Strada means “street” in Italian. Streets matter to us. They’re the fundamental infrastructure of our cities and the core of our civic lives. They’re the connections between buildings, people, and public spaces. This is why we’re so inspired by them and it’s a shared commitment to these values that brought our principals together. Just as people mingle on city streets, our office is a place where we freely exchange ideas, challenging and inspiring one another to create exceptional work.
The cupola of the building is a lantern along Butler Street in the evenings
Parking for residents is concealed below street level
Custom outdoor light fixtures add personality to the entries
Storefronts on Butler Street are occupied by a theater space, a gallery, and art studios
Keeping the arts in the mix
Services
Architecture
Sustainable Design
Details
CLIENT
Artists in Cities
LOCATION
Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SIZE
47,000 SF
SCOPE
Architectural design, sustainable design
About the project
This complex, urban mixed-use project uses a sloping site to combines a lower level garage, ground floor retail and 15 loft-style apartments in one building that is consistent with the 19th century character of the Butler Street – the central spine of the revitalized neighborhood of Lawrenceville. The small lot size (0.25 acre) required 100% coverage, numerous zoning variances, and a creative approach which uses the site’s slope to incorporate the 28-car parking garage. Custom metal panels with bird silhouettes animate the cupola of the building, a western anchor in the lively Lawrenceville neighborhood.
Recognition
LEED Core & Shell Certified
“Designed by Strada’s legendary neighborhood-context maestro John Martine, Blackbird took 11,000 square feet of vacant space and transformed it into a middle-income mixed-use building.”