Pittsburgh Architectural Firm Astorino Named to List of Top 100 "Green" Design Companies

The Pittsburgh-based architectural firm Astorino is the only design/engineering company in the region named to Engineering News-Record magazine's recently published annual list of the Top 100 "Green" design and engineering companies.

Astorino’s achievements in Pittsburgh include the new Children’s Hospital, PNC Firstside Center, Heinz History Center and others.

The ENR Top 100 Green Design Firms, which includes Astorino at No. 70, generated $2.85 billion in revenue in 2008 from projects registered with such green design programs as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an increase of 63.9% over $1.74 billion in 2007.

Details of Astorino's local projects:

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Project Type: New Construction/Renovation
Project Cost: $625 million

The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, one of the top pediatrics institutions in the country, approached Astorino for a solution to its overcrowded campus.

Key design elements of the resulting 1.4 million s.f. campus include a main “Transformation Corridor,” a 980,000 s.f. Clinical Services Building, a 300,000 s.f. Academic Medical Research Building, a 4,000 s.f. “Healing Garden,” a 6,500 s.f. Data Center, a 1,400-space parking garage, an expanded central plant and an exterior facade that incorporates vibrant colors and unique curved shapes to communicate that Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is a facility that is dynamic and alive.


Heinz History Center
Project Type: New Construction
Project Cost: $11 million

Astorino provided architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and interior design services for the expansion of the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center in Pittsburgh. The addition expands the center farther west toward the downtown area and complements the center’s century-old brick, steel and timber construction. The new 5-story space houses the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit Gallery, Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, an education center with a flexible auditorium (seating 600-700), and study collections and storage space.

The addition was designed with a goal of LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and will include such sustainable features as: Exceeding ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for energy efficiency, recycled as well as local/regional building materials, temperature and humidity control and monitoring, bike racks and shower facilities for employees, easy access to public transportation and increased view corridors to riverfront trail system.

PNC Firstside Center
Project Type: New Construction
Project Cost: $108 Million

PNC Financial Services Group consolidated critical bank activities for the Midwest region in a new facility, located in downtown Pittsburgh. From the outset, sustainable or 'green' architecture was an integral part of the design. The resulting design of PNC Firstside Center is a five-story, 647,000 sf facility that has been praised for its "elegant environmentalism."

Since employee satisfaction is directly tied to productivity and retention, Astorino's design paid special attention to the working environment. Light wells bring natural light into the depths of the interior exposing 90% of floor area to natural light and outside views. Other amenities provided in the facility include onsite child-care, riverfront bike trail, locker and shower facilities, and employee cafeteria with an outdoor terrace.

This mission critical facility has already garnered a number of environmental and design awards around the country. PNC Firstside Center was the first building ever certified as Silver under the USGBC's rating system (LEED 2.0).

Read Astorino's Blog at http://discoverdesignbuild.com/