Pittsburgh Green Buildings

Once known as the "Steel City" for its role as a national leader in steel manufacturing, the Pittsburgh of today has transformed itself into an "Emerald City," as a world leader for tomorrow's green future.

Taking the lead in this effort is Pittsburgh's Green Building Alliance (GBA), a nonprofit organization that has spearheaded initiatives to position this region as a champion of the national market shift towards green building. The region lays claim to many buildings that are the first of their type to be certified "green," including: historic building, warehouse, university residence hall, banking facility and convention center. In total, Western Pennsylvania has more than 50 green projects underway and, until June 2005, Pittsburgh had more square feet of certified green building space than any other city in the United States. Over the past two years, Pittsburgh has been cited for its green building leadership in The Economist, Fortune, USA Today and New York Times.

Early on, the Green Building Alliance recognized a powerful opportunity to drive the regional market by greening the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center, a cornerstone of the region's downtown renaissance. Beginning in 1998, GBA assisted the Southwestern Pennsylvania Convention Center Design Commission in planning an international design competition, the first design competition for a civic building in Pittsburgh since H. H. Richardson's landmark 19th-century Allegheny County Courthouse. The competition used sustainability along with functionality and aesthetics, as judging criteria. Raphael Viñoly's design was the unanimous winner of the competition and has been widely acclaimed for its seamless integration of green features with the many other requirements for excellence.

Through its current programs, Green Building Alliance offers a range of services to help the region benefit from green building, including public policy assistance, facilitation of performance data collection, client-focused advice and tools, a Green Building Fund, a web-based clearinghouse, a variety of education events and several publications.

Pittsburgh is also home to IBACOS (www.ibacos.com) - Integrated Building and Construction Solutions. The company is working with the U.S. Department of Energy by researching new ways to build energy-efficient homes. In fact, the national "Building America" program and its "Builder's Challenge program," which helps homebuilders erect energy-efficient homes, was founded in Pittsburgh at IBACOS. Currently, the company is pursuing solutions to achieve 70 percent whole-house energy conservation by the year 2020, which combined with renewable energy production, is expected to result in net zero energy use in homes.

LEED Certified Buildings in Pittsburgh

• CCI Center
• Carnegie Mellon University:
  

  • 300 South Craig Street
  • 407 South Craig Street
  • Carnegie Mellon Café
  • Collaborative Innovation Center
  • Henderson House
  • Posner Center
  • Stever House Residence Hall (formerly New House)

• Carriage House Children's Center/Wightman School Community Building
• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Expansion Project
• Coro Center for Civic Leadership
• David L. Lawrence Convention Center
• Eastside II, Building B
• Eastside II, Building C
• Giant Eagle Shadyside Store
• KSBA Architects Office
• MAYASpace
• MEDRAD Global Center
• PACEC Rosslyn Commons Expansion Project
• PNC Bank Branch-Mount Nebo Point
• PNC Firstside Center
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Welcome Center
• Pittsburgh Glass Center
• Pittsburgh Project Guest House
• Point Park University Dance Complex
• REI Pittsburgh Store at SouthSide Works
• Senator John Heinz History Center, Smithsonian Wing
• Shady Side Academy Rowe Hall Renovation
• The Encore on 7th
• University of Pittsburgh McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC):
  

  • Administration Offices
  • Executive Offices

• WYEP Radio Center at Bedford Square

LEED Certified Buildings of Greater Pittsburgh

• Community Opportunities Administrative Service Center
• DEP California District Mining Office
• Drug Enforcement Agency Pittsburgh District Office
• Edgewood Group Home
• Felician Sisters Convent and Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
• Homestead Apartments, Building A, Phase II
• Homestead Apartments, Building A, Phase III
• Juniata College Shuster Hall
• McGinnis Education Center
• MEDRAD Manufacturing Facility
• PNC Bank Branches:
  

  • Adams Township, Mars
  • Greengate Centre, Greensburg
  • Oakmont
  • Pittsburgh Mills, Tarentum

• Regional Learning Alliance
• U.S. Steel Research and Technology Center

Source: U.S. Green Building Council, March 2009