Eco Designers Guild of Pittsburgh has started a new project!

1. THE PROJECT
About the Green + Screen Project
Penn Ave Arts Initiative (PAAI) has grant applications out for Green + Screen Project along Penn Avenue (Mathilda St
to Negley Ave). PAAI has spent about $58m on the avenue helping residents and building owners fix up the facades
and structures of the buildings along Penn Avenue. Even though Penn Avenue is an arts district and there are several
galleries and shops, there are 25 empty lots and blighted buildings. The Green + Screen project is centered on
creating architectural screens and landscaping that can fill in the gaps on the avenue and make a more cohesive arts
avenue. The first of theses Green + Screens will be at the 4903 lot of Penn Avenue.
Pilot Project Location
4903 Penn Avenue is a barren lot owned by PAAI.
Criteria for a Green+Screen Project
- Cost effective screens and landscaping
- Temporary, movable, and modular to adapt to new spaces
- Be contribution to the Avenue
- Inexpensive but elegant
- Secure to prevent litter, loitering, 4903 Penn Ave and crime
Elevation view of 4903 Penn Avenue

2. KEY PLAYERS About Summit Academy
Summit Academy is an award-winning school for delinquent youth. They have a day and
night school in Allegheny County and a residential school in Butler County. Many students
have court ordered community service hours as well as service required for school.
The Eco Designers Guild (eDG), Summit
Through the community work they help the students build an identity for positive work
Academy, and Penn Avenue Arts
and instill pride. This Green + Screen project will give them a chance to work hard on a
Initiative will be working together on the
project and leave a mark they can be proud of. Age of the students ranges from 14-20.
design and building of the first Green
+ Screen in the Penn Avenue Corridor.
Summit Academy website: www.theacademysystem.com
eDG will be leading the design of the
project and working with the Summit
Summit Academy Fabrication Capabilities:
Academy students in the fabrication and
- Screen printing
landscaping of the pilot project location.
- Carpentry + construction
PAAI has given the groups 4903 Penn
- Welding and metal fabrication and cutting metal sheet
Avenue lot for the first Green + Screen
- CAD and drafting
project.
- Landscaping
- Starting a digital media class
About Eco Designers Guild
Eco Designers Guild (eDG) are a group of volunteer professional designers based in the
city of Pittsburgh. Their common goal is to utilize their design backgrounds to give back
to the city of Pittsburgh in a green and sustainable way. The eDG designers come from a
variety of backgrounds centered around research, interaction, industrial, architecture, and
communication design disciplines. Together they work to inform, empower and inspire
the community and it’s leaders to further sustainable practices at home, in urban green
spaces, and the collective culture.
More about our past projects and events can be found at: www.ecodesignersguild.org
Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI)
Lead by arts director, Matthew Galluzzo, the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative’s (PAAI) core
mission is to revitalize the Penn Avenue Corridor, between Negley and Mathilda
avenues, by using the arts to enhance public perception of the district, instill pride in the
neighborhood, foster inter and intra community ties, and establish an artist’s niche. PAAI
has been designed to act as a springboard for attracting and enticing artists to live and
work in the neighborhoods along the Penn Avenue Corridor.
More about PAAI at: www.pennavenuearts.org

3. MATERIAL
EXPLORATION
< Bayer Corrugated Plastic
eDG recently had a meeting exploring
materials Bayer PC- PLA blend of
corrugated plastic sheet, Alcoa aluminum
foam, and recycled stadium seats. The
following pages show how the group
experimented the materials.
< Alcoa Aluminum Foam >
< Recycled Stadium Seats (Steel Frame)
Recycled Stadium Seats (Plastic Housing) >

4. MATERIALS
Re purposed Steel + Plastic
Alcoa Aluminum Foam
Bayer PC-PLA Blend, multi-walled sheet

5. TEAR DOWN
Break-down of stadium seating
Reconfigure and experiment
with new forms
Combine surfaces

6. COMPOSE
Combine elements to create new forms
Geometric forms connect to showcase
positive and negative space

7. CONNECT
Experiment with attachment methods
Test material limitations
Explore movement within the screen

8. DETAIL
Aluminum foam allows for a number of
texture possibilities
Color and finish exploration
Ideation sketching