Amanda Flaherty has joined DRS Architects as a CADD Technician.

Flaherty is a Pittsburgh native who earned an associate’s degree in specialized technology from Triangle Tech with a focus on architectural computer aided drafting and design technology. Her first projects with DRS are working on proposed renovations at La Roche College and the Community College of Beaver County.

As one of western Pennsylvania’s leading architectural, planning and interior design firms, DRS Architects provides quality services based on the strong heritage set by Deeter Ritchey Sippel nearly 50 years ago. DRS achieves design excellence through capable management of the design process, thoughtful control of project costs and careful attention to project schedules. Its staff of 30 professionals and support personnel is located in Pittsburgh’s Gateway Center.

Paul Cali, an architect with both residential and commercial experience, has joined DRS Architects.

Cali previously served as an associate at Pittsburgh-based Perkins Eastman Architects, working as lead designer for the Lutheran Home at Concord Village in Westlake, Ohio and several projects in Pittsburgh. He previously worked for several architecture firms in New York.

“Paul has a wide range of architectural experience both in the United States and abroad,” said DRS principal S. Phillip Hundley. “His versatility bolsters DRS’s ability to serve a variety of clients.”

Cali earned a master of architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992, after post-graduate work at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, the University of Pennsylvania’s Core Program in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. Cali earned a bachelor of science in philosophy from Lafayette College.

As one of western Pennsylvania’s leading architectural, planning and interior design firms, DRS Architects provides quality services based on the strong heritage set by Deeter Ritchey Sippel nearly 50 years ago. DRS achieves design excellence through capable management of the design process, thoughtful control of project costs and careful attention to project schedules.

On January 7, 2008, the Power Center opened at Duquesne University.  This 130,000 SF multipurpose facility is named for Duquesne’s first president, the Rev. William Patrick Power, and it evokes an image of fitness and wellness—just right for the University.

On the Forbes Avenue level, an outside gathering space provides entry to Barnes & Noble with a café serving Starbucks; adjacent are the Red Ring restaurant and Jamba Juice Bar.

The upper levels include basketball courts, exercise studios, fitness rooms, a spinning area, aerobics studio, racquetball courts as well as the locker rooms, lounges and offices to support the varied activities that today’s students want.  The center has been busy every day and night since the grand opening and the reviews have been great.

The fifth level offers a state-of-the-art conference center with spectacular views of the Pittsburgh skyline and was the location selected for the University dedication ceremonies on January 28.

Administration and other local business owners praised the building for the “investment in the community and the dynamic presence on Forbes Avenue that contribute to the University’s economic impart on the Uptown neighborhood and the entire community.”

News Story

The Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) has awarded a major contract for the design and documentation of a $26 million construction and renovation project to DRS Architects of downtown Pittsburgh. 

This project, which will affect every building at the 40-year-old Center Township, Beaver County campus, will be funded through a $26 million bond issue, with $13 million granted through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  Plans include major improvements to the Student Union, the Science and Technology Building and the Allied Health Building; a new maintenance facility; and minor additions and renovations to other campus facilities.

College President, Dr. Joe Forrester said, “We’re excited to be modernizing our facilities to serve our students and our community for the next 30 years.  This is not a cost, it’s an investment.” Design is already underway and construction is anticipated to begin in late 2007

DRS Architects completed a Master Plan for CCBC in 2005 which outlined a plan for updating the campus to improve academic facilities, student activities and administrative spaces, thus extending the useful life of the existing buildings.

As a step in the firm’s commitment to quality design, Rycon Construction has begun a renovation of the firm’s Gateway Center offices, the first offices in Gateway Center’s entire complex to garner LEED certification.

The project is registered for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification with the U.S. Green Building Council and will feature sustainable design through the mechanical and electrical systems as well as the architectural finishes and furniture systems. 

One important aspect of LEED certification focuses on the demolition of existing space and the recycling of materials that will not be included in the new design. DRS and our contractor and vendors have coordinated efforts to return ceiling tile and carpet tile for recycling; furniture systems and other building materials to Construction Junction and other demolished materials to approved recyclers, effectively reducing the materials sent to landfills.

UPDATE : January 08 - DRS has recently completed their office renovations

DRS Architects has been awarded a contract to develop a comprehensive Master Plan for the athletic facilities at Kutztown University.  Working with DRS Architects will be Sasaki Associates of Watertown, MA, which have extensive capabilities in the design and development of athletic facilities.  Leading the effort for DRS will be Principals Phil Hundley, AIA and Kathryn Jolley, ASID. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration building in Kennedy Township in Allegheny County, PA has been certified as a LEED Facility, making it the first such building in the Township.

DRS Architects designed this 48,000 SF building for Oxford Development Company to comply with the requirements of LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) which focuses on sustainable site planning and design as well as the efficient use of materials.  Overall environmental impact and innovative design processes are also part of the LEED concept for the design and construction of a certified building. 

This facility was dedicated on December 14, 2007 to the memory of Special Agent G. Douglas Althouse of Shelby County, Alabama, who was killed in an attempted auto theft in 1992.  The two-story facility has 24,000 SF of office space on the upper floor with the ground floor serving as the entry lobby and garage.

As a result of the success of this Allegheny County project, DRS has been selected to design comparable DEA facility in Milwaukee, WI which will be completed later in 2008.

S. Philip Hundley, AIA and Gregory P. Madej, AIA, Principals of DRS Architects, are pleased to welcome Kathryn A. Jolley, MBA, ASID as a Principal to the firm.

Ms. Jolley first joined the firm in 1981 after graduating Summa Cum Laude from La Roche College and was President and Managing Principal of DRS Interiors from 1989 to 1997.  Returning to DRS in 2001, her responsibilities have included marketing the 9th largest architectural firm in Pittsburgh and directing the interior design group.  The firm’s practice includes specialized laboratories, college and university projects, hospitality and government work and the firm has seven LEED certified projects completed, in construction or in design.

Ms. Jolley is a recent Past President of ASID, a member of the PA West Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers; as a member of the Board of Trustees at La Roche College; and as a member of the Board of HEARTH, an agency serving homeless women with children in Allegheny County.