AIA Pittsburgh facade improvement program
By John J. Clark
Alaina Bernstein, Assoc. AIABernstein earned her Master of Design in Interior Studies and Adaptive Reuse from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is a Senior Architectural Designer at Michael Baker International. Bernstein is a reliable designer known for her consistent and productive work ethic. She is a native Pittsburgher who enjoys hiking, running, and spending time with family and friends.
Friendly, attractive, and human-scaled storefronts build neighborhood character and add to the compositions of convivial urban environments. They help to encourage pedestrian activity, driving economic development and vitality. Seeking to revitalize streetscapes and encourage neighborhood investment, Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Pittsburgh Foundation for Architecture founded the Facade Improvement Program in 2019. Alaina Bernstein, Assoc. AIA, has worked with three business owners through the program and took time to share more about her experience.
John Clark (JC): How did the Pittsburgh Foundation for Architecture discover the need for the Facade Improvement Program?Alaina Bernstein (AB): The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) is Pittsburgh’s economic development agency. One of their main goals is to expand neighborhood and Main Street revitalization efforts. During the summer of 2019, the URA reached out to the Pittsburgh Foundation for Architecture to discuss the need to revitalize business facades in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Together with Neighborhood Allies, a community development organization in Pittsburgh, the groups created the Facade Improvement Program.
JC: Why was participating in this program important to you?AB: I have always had a passion for adaptive reuse. While studying for my master’s degree at the Rhode Island School of Design, I got to focus my thesis on Pittsburgh’s Carrie Furnace. Through this experience, I was able to examine how to turn one of the last remaining blast furnaces in the city into a modern museum highlighting the deep history of Pittsburgh, steel, and its impact on the world.
More recently, I was able to participate in a charette at the Peter and Paul Church in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh. During this charette, I got to see firsthand the challenges with implementing adaptive-reuse projects in the city. I hate to see significant structures torn down only to be replaced by typical designs. Being involved with the Facade Improvement Program is a great opportunity for me to channel my passion for adaptive reuse into helping revitalize some of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods.
JC: Describe the design and charette process. What information and perspectives are gathered that inform the final design?AB: Neighborhood Allies and the Urban Redevelopment Authority bring prospective projects to the Facade Improvement Program team. Once a business is selected, the Pittsburgh Foundation for Architecture organizes the charette that includes businesses and neighborhood partners, as well as the URA. Alongside the volunteer designers and architects, the team sets off to develop drawings of the new facade. The designers and architects often visit the site before the charette and come prepared with trace paper, PowerPoints, Post-its, and sometimes even models!
Each member of the charette brings a specific element to the team. The business owners and neighborhood partners describe their wants and needs for the building. The volunteers work to combine their initial ideas with the business’s needs to come up with a final rendering of the facade. The URA helps to facilitate the grant process and answer any questions that may arise.
After the initial meeting, the volunteer architects and designers take on a variety of tasks ranging from finalizing renderings, contacting suppliers, to potentially serving as the project architect.
JC: What steps are needed to take the design through approvals, funding, and construction to a final product?AB: After the charette, the Foundation for Architecture lets the URA take the lead. The URA, along with their neighborhood partners, works to gain approval for the drawings, secure funding, and help with construction of the new facade.
JC: What have you learned about the community design process from working with individual business owners and communities?AB: I have really appreciated the power of the community in championing these projects. To date, the Facade Improvement Program has worked with three businesses in Homewood: a corner market, a doctor’s office, and a neighborhood staple restaurant and gathering place. A common theme among the owners was that while they had a vision for how they wanted their business to look, they were very open-minded and took advantage of the architects’ experience in eventually coming to a final design. The neighborhood’s needs were balanced with the feasibility of the designs. Bringing people together from government, business, and architecture provided an opportunity for complex problems to get resolved quickly with a multifunction team at the table during the charette.
JC: How can young architects apply this process to their own communities? Why do you feel it is important for architects to give back in similar ways?AB: There are a variety of ways young architects can apply this process to their own communities. First, and most simply, get involved with volunteer organizations that let architects donate their time to develop ideas for local communities. If that doesn’t exist in your city, work with your local redevelopment authority to get partnered with businesses in need. Be sure to listen to the needs of the business owner; they have the best sense for their neighborhood and what would help to improve the feel of their street and the success of their shop.
I feel it is important for architects to give back in similar ways because we so often work on new structures that replace existing buildings. I believe there is beauty in these aged buildings, and we can rebuild dilapidated structures with a little creativity instead of always constructing from scratch. By donating time to help neighborhoods in need, architects can become more connected with their communities and help to revitalize areas of their city.
Author Bio:
John J. Clark, AIA, NCARBClark is an architect with RMKM Architecture in Albuquerque, N.Mex. Clark is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and is the 2019-20 Communications Director for the AIA National’s Young Architects Forum.