Breathe Easy Triboro EcoDistrict Air Quality Project
EvolveEA and New Sun Rising
RIDC Mill 19
Regional Industrial Development Corporation // R3A – CMU Robotics + Manufacturing Workforce Training Center – 2019 AIA PA Silver Medal Recipient + Catalyst Connection; Mill 19 Building I, Office Renovation)
Brownfield redevelopment meets sustainable commercial development in this revival and reuse of a former steel mill at the 178-acre Hazelwood Green site, the last large riverfront brownfield in Pittsburgh city limits. RIDC stripped the mill’s metal walls and roof to reveal the underlying steel superstructure, while maximizing energy efficiency and building material reuse. RIDC abated large quantities of legacy galbestos and lead, preventing further contamination of the surrounding environment. The roof holds one of the largest rooftop solar arrays in the United States, producing over two million kilowatt hours per year, enough to power the entire existing facility.
“Mill 19’s design pays tribute to Pittsburgh’s industrial past while serving as a beacon of where our economic future is leading. Mill 19 not only boasts a record-setting rooftop solar array and numerous energy- and water-saving features, but also houses companies that are leading the way in developing transformative technologies that are redefining our region,” said Dr. Donald F. Smith, president of Regional Industrial Development Corporation.
AgWorks Lab
Commonwealth Charter Academy // CRA Architects & Integrated Agriculture Systems (INTAG)
To teach urban sustainability techniques to K-12 students, this public cyber charter school installed a 6,100 square foot aquaponics/hydroponics AgWorks Lab that includes about 400 fish and 3,000 plants in a controlled growing environment. All produce grown organically by students is donated to local food banks around Harrisburg, where the lab is located. The academy installed 1,080 solar panels that generate a half megawatt of electricity, providing a third of the power for the facility and 100 percent of the power to run AgWorks. The lab is open to the public.
Lime Spring Square
RGS Associates and Land Studies // Mula Architects
Lime Spring Square features 25 retail, commercial, warehouse, and medical office uses surrounding 11.5 acres of restored floodplain. In a unique approach to postconstruction stormwater management, the project used floodplain restoration (instead of conventional infiltration or detention facilities) as the primary best management practice to meet regulatory requirements. Sediment was removed to reconnect the stream channel with the floodplain, large areas of interconnected wetland habitat were created, and the groundwater interchange was rehabilitated. While the primary goal was restoration, the secondary benefit is that stormwater management requirements for a development project can be met within a previously unused portion of a site. In addition to regional environmental and economic benefits, Lime Spring Square presents a model that can be reproduced throughout the state.