approach is sensitive and carefully integrates the existing structure with new construction to create a desirable streetscape.

“They commended the project for actually impacting the community. For me, that is truly what this profession is all about. Every project we work on in the office matters for all sorts of reasons. This project was just an example of what we are capable of,” Alyssa Williams, project coordinator at LGA Partners said in a statement.

People’s Choice Awards

Public voting was also held in the weeks leading up to a week of celebrating all things architecture in the ’Burgh to choose this year’s People’s Choice Award winners.

“This award aims to engage and inspire Pittsburgh residents by showcasing architecture, interiors, and other architecture-related projects created by AIA members in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” the release reads.

First Place in the People’s Choice Award category went to IKM Architecture and its design for the West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital.

VERGIL ARCHITECTS LLC EARNED SECOND PLACE IN THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S DESIGN PITTSBURGH AWARDS FOR THEIR DESIGN OF GEORGIE’S CORNER BAKERY & CAFE IN SHADYSIDE. | PHOTO BY ALLISON SANDERS/VICTORIA MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Second place went to Vergil Architects LLC for its design of Georgie’s Corner Cafe in Shadyside.

CANNONDESIGN EARNED THIRD PLACE IN THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S DESIGN PITTSBURGH AWARDS FOR THEIR DESIGN OF ERMAN CREST ELEMENTARY IN CRANBERRY. | PHOTO BY LAURA PETERS

CannonDesign claimed third place with the design of Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School in Cranberry.

Young Architects Studio Competition

The goal of this competition is to engage students, young architects, as well as emerging design professionals by challenging them to find innovative ways to approach a regional design challenge. This year’s challenge was to reimagine the riverscapes of Pittsburgh and create a series of four innovative sites for river travel and connectivity.

In preparation for the 125th Anniversary of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, contributors were asked to consider the past, present, and future of these sites along the river.

This year’s winning entry was titled, “Confluence Chronicles: Navigating Pittsburgh’s Rivers,” by LGA Partners.

Visit the website for more information on Design Pittsburgh.