Living downtown: a multiuse complex for the Pittsburgh central business district

Abstract

The central business district (C.B.D.) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, "the Golden Triangle", has been for nearly sixty years with very little provision for housing. The area is topographically compact, approximately one half square mile, bounded by rivers on two of the sides and a bluff on the third side. It is the hub of the public transportation system, the convergence of the area watershed and the perceived focal point oft the region. In recent years the cultural center has also spread to the C.B.D., and there have been major rehabilitation, building and capital improvement projects. These conditions make for an environment enticing for both living and conducting business.

Living Downtown: a Multiuse Complex for the Pittsburgh C.B.D. is a project that combines housing, offices, shops, parking, services and public and private open spaces. This is accomplished by considering factors such as zoning guidelines, demands for density, site conditions, egress, daylighting and sightlines. The design is inspired by Pittsburgh's vernacular hillside dwellings and the dynamics of the natural and built fabric of the site.

Where a lone man may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken. - Eccelsiates 4:12