17 Brilliant Ave. |
Architect Pittsburgh, PA 15215 |
(412) 784-8590 |
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These are plans for nine townhouses for a very limited steep slope site on the side of Mount Washington. To maximize the limited site the garages and access road have been tucked under the units. The front retaining wall is tied to the units through the deck structures using the weight of the buildings to retain the wall. Units access from a pedestrian street across the rear leaving the fronts open to an unencumbered view of the city.
This building was in terrible condition when we started, quite nearly a tear down. It had been vacant for many years. However, it only made sense to work with the existing structure because of zoning restrictions and the difficulties of demolition. There are two buildings, the front frame structure and a rear brick structure, which were joined by dilapidated center section. We demolished the center section and replaces it with a circulation core with stairs and elevator. The frame portion in front had to be restructured form the floors and walls on out. The finished product houses a Yoga Studio & Wellness Center on the second & third floor and a Health food restaurant on the first floor of the front building. The rear portion includes offices for businesses on the first & second floors. The old alley between this and the adjacent building was made into a brick court with seating for the restaurant and ramp access to the middle entrance.
This new office building is a cornerstone of the revitalized Morningside business district. It was important to recognize the two characters of the site. Morniside Ave. is residential and yet Greenwood is the communities commercial Avenue. The design respects the character of the residential properties on the Morningside elevation and then turns clearly more commercial on the Greenwood elevation.
The interior was structured as one open space with just four center steel columns. This allows for a wide variety of configurations as tenants change. Plumbing and mechanical systems were arranged to facilitate future flexibility. Heating and air conditioning equipment is set on the roof between the two gables so as not to be visible from the street.
This is an old house, which a previous owner had intended to convert an offices. The scale of the building presented a unique challenge, to get access to the second floor for a separate tenant without taking space away from the first floor. The solution was an intricate structure at the rear that provides an ADA ramp to the first floor, stairs to the second floor, with a bridge, & egress from the third floor.
The first floor is a vegan restaurant in a fairly tight space. We were able to get the kitchen in a small addition at the rear and provided a custom bar for more seating near the front door. The interior finishes were designed to give a warm and interesting feel.
The Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort on SR 22 near Blairsville consists of a Club House, two 18 hole golf courses, and an adjacent hotel. The original Club House was constructed by Mr. Bear. There had been a substantial addition and renovation previously. The hotel was recent addition to the property.
My. client saw the potential for changing the character of the facility form simply a public golf course to a resort. This would entail significant changes to the club house. Both the spacial organization as well as the atmosphere would require work.
When I arrived there was no clear organization of circulation between the golf facilities, the restaurant/ bar, and hotel. Access was directly through the Pro Shop. In addition to a reorganization of the circulation my job was to renovate and re-scale the Pro Shop, Locker Rooms, and Bath Facilities. All of this included changes and updating of the mechanical and electrical systems.