Featured Project: National Wildlife Federation HQ Green Façade

David L. Lawrence Convention Center South Terrace
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
22,400 sf. Greenroof + 1,200 sf. Herb and Vegetable Planters & Monarch Waystation

Greenroofs.com Featured Project December 10, 2018

Greenroofs should perform and look great in all types of seasons, and I wanted to show off a gorgeous Platinum LEED project which does just that!

Pittsburgh residents are proud of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center South Terrace greenroof from winter, as shown in the photo in the above video, through spring, summer, and fall, too.

Image: DLCC Facebook

Image: heartlandgardening

Image: SEA

Visitors and wildlife to connect to three programmable outdoor spaces at the DLCC, rich in native plants to southwestern Pennsylvania’s beautiful natural environment.

These are the 60,000 sf North Terrace with its 40 planter boxes of 100% organic herbs and vegetables; the Riverfront Plaza, which is a 1,300 ft part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail; and the 22,400 sf South Terrace greenroof:

Image: DLCC Facebook

Excerpt from Project Profile:

Situated on about 8 acres in downtown Pittsburgh’s cultural district built on an urban brownfield location, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (or DLCC) offers 1.5 million square feet of meeting and exhibition space. With Rafael Viñoly Architects as architect of record, its iconic design takes inspiration from the historic suspension bridges that span the Allegheny River adjacent to the riverfront site.

When completed in 2003, the DLCC was designed to achieve LEED Gold – the largest LEED Certified building in the US at the time.

Image: DLCC Facebook

Designed by Pashek Associates (now Pashek+MTR) in 2011, the South Terrace has the publicly accessible Living Roof which contributed to the DLCC’s certification as LEED Platinum for Existing Buildings in the same year. Located on the cityside third floor, over 20,000 square feet features over 7,000 perennials, grasses, and sedums.

The roof was designed to retain up to 80% of the annual rainfall by incorporating both extensive and intensive Roof Garden sections from Carlisle SynTec Systems. Since installation, the roof has shown to remain up to 50 degrees cooler on hot summer days.

Image: Pashek+MTR

The extensive sections are vegetated using sedum mats while the intensive sections feature a “meadow” using 75 different native and adaptive perennials, separated by a walking path and a plaza for outdoor receptions. The Roof Garden with its water-jet cut blue paver plaza area reflects the nearby Allegheny River and speaks to the stormwater benefits of green roofs.

In 2012, the DLCC established a Monarch Butterfly Waystation on the 4th floor North Terrace rooftop garden, which also boasts 1,200 square feet of Terrace Vegetable and Herb Gardens in planters.

North Terrace Monarch Waystation. Images: DLCC Facebook

Lavender is just one of numerous herbs planted on the DLCC North Terrace.

Based on research from the US EPA, it is estimated that the South Terrace Green Roof removes almost 680 pounds of particulate matter from the air annually, which is approximately equivalent to the annual emissions of 255 passenger vehicles.

In 2017, the DLLC received Platinum re-certification under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, renewing the David L. Lawrence Convention Center’s deep green credentials.

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center South Terrace greenroof; Photo Courtesy Carlisle SynTec, By: TJ Willetts of Burns & Scalo

Year: 2011
Owner: The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA)
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Building Program: Commercial
Greenroof Type: Extensive & Intensive, Test/Research
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 22,400 sq.ft.
Greenroof Slope: 2%
Access: Public
Privacy: Public

Image: DLCC Facebook

Image: SEA

Credits:

ARCHITECT OF RECORD:
RAFAEL VIÑOLY ARCHITECTS
SINGLE SOURCE GREENROOF SYSTEM SUPPLIER:
CARLISLE SYNTEC SYSTEMS
GREENROOF PROJECT DESIGN/ARCHITECTS:
PASHEK ASSOCIATES (now Pashek+MTR)
ROOF SYSTEM INSTALLATION:
CUDDY ROOFING & EISLER LANDSCAPES
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER:
TURNER CONSTRUCTION/P. J. DICK/ATS
PHOTOGRAPHY:
TJ WILLETTS, BURNS & SCALO; SEA
OWNERS REPRESENTATIVE SERVICES:
OXFORD DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE & RESEARCH:
THE PENN STATE CENTER
RAINFALL AND SOIL MONITORING SYSTEM DESIGN & INSTALLATION (WITH INTERFACE TO IRRIGATION CONTROLS):
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS, INC.
IRRIGATION DESIGN:
EISLER LANDSCAPES

A beautiful wedding on a beautiful greenroof! Image: DLCC Facebook

All the Info:

View the David L. Lawrence Convention Center South Terrace project profile to see ALL of the Photos and Additional Information about this particular project in the Greenroofs.com Projects Database.

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center South Terrace greenroof; Photo Courtesy Carlisle SynTec, By: TJ Willetts of Burns & Scalo