Supporting Visionaries in Pittsburgh and Beyond
Richard King Mellon Foundation, New Headquarters
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Pittsburgh, PA | 18,000 SF
Curated shelves, layered rugs, and comfortable seating give the lounge an inviting, lived-in feel for casual meetings or focus work.
Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation has awarded over 8,000 grants and more than $3 billion in funding to support conservation, economic development, economic mobility, health and well-being, organizational effectiveness, and social impact investments.
The foundation's headquarters design happened in conjunction with their brand refresh. The entry corridor evokes the brand's signature color and dynamism.
Private offices wrap around the office's perimeter and use a continuous wall of interior glass to provide acoustic privacy while democratizing visibility, natural light, and views.
Their new headquarters inside the LEED Silver Auction House in Pittsburgh’s walkable Strip District neighborhood, was designed to welcome their diverse and growing cohorts of grantees and celebrate the impact of their work throughout Pittsburgh and the region. The new space also connects the foundation’s employees to the community with an accessible, flexible, and energy-efficient workplace that honors their legacy of philanthropy.
Arranging the convening space and the mechanical space directly opposite each other helped created boundaries for the atrium and the surrounding offices.
Two box-shaped forms within the space help organize the open floor plan and break down its scale by defining boundaries for the café, lounge, and workspaces. One is translucent, appearing to glow from within, and houses the foundation’s convening center. Its interior can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate different sized groups. It also features a custom mosaic representing the nearly 2,000 organizations the Richard King Mellon Foundation has supported throughout its 77-year history. This box is balanced by its sibling, which is painted in the foundation’s signature brand color and discreetly houses mechanical elements.
Environmental graphic design was incorporated from the project's earliest stages, including the design of this flexible, and adaptable approach to honoring the foundation's many grantees.
The Grantee Wall displays the foundation's 75-year legacy by honoring all 2,000 past and present grantees. Future grantees can be added to the wall for up to 15 years with minimal cost.
The insertion of the convening center serves many purposes: event space, celebrates grantees and the foundation's history, defines the boundaries of the atrium and establishes corridors.
LED lighting, eco-friendly insulation, FSC certified wood, and natural materials like stone and felt are used throughout. A 16 feet tree in the atrium is surrounded by a bench representing the four sides of the Richard King Mellon family. Custom wall cover illustrations of the Pittsburgh area also represent pillars of the foundation’s mission. Acoustic comfort is enhanced by the “slat clouds” in the ceiling. Private offices wrap around the office’s central, social hub and use a continuous wall of interior glass to provide acoustic privacy while maintaining visibility, natural light, and views.
Working with the Pittsburgh artisan collective, Monmade, the project includes many regionally sourced, responsibly made, and environmentally conscious products, including light fixtures, signage, planters, and wall treatments.
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Natural materials like FSC certified wood, stone, and glass were used throughout the space.
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Environmental graphic design goes beyond wayfinding with custom wallcoverings that put a modern twist on traditional toile. The design depicts urban elements and icons of Pittsburgh.
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Eco-friendly insulation, healthy materials, access to nutrition, and choices of working postures create a healthy environment.
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Daylight is supplemented by all LED lighting. Slat clouds in the ceiling enhance acoustic comfort.
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