David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Photo © Brad Feinknopf

The sweeping roof of Rafael Vi'oly's David L. Lawrence Convention Center (below) echoes Pittsburgh's 'Three Sisters' bridges. When it opened in 2003, the LEED Gold, 1.5 million-square-foot facility was the world's largest green building. Earlier this year, the convention center earned a Platinum rating for its operations and maintenance practices as part of the LEED-EBOM program, making it the first convention center with certification for both new construction and existing buildings. In 2011, a waterfront plaza in front of the building (bottom) was completed, extending an existing shoreline trail for pedestrians and cyclists. The park, designed by LaQuatra Bonci Associates, also provides recreational boat access.

Photo © Michael Haritan

Joann Gonchar, FAIA, LEED AP, is deputy editor at Architectural Record. She joined RECORD in 2006, after working for eight years at its sister publication, Engineering News-Record. Before starting her career as a journalist, Joann worked for several architecture firms and spent three years in Kobe, Japan, with the firm Team Zoo, Atelier Iruka. She earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University. She is licensed to practice architecture in New York State.