Building Design History
Owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, designed by acclaimed architect — Rafael Vinoly — and managed by SMG, the DLCC was built on an urban brownfield location. This included the location of the original Center, thereby reducing the cost of infrastructure improvements and providing existing public transit accessibility by light-rail, water and buses. Also, it was designed to conserve energy and natural resources.
Completed in 2003, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center may be the most beautiful convention center in the world but one fact stands out above all – it is the largest Gold LEED ® certified green convention center. Green for two reasons it is the way the Center was built and the way it is operates.
The environment was considered as the original Center was torn down. Over 95% of the demolition waste from the original Center was recycled by crushing it into useful fill material.
In purchasing materials for the new DLCC, the travel time of materials were considered when selecting a manufacturer – 50% of the new materials were produced within 500 miles of Pittsburgh thus reducing the carbon footprint. In addition, almost ten percent of the building materials are comprised of post-consumer recycled content.
The use of natural light and ventilation provides environmentally friendly surroundings for events. Natural light is in abundance at the DLCC where over 75% of the entire building is naturally lit. The primary hall space of 236,000 square feet is 100% naturally lit by skylights and glass walls. The exterior of the building uses reflective materials to allow for the building to capture existing city lights to reduce the amount of exterior lighting. The building is designed with a natural ventilation system which allows natural fresh air to cool the building. This feature is provided by the roof design and riverside louvers.
Water conservation is extremely important at the DLCC. An on-site water reclamation plant recycles waste water from sinks, drinking fountains and faucets for use in commodes. The DLCC’s landscaping is indigenous to southwestern Pennsylvania, which eliminates the need for irrigation relying completely on natural rainfall. An aquifer, located 50 feet beneath the Center, provides make-up water for the building’s cooling towers, which reduces the use of the City’s water supply. These features have proven a 66% reduction in purchased water.
The Gold LEED ® certification was awarded by US Green Building Council, the national standard for high-performance green buildings. The DLCC was awarded 39 points- 11 pts due to Indoor Environmental Quality, 7-Sustainable Sites, 5-Water Efficiency, 6- Energy & Atmosphere, 5-Materials & Resources, and 5-Innovation & Design.