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Arriving on Time: Hazelwood Green Roundhouse Connects Past and Future

The grand opening of a new building is ordinarily celebrated with a ribbon cutting. But the Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green is anything but ordinary. Part of the shuttered, 178-acre J & L Steel Mill, the 100-year-old roundhouse – which used to service trains – is now a coworking space and technology accelerator for OneValley.

Repurposing a relic of Pittsburgh’s industrial past, the design was celebrated for extending its life into the future. “This site is a manifestation of the history of Pittsburgh as well as the vision for the innovation ecosystem that’s emerging here,” said Alec Wright, Chief Innovation Office of OneValley Ventures.

The design of the Roundhouse embraces the rich, historical materials of the building while adapting a structure that was intended for machines to a comfortable, human scale. By adding a second floor and opening it up to the surrounding landscape, the design team revealed the hidden beauty of the space.

Instead of the typical ribbon cutting, OneValley celebrated the opening of the Roundhouse by hosting the Pittsburgh Startup Challenge Grand Finals, in which seven Pittsburgh-based startups competed for over $50,000 in cash and prizes.

Read more about the grand opening here.

To learn more about the Hazelwood Green Roundhouse, check out the case study here.