A signature program of AIA Pittsburgh, Design Pittsburgh highlights outstanding regional architecture. In honor of its 125th Anniversary, AIA Pittsburgh celebrated in style with a Beaux Arts Ball at Carnegie Music Hall on Friday, November 8. Flats on Forward, a new affordable housing project at a prominent gateway to the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, was recognized with an honor award and the inaugural Excellence in Masonry award for its use of subtly variegated brick that responds to the surrounding scale and pre-war material palette, while creating a clean, contemporary expression.

Led by the not-for-profit developer ACTION-Housing, Flats on Forward includes 43 apartments for households with incomes of 60% AMI or below. The mixed-use building features flexible units that prioritize occupant well-being, a community center, storefront offices for ACTION-Housing’s Supportive Housing Management Services team, and a garage with bicycle and tenant storage. The awards jury commended “interior spaces that address the street-front by being publicly visually accessible,” engaging with and enhancing a vibrant neighborhood intersection. The project team sought broad community input during the design process, aligning with ongoing revitalization efforts and marking this gateway with green space, a porch, and community gathering areas. This new Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) facility is certified under Enterprise Green Communities with a modeled EUI of 40% below market rate baseline. Interiors are vinyl and PFAS free, with large operable windows creating bright, daylit units that can be naturally ventilated and cooled in temperate months.