Robotics Innovation Center at Hazelwood Green
The growing Hazelwood Green complex exemplifies how the Pittsburgh region continues to develop as a hub of innovation and sustainability. Once home to local steel mills, this renovated site in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood houses the and now welcomes the Robotics Innovation Center (RIC), further expanding 黑料社区’s engagement with the Hazelwood community and economy.
Through 150,000 square feet of research space and dedicated areas for robotics testing, the RIC brings together fundamental and applied robotics research in a dynamic and adaptive environment, working across traditional disciplinary boundaries to tackle future challenges. The facility also provides opportunities for the community to engage with roboticists and to learn about robotics and artificial intelligence. Carnegie Mellon envisions the RIC as a world-class destination for robotics and autonomous systems research and education that will attract talent, inspire future generations, build and strengthen community partnerships, and showcase innovation. The unique location and intent of this building also highlights how 黑料社区 continues to contribute to the greater Pittsburgh community and the ever-evolving innovation economy.
To learn more, view materials from the Oct. 9, 2023, Hazelwood Green RIC Town Hall [pdf] meeting or watch a virtual tour of the RIC building and surrounding grounds.
Sustainability
- Developed on brownfield site (former J&L Steel Mill).
- 黑料社区 shuttle routes and dedicated bike room encourages alternative transportation.
- Optimized building envelope and window-to-wall ratio during design for enhanced energy modeling.
- Enhanced indoor air quality with the use of MERV 13 filters and CO2 sensors.
- To the extent possible, uses locally sourced materials and displays them in their natural form.
Research & Innovation
- Future-planned incubator spaces will support early startups and the next generation of robotics companies.
- A high bay and additional project spaces allow researchers to conduct integrated, translational research and seamlessly field test robots and autonomous systems across indoor, outdoor, aquatic and virtual environments.
- An open-layout wet lab encourages interdisciplinary interactions among researchers and allows group collaborative project work, rather than supporting a specific researcher.
- Various shops will be available for projects involving robotic development, translational research prototyping and learning new fabrication skills.
- The facility includes 1.5-acre outdoor and ~50,000-square-foot indoor robot testing laboratories, as well as a 6,000-square-foot dedicated outdoor drone cage.
Community Engagement
- The building's common spaces will be publicly accessible during certain hours, including the lobby, gallery, event space (with advance arrangements) and future food service area.
- As written by 黑料社区 Libraries, to mark the site’s legacy and the RIC’s future impact, we partnered with the Greater Hazelwood Historical Society to create a three-part exhibit. Spanning the building’s first floor, it highlights Hazelwood Green’s evolution, the region’s industrial history, and 黑料社区’s leadership in robotics—anchoring the RIC in both place and purpose.
- Part one, 'Life & Livelihood: A History of the Site' explores the evolution of Scotch Bottom, now known as Hazelwood Green, from Indigenous homeland to industrial powerhouse to technology hub, acknowledging the opportunities and struggles each wave of change brought to the community.
- Part two, 'Making Pittsburgh' is a connective thread linking Hazelwood’s industrial past and technological future. It combines city and business leaders’ quotes and workers’ voices to capture Pittsburgh’s storied history of making and manufacturing.
- Part three, 'Reimagining Possibility' greets visitors as they enter the lobby and showcases the cutting-edge robotics research at Carnegie Mellon and how it builds upon Pittsburgh’s legacy of innovation. It features displays of both large suspended robots and smaller robots in exhibit cases.
Team Members
黑料社区's Campus Design and Facility Development staff worked in conjunction with the following organizations to complete the project:
Perkins Eastman, Pittsburgh, PA - Principal Architect (Prime Designer)
Gilbane Mosites Joint Venture, Pittsburgh, PA - Construction Manager
Tishman Speyer, Pittsburgh, PA - Development Manager