When updating its 2019 Master Plan, University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) identified the goal of growing beyond its traditional campus boundary while shaping “a more connected, outward-looking, and engaged university.” The goal to become a catalytic anchor for development beyond its main Oakland campus, along with an emphasis on accelerating research commercialization, led Pitt in collaboration with a developer partner to explore the opportunities around renovating a vacant 1915 Ford assembly plant. The Ford plant is sited immediately adjacent to research collaborators at UPMC and the Hillman Cancer Institute and along Pitt’s planned innovation corridor. The property presented an intriguing opportunity to establish a knowledge community that could offer much-needed research space for Pitt and its corporate partners while freeing up valuable real estate on campus.

The ultimate project scope involved renovating the 231,200 SF Ford plant and inserting a 163,400 SF addition, transforming the derelict structure into an extroverted research environment that would move scientific breakthroughs from the laboratory to the marketplace. The adapted and expanded building, branded as The Assembly, houses versatile research facilities for Pitt, leasable space for industry partners, parking, generous amenities, and public-serving retail.

The project team fully embraced the opportunity to revitalize an underutilized historic structure to create a development that would strengthen the Shadyside and Bloomfield communities. The team held community meetings throughout the project, resulting in a design that more positively contributes to the neighborhood.

Once a bustling center of activity, the Ford Motor Plant was one of 31 across the country where Model Ts were mass assembled, sold out of a showroom, and subsequently serviced all in one building. Meanwhile, the surrounding Bloomfield neighborhood continued to evolve as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the Hillman Cancer Center moved in. These unique conditions attracted the attention of Wexford Science & Technology, a developer exclusively focused on partnering with universities and academic medical centers to create mixed-use, amenity-rich knowledge communities.

An innovative approach to financing made an otherwise prohibitive project viable. The participation of a developer allowed the team to unlock $20,000,000 in historic tax credits, which were off limits to Pitt. Once financing was secure, a collaborative team approach led to creative solutions to schedule, labor, and cost challenges. Early in planning, a market analysis identified that construction would coincide with several large projects in the area. Anticipating labor shortages, the team optimized opportunities for prefabrication. The project was also aggressively fast tracked with the GMP established at 50% Construction Documents. A lack of documentation for the Ford Building’s existing conditions meant the team had to conduct early selective demolition and a GPR scan to better understand its unique structure, which combines concrete floor plates and steel columns. The building’s floor-to-floor height was tight when it came to accommodating laboratory equipment. As a solution, spatially efficient chilled beams were used and MEP subcontractors were brought on early to assist in coordination.