Perkins Eastman’s new LEED Gold-certified Pittsburgh studio reimagines traditional working standards, focusing more on flexibility and freedom of choice. The studio is located on the 25th floor of 525 William Penn Place, a mid-century tower in downtown Pittsburgh designed by Harrison & Abramovitz. The new design takes advantage of the building’s best asset, daylight and views. It aligns the layout with the perimeter windows to foster transparency and openness.
The space is efficient, achieving a 34-percent decrease in embodied carbon compared to similar work environments. This reduction is caused by a minimalist design approach, constructing walls only where necessary, eliminating unnecessary details such as bulkheads and drywall, and acquiring materials from local vendors and manufacturers to reduce transportation emissions. The materials the design team chose were reviewed for the health of their contents and the transparency of their manufacturing process.
In addition to decreasing environmental impact, the design prioritizes the wellbeing of its occupants. The quality of the environment indoors was a key focus, including lighting, thermal comfort, air quality, and acoustics. One defining feature of the space is the ample natural light, which is maximized by locating shared areas around the perimeter, ensuring that daylight will reach deep into the studio. Because of this, artificial light is needed only on heavily overcast days.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when Perkins Eastman employees were fully remote, designs for the space changed. Predicting that post-pandemic, some employees would continue to work remotely some of the time, our design team reduced the number of traditional desks by over half. Instead, various seating options such as counter seating, high-top tables, couches, booths, and the kitchen table, combine with amenities like lockers, outlets, and adjustable lighting to promote an individualized approach to purpose driven work.
Putting process on display energizes the workplace and fosters transparency. The Maker Box is a studio within a studio, situated near the main entrance. Model-making materials, a 3-D printer, and virtual reality station take center stage here as the primary work tools. The materials from the workshop allow plenty of space for creative work with large countertops, floor to ceiling shelves, and commercial bakery racks that are used as material trays.
“Being together in the space creates opportunities for unanticipated collaboration and mentorship that push forward the work and the services we provide.” – Lee Pellegrino, AIA, WELL AP
