The history of Pittsburgh is well known through its previous steel and manufacturing industry. Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie began steel production in the late 1870's and was quickly one of the richest men in the world. Along with Carnegie, other individuals such as food manufacturer H.J. Heinz and banker Andrew Mellon are still celebrated today through art, culture, exhibits, and even local football team: the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well known locations include: Heinz Lofts, Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Science Center, The Andy Warhol Museum, and many more!

Site boundary is in a relatively flat location. This could allow for minimal grading during construction processes as well as a wider range of accessibility options for individuals with limited mobility. However, this could also impose difficulties of flooding due to the proximity of the river.

This map shows the buildings currently in and around our site boundary and how their location and form can impact the area’s structural content due to capacity and overall usage.

This map provides information on Automotive Circulation patterns within the site. The existing railway spans across the entire site boundary and was used for the transportation of coal, timber, and other raw materials. Existing roads are viewed as close, thick lines representing areas with heavy traffic flow such as interstates, whereas wider lines represent highways or residential roads.

This map provides information on Pedestrian Circulation patterns within the site. Blue lines represent existing sidewalks and purple lines show existing trails. It can be determined that the site does not include enough sidewalks within the span of the whole site and that the only hiking trail can be found along the river. Both could be extended such as the sidewalks spanning the whole site and trail connecting to the surrounding area.

This map provides a hydrology analysis for the River Avenue District. According to this map and legend, much of our site boundary is located within a floodplain. This imposes issues for our site such as what building types can be constructed, significant property damage, roadway/building flooding, and environmental impacts.

This map represents the walking scores in the city of Pittsburgh, but most importantly within our site boundary. It can be determined that within our River Avenue District, there is an “Average” walkability score. This would suggest that the site would be considered a walkable neighborhood.

Human activity, such as the burning of greenhouse gases as well as fuel emissions from vehicles, release toxic chemicals and particles into the air resulting in poor quality. Not only this, but some developing countries cut down trees for fuel sources which releases CO2, and also prevents forests from purifying air. Trees help to clean these chemicals by absorbing their odors and pollutants such as: nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, and in return provide people with clean oxygen.

According to the World Health Organization, nine out of ten people breathe polluted air. Approximately seven million deaths every year are attributed to bad air quality, which increases the risk of strokes, lung cancer and heart disease. Co2Living is committed to planting trees and spreading awareness about the vital role forests play in the protection of our planet.

The River Avenue Open Space Plan is located across from the existing Veterans Bridge and River Avenue. It consists of a pedestrian corridor that spans from the Light of Life Building and all the way towards the east end of the site nearest the Herr's Island Bridge, a mini-forest designed to reduce heat, noise and air pollution, a meandering trail separating the forest from the rest of the open space for recreation, and an artistic piece located where the corridors meet meant to symbolize Pittsburgh's bridges, railroad, and the Allegheny River. Centralized planter beds will line the the corridors within the open space along with seating areas and street lights to illuminate the path.

The Tree Spacing Diagram is meant to display the heights and spreads of trees located within the proposed site plan. In turn, it will demonstrate how much space is needed between the trees in order for them to grow and thrive.

This Bird's Eye represents building form in regards to the proposed, vegetative environment. This orientation will allow the viewer to understand the relationship between the Open Space Plan, pedestrian corridors, and overall circulation within the site.