University Times

Pitt has received a $150,000 grant from the Getty Foundation to support a comprehensive inventory of historic buildings on the Pittsburgh campus. Grant funds will be used to assess exterior and interior conditions of the structures, develop a comprehensive preservation manual for Pitt’s Facilities Management division and produce cost estimates for recommended conservation work.

Ron Leibow, senior project manager in Pitt’s Office of Facilities Management, is working with the architectural firm of Pfaffmann and Associates to conduct an extensive exterior and interior review of the Cathedral of Learning; extensive exterior and cursory interior reviews of the Stephen Foster Memorial, Heinz Chapel, Clapp Hall and the Music Building, and cursory exterior reviews of Bellefield Hall, the William Pitt Union, Schenley Apartments, Alumni Hall and the log cabin.

“The greater endgame is that some sort of best practices are written down for when the University undertakes significant capital projects on these historic buildings,” said Leibow.

Currently, Leibow’s group is conducting historical research to understand how the buildings were designed and the importance of certain design features.