Cafe 524

>>Cafe 524 is an adaptive re-use cafe and office development project in the declining Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. Sited at one of the few entrances to this isolated burough and based in sociologist Ray Oldenburg's call for the restoration of informal public life in regions of decline, the project will provide much needed "third-space" for the community, galvanize activity by the Homewood Children's Village, catalyze public and private development of the Homewood business district and connect the neighborhood to the city through transit-oriented development.<<

Project Type: Architecture

Project Mission/Goal: (Choose one or more of the following)
Improve the human spirit, increase awareness of the environment, address the lack of informal, non-alcoholic social spaces in Homewood, and galvanize reinvestment in Homewood.

Project Description:

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg described the concept of the "third space" in his book, The Great Good Place. He describes the shuffle between the "first place" of the home, the "second place" of employment and noted that a lack of "third space" for informal social activity degrades the quality and vitality of urban life. The Homewood neighborhood was studied in the fall of 2009 by undergraduate architecture students of the Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) and Masters of Urban Design students at Carnegie Mellon University engaged in the Urban Laboratory studio (UL). The students conducted a series of community meetings in a participatory design process to gain feedback regarding issues and objectives of the residents. The site was identified by the UL, by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and by an ongoing Transit-Oriented-Development (TOD) study as a key entrance to the borough, the high-vacancy Homewood business district and a main connection with more affluent neighborhoods.

Locating this project at 524 N. Homewood Ave is transforming a currently vacant building into tangible evidence of investment. Its visibility is important to perceptions of overall neighborhood health. A study conducted under the TOD indicated that a light food service would be a successful first enterprise in the community, building off of the established bus expressway stop in Homewood. Currently there is no place to get lunch or coffee in the neighborhood and most of the existing third spaces are centered around alcohol. Through partnerships with the Homewood Children’s Village (HCV), Operation Better Block (OBB), and Community Stewards Committed to Revitalizing the Inner City (CSCRI) the first floor Café will serve as both a social place and as a demonstration project for viable economic development and will generate revenue for the nonprofit offices of the CSCRI on the second level. These nonprofits are committed to developing entrepreneurship in the neighborhood and furthering business education.

A specific goal the community voiced during the community and steering committee meetings was that the building have net-zero energy consumption to make the new business venture more sustainable by lowering operating costs. The existing building has been modified to be passively optimized, reopening bricked-up apertures along the North, South, East and West facades. Positive solar access was gained by using the Southern openings to create an arcade along cobblestone Annan Way. The sheltered outdoor space will activate the street and engage the existing high volume of pedestrian traffic. Prevailing winds and the new, double glazed South wall enclosure are maximized for passive ventilation in the summer to decrease the load on the new ductless cooling system. Winter heating will be provided by a radiant heating floor panel system, augmented by 4 new geothermal wells. A 7.5 kW photovoltaic array will provide the building with approximately 8.240 kWh of power annually to the 7,268GSF building. Sustainable energy systems account for approximately 30% of the building’s overall hard and soft costs.

Links:

Homewood's Cafe 524 blends community with sustainability and coffee, POP City Media
http://www.popcitymedia.com/innovationnews/cafe524061610.aspx

CMU to create business incubator, community cafe in Homewood, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10159/1063921-53.stm#ixzz1156uxvjP

Carnegie Mellon Students and Faculty Partner With Several Community Organizations To Build Café 524 in Homewood, Pittsburgh Urban Media
http://www.pittsburghurbanmedia.com/Carnegie-Mellon-Students-and-Faculty...

Project Details:

Project Location: 524 N. Homewood Ave, Pittsburgh PA
Date(s): August 2009 - Ongoing
Project Phase: Phase 1: Prefabrication, Construction Documents
Client: Homewood Children's Village (HCV), Operation Better Block (OBB)
User Client: the National Black Masters of Business Administration Association (NBMBAA), Community Stewards Committed to Revitalizing the Inner City (CSCRI)
Description and Number of Beneficiaries/Users: the Pittsburgh Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, and the Ecological Center
Major Funding: the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Urban Redevelopment Authority
Concept/Lead Architect(s)/Designer(s): John Folan and the Urban Design Build Studio: Fil Agren, Liz Duray, Doug Farrell, Ellen Garrett, Ingrid Kong, Alise Kuwahara, Josh Marshman, Julia Martini, Kaitlin Miciunas, Justin Rosenberry, and Jerry Wang
Structural Engineers: Steve Konefal, Konefal Engineering
Electrical/Mechanical Engineers: Jonathan Iams, Iams Consulting
Contractor/Manufacturer: PJ Dick Incorporated
Total Cost/Cost per Unit: $157/sf
Area (if applicable): 7,268sf
Photo/Image Credit(s)
File Specifications: John Folan, Urban Design Build Studio 2010

Nominated by Liz Duray

Location