Chatham Anderson Dining Hall by Rothschild Doyno Collaborative. Photo credit: Ed Massery/Massery Photography
By Jing Jing Wu
Design Pittsburgh 2023 was held at the New Hazlett Theater on the evening of October 12, 2023. A signature program of AIA Pittsburgh, Design Pittsburgh highlights outstanding architecture and design in the Pittsburgh region. Held annually, Design Pittsburgh features an architectural design exhibition, a juried Design Awards competition, and public voting opportunity for the coveted People’s Choice Award.
Leaders of AIA Pittsburgh began the event with a presentation that celebrated the value of sustainable design within architecture, as well as the architect’s responsibility to human safety and environmental wellbeing. The speakers not only acknowledged the architect’s responsibilities, but also the collective team efforts of contractors, designers, clients and engineers that bring architectural designs to fruition.
Many Pittsburgh-based design firms submitted their recent projects to the 2023 Design Pittsburgh Awards competition portion of the event. This year, AIA Pittsburgh collaborated with design professionals from AIA Buffalo, who served as the jury for the awards.
Local Pittsburgh firm mossArchitects claimed three awards under the leadership of former faculty member Andrew Moss. The judges praised the winning designs for their successful and subtle integration of modern design elements into historic parts of the urban fabric. The firm’s project Flemish51 on Butler earned a Certificate of Merit in the small projects category and included adjunct Katie LaForest on the project team; the project Godfrey Landing Residence received a Certificate of Merit in the medium projects category; and the project Penn Atlantic Building received an Honor Award in the medium projects category.
Nickie Cheung, AIA (B.Arch ‘18), alum, adjunct and distinguished member of NOMA, served on the project team for the Chatham Anderson Dining Hall entry by Rothschild Doyno Collaborative, which received a Certificate of Merit in the medium projects category.
Willkommen on Vine by GBBN. Photo credit: Ryan Kurtz Photography
Anne Chen, AIA, adjunct faculty, served on the project team for the Willkommen on Vine entry by GBBN, which received an Honor Award in the medium projects category.
Eighth & Penn by PWWG Architects. Photo credit: Ed Massery
Tonya Markiewicz, adjunct faculty, served on the project team for the Eighth & Penn entry by PWWG Architects, which received an Honor Award in the large projects category. PWWG also received a Certificate of Merit in the large projects category for the Fifth & Clyde Residence Hall and Neighborhood Commons on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University. The jury praised the design for its spatial complexity and use of transparency that connects the building to its surrounding context.
Special faculty member and principal at EvolveEA, Christine Mondor, served as a judge for the 2023 Young Architects Studio Competition Award (YASC), which was awarded to LGA Partners’ project Confluence Chronicles: Navigating Pittsburgh’s Rivers.
Other Carnegie Mellon Architecture faculty and alumni contributed entries for this year’s design competition, including Juliane O’Day (M.Arch ‘20), Gargi Lagvankar (B.Arch ‘19), Eric Fisher (former adjunct faculty), and Chip Desmone (B.Arch ’87) (alum and CEO of Desmone Architects).
The event concluded with a large reception at Nova Place, featuring various competition design entries exhibited throughout the main hall. By designing more sustainable, accessible and community- orientated spaces, design professionals will continue to create positive impacts on Pittsburgh and beyond.
Jing Jing Wu is a current fifth-year B.Arch student at Carnegie Mellon Architecture. Her work was showcased internationally at the 2023 London Design Biennale under the direction of Priyanka Bista, Joseph F. Thomas Visiting Professor.