Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten

The new masterplan for the Lower Hill area in the US city of Pittsburgh envisioned by the practices of BIG, West 8 and Atelier Ten proposes to renovate more than 12 hectares in the heart of the city. This macroproposal, which includes the construction of more than 1,200 homes, is focused on building a new city which can be accessible to all citizens while it inserts nature in the city center.

BIG, West 8 and Atelier 10 sign this urban transformation project, a multifunctional area that provides a higher level of complexity to the urban fabric in order to revitalize and connect it with the other neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. The action plan weave residential and service buildings with an organic layout of streets and triangular-shaped squares.

According to Bjarke Ingels, BIG founding partner.-

"The masterplan for the Lower Hill District is created by supplementing the existing street grid with a new network of parks and paths shaped to optimize the sloping hill side for human accessibility for all generations. The paths are turned and twisted to always find a gentle sloping path leading pedestrians and bicyclists comfortably up and down the hillside. The resulting urban fabric combines a green network of effortless circulation with a quirky character reminiscent of a historical downtown. Topography and accessibility merging to create a unique new part of Pittsburgh."

The hilly topography of the area has been integrated in the volume of the new buildings, which have been designed with terraced pitched roofs and unique shapes. This variability of situations allow each residential block to get its own natural lighting and to enjoy its own views towards the neighborhood. The creation of communal terraces also serves a social aspect, since it seeks to promote the relations between neighbours.

According to Jamie Maslyn, West 8 partner.-

"The site, with its slopes and views, is perfectly suited for bringing an experience of the native landscape to this urban condition. The design creates a new open space identity but more importantly gives neighbors and visitors the sensations of nature in the heart of the city."

Atelier Ten has been responsible for the assimilation of nature in the new development does not remain solely as a functional and formal aspect, but that the masterplanmaintains a responsible relationship with the environment, adapting to the site to the prevailing bioclimatic parameters today.

CREDITS. DATA SHEET.-

Architecture.- BIG, West 8, Atelier Ten.
BIG Architects.- Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Daniel Sundlin, Bjarke Ingels (partners in charge), Jelena Vucic (project leader), Simon David (project manager), Cheyenne Vandevoorde, Marcus Kujala, Nicolas Gustin, Ibrahim Salman, Terrence Chew, Peter Lee, Lasse Kristensen, Thomas Christoffersen (team).
Landscape Architecture.- West 8.
Landscape Architecture Collaboration.- LaQuatra Bonci Associates.
Sustainability.- Atelier Ten.
Urban Planning/Public Liason.- Mongalo-Winston Consulting.
Architecture Collaboration.- Graves Design Group.
Contractor.- Massaro.
Construction Feasibility.- Sota Construction Services.
Civil Engineering.- Michael Baker International.

Location.- Washington Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
Budget: 500.000.000+ $.
Surface.- 228.000 sqm.
Dates.- 2015.

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New urban image. Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten. Image courtesy of BIG.

Autumn in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten. Image courtesy of BIG.

Winter in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten. Image courtesy of BIG.

Design drawing. Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten. Image courtesy of BIG.

Design model. Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten. Image courtesy of BIG.

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BJARKE INGELS

Bjarke Ingels (born in Copenhagen, in 1974) studied architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and the School of Architecture of Barcelona, obtaining his degree as an architect in 1998. He is the founder of the BIG architecture studio - (Bjarke Ingels Group), a studio founded in 2005, after co-founding PLOT Architects in 2001 with his former partner Julien de Smedt, whom he met while working at the prestigious OMA studio in Rotterdam.

Bjarke has designed and completed award-winning buildings worldwide, and currently, his studio is based with venues in Copenhagen and New York. His projects include The Mountain, a residential complex in Copenhagen, and the innovative Danish Maritime Museum in Elsinore.

With the PLOT study, he won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2004, and with BIG he has received numerous awards such as the ULI Award for Excellence in 2009. Other prizes are the Culture Prize of the Crown Prince of Denmark in 2011; Along with his architectural practice, Bjarke has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University and Rice University and is an honorary professor at the Royal Academy of Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen.

In 2018, Bjarke received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog granted by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II. He is a frequent public speaker and continues to give lectures at places such as TED, WIRED, AMCHAM, 10 Downing Street or the World Economic Forum. In 2018, Bjarke was appointed Chief Architectural Advisor by WeWork to advise and develop the design vision and language of the company for buildings, campuses and neighborhoods around the world.

Adriaan Geuze. WEST 8

West 8 is an award-winning international office for urban design and landscape architecture founded in 1987. Over the last 31 years West 8 has established itself as a leading practice with an international team of 70 architects, urban designers, landscape architects and industrial engineers. West 8 developed projects all over the world in places such as Copenhagen, London, Moscow, New York, Madrid, Toronto and Amsterdam.

The office gained international recognition with projects such as Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam (NL), Borneo-Sporenburg in Amsterdam (NL), Jubilee Gardens in London (UK), Expo \'02 in Yverdon-les-Bains (CH) and Miami Beach SoundScape Park (US). Many of the projects are the result of groundbreaking entries in important international competitions. Recently won competitions include Toronto Waterfront in Toronto (CA), Governors Island in New York (USA) and Yongsan Park in Seoul (KR).

Amongst the numerous awards received by West 8 are the Honor Award of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Lifetime Achievement Award for Architecture 2011, Mondriaan Fund (formerly BKVB), the International Urban Landscape Gold Award (IULA), the Prix de Rome, the Dutch Maaskant Award, the Bijhouwer Award, the Rosa Barba First European Landscape Prize, the Green Pin and the Veronica Rudge Green Prize for Urban Design.

Adriaan Geuze is one of the founders of West 8 urban design & landscape architecture b.v., a leading urban design practice in Europe. Geuze attended the Agricultural University of Wageningen where he received a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture. After winning the prestigious Prix-de-Rome award in 1990, Geuze, with his office West 8 founded in 1987, established an enormous reputation on an international level with his unique approach to planning and design of the public environment. By founding the SLA Foundation (Surrealistic Landscape Architecture) in 1992, Geuze increased public awareness of his profession.

Published on: November 20, 2015

Cite: "Pittsburgh Lower Hill Master Plan by BIG, West 8 & Atelier Ten" METALOCUS. Accessed

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