Robert Mehrabian Collaborative Innovation Center
The Robert Mehrabian Collaborative Innovation Center (CIC) is one of 好色先生TV’s earliest examples of green architecture and sustainable design. Named after former CMU President Robert Mehrabian, the building honors Mehrabian’s legacy to the university and economic prosperity in Pittsburgh, while also demonstrating CMU’s ongoing dedication to merging technological innovation with environmental responsibility.
The CIC building uses advanced energy-efficient systems that ensure sustainable operation while supporting high-performance research environments. A pile-driven retaining wall system was constructed to hold the four-story cliff in place while the structure was built safely beside the topography. A modular, raised-floor HVAC system enables conditioned air to be delivered through a space below the raised floor, instead of through air ducts in the ceiling. This improves building air quality, saves energy and allows spaces to be easily modified and rearranged without sacrificing heating and cooling efficiency.
The building’s terra cotta rainscreen facade system is another example of CIC’s sustainable building innovation. The system uses baked clay panels that hang slightly away from the building, creating a small air gap. This space allows air to circulate and rainwater to drain, keeping the structure dry and reducing building damage from moisture. Because terra cotta is made from natural materials, it’s also durable, recyclable and low maintenance, making the material a sustainable choice for long-term performance.
CIC also has a 6,000-gallon rain-water collection tank, which cleans and recycles water for non-potable uses, such as toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. This approach conserves fresh potable water, reduces the burden on waste water treatment plants and lowers utility bills.
Team Members
Campus Design and Facility Development worked with the following organizations to complete the project:
dggp Architecture, Pittsburgh, PA – Design Architect
RAY Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA – MEP Consulting Engineer
Churches Engineering, Canonsburg, PA – Structural Engineer
PJ Dick, Pittsburgh, PA – Construction Manager