Acting as an emblem of Pittsburgh’s transformation from steelmaking to cutting-edge technology development, the three-story, 95,617-sq-ft building was constructed within the shell of a former mill building. The ambitious transformation also required addressing multiple remnants of the site’s industrial past, including hazardous materials and undocumented tunnels and obstructions. 

The team kept work on schedule by resequencing and expediting exterior work, allowing tenant fit-out to begin as planned. Electronic communication tools kept the widely dispersed design team abreast of construction progress and issues, while multiple pull plan sessions with subcontractors helped establish flow, sequencing and durations for specific areas. Development and review of temporary occupancy plans with city regulators resulted in the building’s receiving a temporary occupancy certificate before completion of sitework and landscaping. A concerted effort to recycle and repurpose elements of the original mill kept all but a small fraction of existing material out of landfills. 

Taking advantage of the mill’s large roof area, photovoltaic panels provide a substantial amount of the renovated building’s energy needs. Completed on time and on budget, the project is a centerpiece of the 178-acre Hazelwood Green development, serving as a technology design, fabrication and testing hub for Carnegie Mellon University’s Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Institute.  

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