Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School is located in the Northside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Over the years the area, more particularly the school, had become a refuge to the homeless. The architecture of the school with its large cantilever roofs and open patios made it a perfect sanctuary for people seeking shelter. Unfortunately the school began to be vandalized as well as destroyed making it unsafe for students to attend classes.
 
We are pleased to have worked with Renaissance 3 Architects, P.C. and school officials to fabricate and install a fence to secure the school from unwanted intruders. Made of galvanized tubular steel and perforated mesh, the fence allows light to still enter the school. The large patios, once unsafe, have now become areas for the children to play at recess. At night, each panel of the fence is illuminated with its own LED light fixture. The LED light fixtures continuously color shift, making for a spectacular sight. Surpassed only by the Empire State Building, the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School security fence is the largest installation in the world of these LED light fixtures.

In the winter of 2016, Derse contracted Technique Architectural Products to engineer and fabricate an interactive signage display for Niketown NYC. The signage was intended to be the backdrop for social media posts as part of Nike's social media campaign. The display is approximately  87" x 144" x 44" and constructed of 1/4" aluminum plate faces and returns with fully welded and ground seams.

With a history as rich as Pittsburgh itself, The Duquesne Club has the distinction of being the most prominent private club in Pittsburgh. Embracing impeccable taste, it is the utmost example of an English gentleman's club. Since its inception dating back to 1873, the club has employed unsurpassed architectural and custom-metal design and fabrication that other clubs have emulated. For 12 consecutive years the club was rated the Best City Club in America by its peers

Over the summer we had the great opportunity to fabricate and install three sets of custom doors at the Duquesne Club. The doors were fabricated from 2” x 4” x 1/8” aluminum rectangular tubing, a custom-waterjet-cut 1/2”-thick aluminum lattice, and a hinged 1/2” glass panel. All metal surfaces were distressed with hammers to mimic a wrought-iron appearance. The doors were then powdercoated matte black to match existing metal work throughout the club. Using our skills in design and fabrication paired with our in-house 3-D modeling capabilities we were able to complete the project in a timely manner with stunning results. It was an honor to collaborate on such a project and we look forward to others.

Customer: The Duquesne Club
Architect: Chambers
Contractor: PJ Dick

In Spring of 2009 Bakery Square, a new mixed-use development, received a neon illuminated channel letter sign that would serve as the crown for the new development. At the center of Bakery Square is the restored Nabisco plant, on top of which is where the new neon sign is installed. Located at the crossroads of several desirable and well-educated neighborhoods of the East End, Bakery Square offers tenants an exciting lifestyle environment.

In conjunction with local design firm Kolano Design, Technique Architectural Products was contracted to install and fabricate custom channel letters and new structural steel that would be mounted to an existing refurbished billboard structure.

From the summer of 2013 until the fall of 2015, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art underwent a complete renovation and expansion campaign to transform the outdated museum into a fresh and updated space for artists and the community. We were honored to have worked with Ennead Architects, LaQuatra Bonci and Associates, Spaulding Banks Project Management, and Keystone Structural Solutions to engineer, fabricate, and install the project's interior and exterior architectural metalwork.

Our contributions include: aluminum brise soliel, starphire glass and heavy gauge steel stair #3, steel and precast terrazzo stair #4, aluminum west window screen, aluminum cantilever sag rod and fins, aluminum and precast terrazzo reception desk, aluminum site fencing, and stainless steel handrails.

Designed by KMA Design, Technique was honored to fabricate and install a new donor sculpture for Seton Hill University that recognized donations associated with the new Health Sciences Center. The monument is approximately 120" tall x 48" diameter and constructed of rolled and formed .5" thick aluminum w/ etched stainless steel plaques wrapping the exterior faces and base.

The final minute of 2006 and the arrival of 2007 were accompanied in Pittsburgh PA by a new event - the raising of a giant glowing ball 75 feet into the sky from the top of Penn Avenue Place.  The ball is 6-foot 7-inches in diameter and is constructed with a framework of aluminum plate and a 3-form plastic-resin skin in the shape of the three rivers of Pittsburgh. It has three sets of lights: exterior strobe lights, 1,100 LED Color Kinetics light fixtures on the surface, and pulsating internal halogen lights. The interior is stuffed with electronics. Raising the ball, as opposed to being dropped in New York City, symbolizes Pittsburgh’s hope for the future.
 
We are happy to have worked with Paul Levine and David Alessi of Pittsburgh-based architectural firm Burt Hill who designed the project. Technique Architectural Products was responsible for fabrication, lighting installation, motion control, continued maintenance, and operation.

In the summer of 2008, Southside’s Monastery Street Park received an artistic new addition. Located on the Southside Slopes, Monastery Street Park is a small plot of land overlooking Downtown Pittsburgh and bustling Carson Street. We are pleased to have worked directly with Peter Kreuthmeier of Pittsburgh-based Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects to construct and install an abstract representation of the South Side Slopes. Constructed of Cor-Ten Steel, the piece will develop a natural patina over time. The art piece itself is a topological map of the city, with through cuts and protruding steel planes depicting houses, rivers, and roads. Backlit with linear LED fixtures, the 50 feet of steel artwork glows at night greeting passersby as they ascend the slopes.

2010 SEGD Award Recipient

2009 Architectural Detail / Craftsmanship - Award of Excellence Recipient Source: Columns December 2009

2009 Townie Award for Public Space Improvements, Pennsylvania Downtown Center

2009 Award of Excellence in Architectural Detail, AIA, Pittsburgh Chapter

In May of 2009 a new passive park was announced to be constructed at the base of PNC’s newest green skyscraper, Three PNC Plaza. The park was intended to connect the Cultural District and Market Square and serve as a place to sit, read, and relax. With the G-20 Summit approaching, Technique Architectural Products was contracted in July of 2009 to fabricate and install the entire park’s site furniture. With a deadline of mid September 2009, the park was scheduled for completion in time to showcase Pittsburgh’s newest jewel to President Barack Obama, the visiting nation’s leaders, and the world.

In conjunction with local landscape architecture firm LaQuatra Bonci and Associates and structural engineering firm The Kachele Group, Technique engineered and fabricated decorative glass walls, bus shelter, shade canopy, large monolithic signs, numerous benches, and several hand railings. In the months following the G-20 Summit, the park has become an amenity to those at Three PNC Plaza and the city.

Mad Mex® offers high quality California-Mexican cuisine made completely from scratch. Complementing the fresh fare is a dining room and bar with a stylishly-inviting casual Mexican atmosphere. Technique Architectural Products helped to create this atmosphere in collaboration with Semple Brown Design, headquartered in Denver, CO and with Pittsburgh artist Rick Bach.
 
Our contributions include:  engineering, fabrication and installation of eclectic, colorful sculptures, embellished entrance doors and canopy, a custom steel inside/outside bar, bar stools, seating, light fixtures, door pulls, coat hooks and railings. Technique has made similar contributions to Mad Mex restaurants in Pennsylvania, including State College, Monroeville, and numerous locations in Pittsburgh.

8th Street Park is part of the Cultural Trust District's growing effort to increase and promote bicycle and pedestrian traffic on Penn Avenue. The park is an oasis complete with water fountains, benches, bike racks, and a bike repair station, We are honored to have worked with The Cultural Trust, GBBN / EDGE studio, and Flyspace Productions to fabricate and install the watercube, benches, and bike racks.  

3rd and 4th Photos by Ben Peoples Industries

Located at 18th and Josephine Streets, the South Side Slopes Gateway Pylon marks the entrance to one of Pittsburgh’s unique neighborhoods. Designed by Peter Kreuthmeier of Pittsburgh-based Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects, the pylon is constructed of an anodized aluminum inner prism with a Cor-Ten steel outer shell. Above the prism, an aluminum tensegrity structure holds a solar panel responsible for powering the pylon’s lights and electronics. Inside the prism, batteries store the energy to illuminate the pylon at night

Commissioned by the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSNA), the pylon was realized by a diverse and specialized design team. Technique’s responsibilities included the engineering and fabrication of the anodized aluminum inner prism, Cor-Ten outer shell, and project installation.

During the Holiday season of 2008 The Andy Warhol Museum of Pittsburgh contracted Technique to fabricate an intricate and unique new reception desk for their main lobby. The new desk, designed by GBBN / EDGE studio, was to serve as an aesthetic piece of artwork as well as a functional piece of furniture. The entire desk was designed and engineered using Rhino3d and fabricated from rolled aluminum plate in 18 separate pieces. The countertop is constructed of thermoformed 1” thick acrylic with continuous Color Kinetics edge lighting. The thermoformed acrylic tops softly flow into each other as the desk changes elevation. The gentle transitions of the translucent acrylic against the stark contrast of the sharp and opaque aluminum desk provide an interesting interaction between materials. In September of 2009 as Pittsburgh welcomed the G-20 Summit and the world, the Warhol lobby was used as a party venue for the first wives of all the nation’s visiting leaders.

2009 Architectural Detail / Craftmanship - Award of Excellence Recipient Source: Columns December 2009

During the 2002-03 academic year, the University of Pittsburgh’s University Honors College offices on the 35th and 36th floors of the Cathedral of Learning underwent a major renovation. Working with a design by the Pittsburgh firm, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative, Technique Architectural Products built the staircase and railing system between the two floors. Upon the project’s completion, Technique’s craftsmanship was recognized by the City of Pittsburgh and The Historic Review Commission with a Historic Preservation Award. 
 
Technique Architectural Products used laser-cut layers of steel with a rich patina to give the project an old world look, creating a tie to the craftsmanship of Samuel Yellin whose wrought iron work decorates the Commons Room at the base of the building. Ken Doyno, lead architect for the renovations, called the craft and technology of the old and new ironwork in the Cathedral “the pinnacle of the craft of wrought ironwork.” Technique’s owner and founder, Ray Appleby, was moved by the project. “It was really a special opportunity to be involved in such a momentous project; one that will be around for years to come,” he said. The Cathedral of Learning, a historic landmark, is the second-tallest education building in the world - 42 stories and 535 feet tall. It is also the geographic and traditional heart of the campus.

In the fall of 2006 a new permanent exhibit was installed on the first floor of the University of Pittsburgh’s Alumni Hall. The exhibit consists of two interactive computer kiosks, Pitt in the World and The Pitt Experience, each 10 feet tall and eight feet in diameter with multiple rear-projection computer touch screens. Viewers can learn about the many accomplishments of Pitt alumni, faculty and students during it’s almost 200-year history. The information is organized by field of endeavor plus an animated timeline which locates each individual and program in Pitt’s history. The exhibit instills a sense of pride and possibilities in the Pitt community and Pittsburgh. 
 
We are happy to have worked with Pittsburgh designer Tom Malacki of ThoughtForm Design and with University officials to fabricate the kiosks from wood, steel, and brass, and to incorporate the computer hardware donated by Dell Corporation. Pitt’s Legacy Gallery is the only one of its kind in the United States

The Café is located on the Carnegie Mellon University campus in Pittsburgh, PA. We are pleased to have worked with Greg George of the Pittsburgh architectural firm Pfaffmann + Associates on the curved aluminum signage that compliments the existing rotunda. The sign and vertical curvilinear elements are all made from aluminum. The main sign incorporates push-through frosted acrylic lettering illuminated from the rear with white LEDs, whereas the Café text is typical channel-letter construction also illuminated with LEDs. The curvilinear elements are accented by red LED strips, instead of the more customary neon lighting. LED strip lighting is becoming quite popular for indoor border lighting and outdoor accents on buildings.