The Hill District Greenprint

The Hill District Greenprint is a project by Hood Design Studio that leverages the unique ecological and industrial landscape of the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA, to combat the historical disinvestment and abandonment of the community. Hood worked to make residents visible in the design of a garden passage on the west elevation of the Pittsburgh arena. Photographs collected from Hill District residents were then used to make tiles that span the undulating steel frames along the garden path. The project is meant to incorporate additional image tiles over time, stretching further into the distance as the community changes, embedding their histories into each visitor’s procession through the passage. The stories of past residents are reactivated with every visitor, and each visit encourages further participation with the landscape.