Project category: Project in progress (December 2008)

Firm: Astorino, (412) 765-1700

Design team: Louis D. Astorino, FAIA, Chairman; Dennis L. Astorino, AIA, President and CEO; Timothy L. Powers, AIA, Principal-in-Charge; Michael P. Linder, RA, Project Manager; Robert E. Beckjord, AIA, Project Designer

Total building area (sq. ft.): 1,400,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $338

Total construction cost (excluding land): $473,000,000


Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, rated the nation’s number seven pediatric hospital, approached Astorino for a solution to its overcrowded and outdated facility. The resulting 1.4 million-square-foot campus will accommodate the hospital now and into the future.

Key program elements include a 980,000-square-foot Clinical Services Building, a 252,000-square-foot Academic Medical Research Building, and a Centralized Utility Plant. Key design elements were developed through a unique research technique after extensive interviews with patients, staff, and family. The project boasts a “patient-only” Community Atrium to be integrated with a future 5,000-square-foot Healing Garden. The exterior fa¸ade incorporates vibrant colors and unique curved shapes to communicate that Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is a facility that is dynamic and alive.

The Clinical Services Building combines inpatient, ambulatory, diagnostic, and patient-testing services to allow departments to share equipment and operate more efficiently, while providing convenient access to the full range of patient destinations. This facility is designed as a model for family-centered care, providing patients and family members with the privacy and resources necessary to continue normal life activities. Features throughout the facility include lounges, kitchenettes, computer stations, and individual patient rooms centered on a common area where children and families can meet and socialize.

The project design embodies the hospital’s desire to provide a quality facility that will enhance the strong reputation of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The end product will provide the families of Western Pennsylvania with an environment designed to promote healing and deliver state-of-the-art medical care for generations to come.