District 15 Office Building
DLA+ was retained by RDC Design-Build Inc. to design an office building in the Strip District at the corner of Smallman and 15th Streets. The new four-story, 103,000 SF building offers unparalleled walkability to both downtown Pittsburgh and the Strip District’s business area.
Project Team
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- TOP PROJECTS
- Energy Innovation Center
- Strip District Master Plan
- The Bentley
- Giant Eagle Market District at Grandview Yards
- District 15 Office Building
- Second Avenue Commons
- Washington Area Business Incubator
- Duquesne University Union Broadcast Center
- La Prima Espresso AC Marriott
- Laurel Mountain Retreat: Entertainment Barn
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- TOP PROJECTS
- 9th and Penn Building
- PennWest Clarion University Tippin Gymnasium & Natatorium Renovation
- SouthSide Works Office Building
- Pennsylvania State University East Halls
- Monongalia County Ballpark
- Petersen Sports Complex Addition
- Berks Campus Beaver Community Center Study
- Penn State Bryce Jordan Center Basketball Suite Renovations
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Interesting Info
The antique brick and symmetrical building structure were designed to look like an old warehouse building.
- Owner/Developer
- RDC Design-Build, Inc.
- Services
- Architecture
- Planning
- Programming
- Completion Date
- February 2019
- Project Size
- 103,000 SF
- Project Cost
- $11.4 M
- Awards
- 2020 Best Speculative Office – NAIOP Pittsburgh
Project Challenges and Outcomes
Challenges
Originally, the building did not have a core tenant, so the design had to serve multiple tenants. Serving as the gateway to the Strip’s “Technology Row,” the building had to accommodate technology firms with ample space for R&D use. District 15 is located in a specialty planned district, so design standards and careful planning were required.
Outcomes
The outer shell of the building is designed to look like an old warehouse with large glass windows to break up the brick structure. Floors two through four have cantilevered angled bays which provide distinctive internal spaces and add an exterior feature on each façade. The fourth floor features an outdoor balcony space. The open floor plan and large windows were designed to attract a variety of tenants.
The building’s original amenity plan included a wellness center with changing rooms and showers, indoor bike storage and exterior bike spaces, EV charging areas, dedicated surface parking lot, and lounge/relaxation areas. However, the building’s program will change now that one tenant signed a lease to occupy the entire space.
This is the first of many changes to the Strip District’s skyline.
