Overview

Resting on a bustling urban intersection in Downtown Pittsburgh, the corner of Wood Street and the Boulevard of the Allies was dedicated by Point Park University to be a focal point for their urban campus. The Academic Village site was used as a parking lot but transformed into an urban plaza for the residents of the university student housing, the students at-large, and the City of Pittsburgh. The design creates a semi-enclosed gathering space with physical and visual separation between the busy streets and the plaza. This was accomplished through the use of trees, walls, and water. The inclusion of water in the design transforms this setting into an urban oasis. A glass stair tower addition to Frontier Hall ends dramatically in a thirty-foot waterfall, which provides a backdrop and sound screen for the park. The street edges are marked by a curving low wall that provides a sense of enclosure and promotes safety yet invites pedestrians into the space. Based on a sun and shade study, the northern portion of the plaza includes a bosque of trees that provides enclosure to an outdoor room filled with casual chaise seating for students and visitors.

Year: 2011

Status: Completed