Location: Brown to Green

The motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” applied to the planning and construction process of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as much as it does to its daily operations. The current Convention Center stands on the same site as the original. Reusing an already-developed location, often called a brownfield site, prevented additional loss of open space and reduced the need to build excess roads and utilities to accommodate the new facility.

All efforts were made to ensure that the construction phase was as low-impact as possible. Conventional construction practices generate about two pounds of solid waste per square foot, most of which is reusable or recyclable. To avoid construction waste, over 95% of the demolition waste from the original convention center was reused as fill for the new building, and 92% of all the construction and demolition waste was reused or recycled. This kept over 53,000 tons of waste out of landfills.

Additionally, building materials were strategically chosen to minimize environmental impacts. Nearly one tenth of the total building materials used, including steel, aluminum, drywall, and ceiling tiles, was made from post-consumer recycled content. Using recycled building materials saves both natural resources and energy. Processing recycled aluminum, for example, only costs 5% of what it takes to produce aluminum from raw materials.

Stainless steel was chosen as roofing material as a nod to Pittsburgh’s industrial history and because of its high recycled content, but it serves another green function as well. Traditional roof materials absorb solar energy and re-release it as heat, causing densely developed areas to be several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside—a phenomenon known as the “urban heat island effect.” Using a highly-reflective roof cover prevents this excess heat from accumulating. In fact, our roof radiates seven times less heat energy than would a parking lot of the same size, keeping downtown cooler and air conditioning costs lower.

Over half of the construction materials used was produced within five hundred miles of Pittsburgh, benefiting the local economy as well as reducing the environmental impact of transportation. Thanks to its downtown location, these benefits continue during the daily operation of the building. In 2010, the Convention Center welcomed almost 400,000 visitors. With easy access to public transportation and downtown Pittsburgh’s cultural attractions and amenities, the resulting $83.9 million in direct spending helped support and revitalize greater Pittsburgh’s urban core.