Gary Carlough, AIA, founding principal of Pittsburgh’s EDGE Studio, was attracted to design from an early age. “When I was very young, my grandfather lived in the Bronx in New York City and taught an evening class with adult students trying to finish their education,” Carlough says. “He was the shop teacher. He was always making things. We made things [together] all the time. That led to building things in the backyard and I think that is the root of it all.” Going from the backyard of his childhood haunts in eastern Pennsylvania and later Detroit, Carlough arrived at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., to pursue his Bachelor of Architecture degree.
Learning in London
Upon graduation, Carlough practiced architecture in Pittsburgh for 10 years, but he realized he wanted to pursue other endeavors in the architectural field, such as teaching. His post-graduate studies lead him to the Architectural Association in London, a school for studying architectural theory and design. As Carlough recalls: “I spent a good bit of time there, which changed my entire thinking about what I was doing with my career. Until that time, I was working as a principal at a firm in Pittsburgh and I was getting frustrated by the work we were doing. It seemed to be based on pleasing the client. To me, there was more we could be doing to step beyond that regarding [the building’s] relevance, [place within] in a community and [other issues] that architecture can really address.”
In addition to focusing on the interconnectedness of architecture and community, the Architectural Association impacted the other tier of Carlough’s career, his teaching style. Carlough notes that the Architectural Association is very progressive and has produced world-renowned architects. “It was a very intense, exciting experience,” he remarks.
Carlough has taught at colleges and universities, such as Carnegie Melon, Pittsburgh, and Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He has found that the challenges in the field of architecture and the challenges of teaching in the classroom are the same. “The challenge for me is to work with students at a level of understanding and to really allow them to understand how everything is integrated into the design of a building,” he explains.
For Carlough, students at the fourth year of a five-year program have dealt with and learned about a number of issues, such as the job site and constructability. The last years are the years he feels students should put together all of the individual pieces they’ve learned. “‘The integration studio’ has become so essential in the practice that we do,” he notes. “This is important not only from how do buildings integrate but how do people and designers integrate with others in the design process.” The principles of integration that are inherent in Carlough’s design philosophy and teaching also play out in his own established architectural practice.
Setting Up Shop
Carlough’s work in Pittsburgh led him to found what is now known as EDGE Studio. Recently, EDGE announced its merger with a Cincinnati-based architecture firm, GBBN Architects. Originally a “boutique architecture” firm, the firm has grown over approximately 16 years to become an established firm with larger projects in industries including public works and higher education. While working in Pittsburgh, Carlough met Anne Chen, AIA, LEED AP. Chen was taking a year off from her studies as a student at New York City’s Columbia University. During that year, Chen worked with Carlough and later returned to New York City. The two established a friendship and maintained contact during the several years when Chen worked for various New York
architectural firms
Later, Carlough called on Chen for help in taking on some of the incoming workload for the Pittsburgh studio. “Our firm evolved during that time and we got to the point where I was conscious that I needed some capable people,” he says. “I thought about [Chen] … and followed her career and invited her to come and join us. Ultimately we built the firm together and at some point, we bought out our partners and are now the principal owners of the firm.”
Chen and Carlough are not only business partners, but husband and wife as well. “People often say, ‘How do you spend so much time together?'” Carlough says. “The irony is that she’s running in one direction and I am running in the other. It’s worked out well and the reason we ended up sharing our lives is because of the work we are doing.”
Comunity Centric
The name of the studio does not come from necessarily being on the “cutting edge,” but looking for “edge conditions or where two defined conditions blend together in a location that creates opportunity,” explains Carlough. For Carlough, edge conditions that provide design opportunities to collaborate and create community-focused buildings are essential. His favorite project is the Gateway Center Station in Pittsburgh.
Carlough appreciates this project as EDGE Studio collaborated closely with fellow architects Pfaffmann + Associates, Pittsburgh, and the Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh. Started in 2003 and completed in 2012, the Gateway Center Station shelters commuters, while glazing introduces light and creates a visible gateway/landmark for people working downtown.
Carlough also emphasizes using metal in edge conditions. “We look for opportunities to use metal,” he says. Particularly metal’s longevity is desirable for projects such as The Lantern Building in Pittsburgh, owned by PNC Realty, Pittsburgh. The design concept used a 10,000-square-foot Virage Rainscreen system from Bunting Architectural Metals, Verona, Pa. The rainscreen consist of 1-mm zinc in two patinas that was supplied by Umicore Building Products USA Inc., Raleigh, N.C., and installed by Bunting Architectural Metals. The metal replaced a 100-year-old brick façade that had undergone several applications of parget, creating an uneven surface. With the new metal façade, the building serves as a beacon during daylight and nighttime hours. As a result, the building leaves a lasting impression while serving as a landmark piece for the community.