the other direction. We maximized the number of windows in the bedrooms and living space by putting more windows on the north side of the building,” Chalmers says. “We had to consolidate two pieces of property and build one building to achieve it.” Choosing to develop condominiums instead of apartments created another challenge for the developer: providing parking. “If we couldn’t get parking for the residents, it would not work as a condo. Even though there is plenty of accessibility with public transportation, Pittsburghers like to have their vehicles,” Bost says. “Even if they’re walking everywhere, they want to have the car for the weekend. We’re working with the parking authority to have direct access to the building from the adjacent garage. You can get away with not having parking to a degree for apartments, although your rents will suffer, but for condos parking is a must.” The buyer Bost is pursuing will certainly be a discriminating buyer. Each floor is roughly 4,600 square feet, with a 560 square foot outdoor terrace that is private for that unit. The smallest unit is a 1,775 square foot half floor. Buyers will have the opportunity to take a whole floor or a floor and a half, which will be larger than 6,000 square feet. Bost also expects to offer two full floors, which will be more than 10,000 square feet, on the upper two stories. An additional outdoor entertainment space and swimming pool are planned for the penthouse. For the right mix of buyers, the Smithfield Condominiums could be home to as few as six residents. Bost is betting that there are sufficient buyers for this unusual concept to work. “The size of the units sounds a little crazy, but we know there are a lot of people coming in from huge homes in the suburbs to the Cultural District who would prefer not to get in their car and drive back home. Those kinds of people have said it would be great to have the ability to walk to a restaurant, go to these events, and come back home,” Bost says. “Here is that opportunity. I know that’s not everyone’s problem, but we see a need for it. That kind of buyer wants to own instead of renting. We think that the amount of square footage and the customization will be appealing.”
reuse for a building that was not designed to be residential in the first place” Chalmers explains. “Typically, we look for 25-foot bays for residential construction because that allows for 12.5 feet per room, which is a good size. In office construction you typically want 30-foot bays because it gives you three offices of 10 feet each. We’re dealing with a structural
component that is slightly different.”
“Another challenge is that when you are changing use, you have to revert back to the full construction code compliance. There is no grandfathering. There is no ‘that will work for now.’ You have to be in full compliance,” Chalmers continues. “For example, we are required to have a fire command center on the first floor that takes up 150 square feet of prime retail space. That was a change in the building codes that was driven by 9/11. Right away you’re eating into the retail space. We also had to add stairs and elevators.” The floor plates typical of a 1900 Downtown Pittsburgh office building were two or
Units on the north side of the building will have large balconies which overlook the new construction below. 3D image by Wildman Chalmers Design LLC.
condition. We have the opportunity to bring it back,” Bost reports.
three times as deep as they were wide. That is a configuration that does not lend itself easily to residential conversion, since the apartment or condo would have windows only in the front of each unit. Here, the large unit size proposed by Bost Development worked to the architect’s advantage. “We turned the building sideways. Normally the bedroom windows would face the front on Smithfield but because it’s 120 feet deep, we faced them in
The fortuitous condition does not mean there are not challenges in restoring the building and bringing into it 21st century usage. Architect Chad Chalmers, partner at Wildman Chalmers Design LLC, spells out the issues faced in bringing 635 Smithfield Street back to life. “First of all, it’s an existing building in the city of Pittsburgh and existing buildings are always a challenge. It’s an adaptive
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DEVELOPING PITTSBURGH | Fall 2022
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