Our construction takes place at the Pittsburgh Allegheny riverbank, just east of the Highland Park Bridge, where there are several storm and sewer outflows. The project aims to take advantage of these outflows to build a halfway house and community center with the facilities’ greywater needs completely met through filtered storm-outflow water.
We achieved this feat by redirecting the primary outflow uphill through constructed filtration and down bioswale again. Because the majority of the filtration process then takes place above ground, the community center interacts with and is shaped around the intersecting bioswale, creating unique conditions at the ground level. Excess filtered water is then let out into the river.
The halfway house accommodates 72 people and is equipped with the necessary facilities to foster proper rehabilitation. Bisected by the reused rail bridge is the community center, armed with classrooms, performance spaces, public bathrooms, and a small boathouse as an homage to the history of water activities at this site.
