Green Buildings

Once the hub of the Industrial Revolution, Pittsburgh has shed its image as a dirty steel town and emerged as a world leader in the green building movement. Pittsburgh has undergone one of the most dramatic environmental transformations in American history, and now has more green square footage than any other city, much of which has been built on former brownfield sites. Here are some highlights of Pittsburgh's green renaissance.

• David L. Lawrence Convention Center

  (DLCC Green Building Alliance Case Study)

  The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is a significant symbol of the "new" Pittsburgh Region. As Pittsburgh continues to revolutionize into a regional destination place, this landmark building has become the cornerstone of the transformation. On the cutting edge of design, this innovative structure connects the urban city to the waterfront overlooking the Allegheny River.

  While boasting breath-taking views of the North Shore and Downtown Pittsburgh from the concourses, balconies and terraces, which are located throughout the building, the Center has been certified with a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. As the first "green" convention center and world's largest "green" building, the Center capitalized on its environmentally smart structure by utilizing natural daylight and natural ventilation to light and heat the building, and incorporating a water reclamation system which reduces potable water use.

  Stretching across the convention center's swooping roofline are 688 feet of blue light-emitting diode (LED) tubes. Jenny Holzer created this kinetic display titled For Pittsburgh to present important books that tell compelling stories about Pittsburgh, including Thomas Bell's Out of This Furnace; John Edgar Wideman's Homewood Trilogy, Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday; and Annie Dillard's An American Childhood. The texts scroll 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For Pittsburgh is the artist's largest LED project in the United States.

• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

  (Children's Museum Green Building Alliance Case Study)

  The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is an architectural masterpiece. In 2006, the Children's Museum received the Silver LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the largest Silver LEED-certified museum in the country.

  The Museum also received the 2006 American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Architecture. Design Architect Koning Eizenberg Architecture of Santa Monica, California and Executive Architect Perkins Eastman of Pittsburgh received this honor for excellence in architecture—considered the highest recognition of works in the field—for the Museum's 2004 expansion.

• PNC Firstside Center

  (PNC Firstside Green Building Alliance Case Study)

  This five-story Silver LEED-certified building establishes PNC as a corporate leader in green building. An innovative hybrid system of air distribution improves energy efficiency, comfort and maintenance. The system includes a raised floor, that also makes the workspace flexible to reconfigure. The daylit interiors afford 90% of the occupants with an outdoor view. The urban infill site is adjacent to a bike trail and a light rail transit stop and has helped to revitalize the Downtown area.