The Best Residential Architects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Last updated on July 21st, 2024 at 04:27 pm

Choosing the right residential architect in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is essential for creating a home that is not only functional but also beautifully designed. A residential architect’s expertise is critical for avoiding common pitfalls in the construction process. They know how to maximize space utilization, optimize energy efficiency, and incorporate sustainable materials. Moreover, they add artistic flair and unique design elements that reflect your personality and lifestyle.

In Pittsburgh, where the population is approximately 302,898, and the median home value is $274,900, residential projects can range in cost from $250,000 to $800,000, with high-end projects reaching up to $1,200,000. These projects typically take around nine months to complete, making it crucial to select an architect who can manage the timeline efficiently and handle any challenges. The right architect will ensure that every detail of your home is thoughtfully planned and executed, providing a seamless blend of aesthetics and functionality.

This article will guide you through some of the best residential architects in Pittsburgh. These professionals are known for their expertise, creativity, and dedication to delivering exceptional results. Whether you’re looking to build a modern urban home or a sustainable suburban retreat, these architects have the skills and vision to bring your dream home to life, ensuring it meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.

Overview: The Best Residential Architects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See Ranking Methodology at the bottom of this article to learn more.

Fisher Architecture

928 S Aiken Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Fisher Architecture is an advocate for quality, contemporary green design. Led by principals Eric Fisher, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP), and Bea Spolidoro AIA, WELL AP, the firm strives to achieve thoughtful, progressive, and contextual designs. As the design process moves forward, clients can expect Eric and Bea to be easily reachable and communicative, ensuring that client goals and objectives are understood. The firm is a residential architect in Pittsburgh, PA, and holds a 2012 AIA Pittsburgh Green Design Citation.

As a result of this approach, the firm has built numerous AIA-certified homes. One example is the River House in Pittsburgh, which was awarded the AIA Certificate of Merit. Built for a surgeon and his family, the adaptive reuse project is located by a Pittsburgh street along the Allegheny River. The construction involved saving as much of the existing building as possible and responding to the site context. The result was a uniquely functional building with an emphasis on place, craft, and community. 

Margittai Architects

2110 Sarah St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Founded to create thoughtful architectural and interior design solutions, Margittai Architects is a collaborative practice that aims to reinvent Pittsburgh one project at a time. The firm is led by Peter Margittai, AIA, an architect with extensive experience in design through his education at Penn State and the prestigious Ecole D’Art Americaines in Fontainebleau, France. Among the renowned architects in Pittsburgh, the studio is proud to have one of its projects featured by the Observer-Reporter.

Today, Peter and his firm apply their skills to challenging projects that generate great designs. One example of the firm’s work is this Tripoli Street residence, which was completed through the firm’s collaboration with Pinnacle Redevelopment and PW Campbell. The home features an open interior plan, while its exterior blends well with the larger context of the historic Deutschtown neighborhood. Two rooftop terraces are also present, providing downtown views. Lastly, the home has a private courtyard design with a fire pit, water element, and an outdoor kitchen, courtesy of landscape architect Mark Ambtman.

Wildman Chalmers Design

1600 Lowrie St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Wildman Chalmers Design is a Pittsburgh-based firm that is highly collaborative and led by principals Heather Wildman, PE, Chad Chalmers, AIA, and LEED AP.

The Squirrel Hill North home shown here is a mid-century modern house which needed an update and expansion. Through an addition, the second floor was opened up to create a light-filled stairway, office, and new bedroom with a modernized bathroom. The home’s exterior materials were chosen for their durability and clean aesthetic, which would minimize future maintenance and still complement the original design. The home also features large energy-efficient windows that open up views to the surrounding tree canopy and neighborhood beyond. Overall, the firm created a cohesive, comfortable, and calming feel for the client and their family through modern fixtures, millwork, art, and furnishings throughout the interiors.

Wilson Architecture + Design

300 Mt. Lebanon Blvd. Suite #201B, Pittsburgh, PA 15234

Wilson Architecture + design, founded by its namesake Maria Wilson, is a design firm focusing on people and their ever-changing needs. As a dynamic practice, the firm believes that a good design simplifies people’s ways of life, while also accommodating their lives’ unique demands.

Illustrated here is a functional design and space that the firm renovated, updated, and expanded. This Southside family home was built by Action Builders and designed by Wilson Architecture + design. Previously, the homeowners lived in a 1950s split-level home on the lot, but soon they decided to demolish the split-level to build a more functional, contemporary home. The result was a contemporary exterior with an open floor plan. In particular, the dining room windows perfectly frame the view of downtown Pittsburgh. The home also features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an additional living area, all on the top floor, while the basement houses a garage and office, along with a three-quarter bath and entry hall. 

Cipriani Studios

650 Washington Rd. Ste. 400, Mt Lebanon, PA 15228

Cipriani Studios has focused on developing custom contemporary homes across Western Pennsylvania. The firm’s exceptional team is passionate about creating one-of-a-kind living experiences through unique designs on challenging sites. Its signature Frank Lloyd Wright-meets-California modern style is evident in its portfolio of homes, which are stylish, sustainable, urban infill, suburban, and affordable. All are crafted through a highly collaborative design process, working directly with clients. Founder and principal Justin Cipriani is a proud Pittsburgh native with an affinity for preserving the city’s urban neighborhoods. He is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and is committed to environmentally responsible housing. Through unique investment strategies, his team and partners make custom, modern homes accessible to buyers at every income level.

Among the best Pittsburgh residential architects, the firm’s work is found in many neighborhoods, including Mount Washington, Lawrenceville, and the Hill District. The Hill District portfolio includes the recently completed Sunset House. The home epitomizes Cipriani Studios’ bold, contemporary design vision. It sits on a slope, maximizing views of the downtown area, and is angled to allow sunlight to wash over every room during sunsets. Noteworthy details include a series of recessed, covered balconies and a two-level living room with glass walls overlooking the city. On the main floor, the open-plan living room, dining room, and kitchen welcome ample light through the wall of windows. Upstairs is an entertainer’s paradise, where a speakeasy lounge features deep red brocade walls and opens onto a balcony overlooking the skyline.

Midland Architecture

219 57th St., Studio F, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Midland Architecture is a design studio with a thriving practice, whether in open green spaces or dense urban areas. Led by principals Matt Diersen, AIA, and Greg Dutton, the studio creates spaces that celebrate beauty through simplicity. 

One of the leading residential architects in Pittsburgh, the firm’s work has been featured in publications such as Architect Magazine. It has also been showcased on Discovery’s “Building Off the Grid” and HGTV’s “Restored by the Fords.” An example of the firm’s renovation work appeared in the pilot episode of “Restored by the Fords.” Completed in 2016, the project involved reimagining a mid-century ranch home to reach its full potential. The firm leaned heavily on the history of the home and stayed true to its mid-century roots while infusing the design with fresh ideas. Midland ended up creating an open floor plan, an elongated kitchen layout, and primary storage through open shelving, all of which gave the home a more modern feel.

Architectural Innovations

1003 McKnight Park Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Jan Brimmeier, AIA, runs Architectural Innovations, Pennsylvania’s largest woman-owned architectural firm. In her 30 years of practice, she has completed hundreds of different projects. Her firm has completed over 1,000 projects ranging in cost from less than $100k to more than $150 million. This impressive feat comes from Jan’s extensive experience and expertise in the design field, with her credentials including two baccalaureate degrees and several art scholarships, including the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts and Foreign Studies.

Jan’s goal is to bring art back to architecture—something she strives to achieve in all her projects. Today, Architectural Innovations offers services on a broad spectrum of project types, both domestically and internationally.

Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects

5115 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects is a collaborative design firm, which offers services in order to support, connect, and enrich what it calls “the human experience of place.” Led by Karen Loysen, AIA, and Peter Kreuthmeier, the firm meshes client aspirations with a project’s various dimensions such as its context, budget, construction, use, and responsibility to the environment.

The Carriage House, for example, is located in an urban neighborhood of historic mansions and detached single-family homes. The residence began as an updated carriage house to an adjacent mansion before becoming a full-fledged new construction of its own. Although the exterior borrows heavily from the neighborhood context of gables, dormers, and front porches, the materials and details were tailored with a more modern sensibility. Meanwhile, inside, space is abundant, as expressed by the tall ceilings. This spacious home was a collaboration with the owner, contractor, and architect, focusing on the essential elements of what a house is—while at the same time exploring what it can be.

DeNinno Architects

5655 Stanton Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

A preferred residential architect in Pittsburgh, PA, DeNinno Architects is led by principal Jeffrey DeNinno, an architect with over 25 years of experience in a variety of project types. Much of Jeffrey’s work has been in large-scale senior living communities and education buildings, thanks to nearly ten years of practice with the Pittsburgh office of an international design firm.

Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a residential project located north of Pittsburgh, in Adams Township. This private residence was designed for a collector of exotic objects and wildlife art, making the building as much a private museum as it was a house. The exterior was traditionally inspired and derived from eighteenth-century French and nineteenth-century English Country architecture. The house itself is built using durable materials: brick, rustic sandstone with carved trim, slate roofing, and copper sheet metal. Outside the home, the adjacent spaces are formally designed and paved with herringbone pattern bricks, sandstone borders, and curbing. Surrounding the plantings are native species arranged with topography and selected as understory infill for the mature trees. Lastly, several large bronze sculptures of wildlife were incorporated in the terraces and along the drive.

Devlin Architecture

261 Jefferson Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15228

Devlin Architecture is led by Douglas Devlin, AIA, principal. The firm is accustomed to working in a wide variety of physical settings, from rural green fields to dense inner-city sites. 

The pictured Virginia-style stone farmhouse, with exterior porches and terraces, is perched along a hilltop overlooking open meadows and mountaintops. The home features an eat-in kitchen, formal living and dining rooms and a first floor in-law suite. A three-car garage with a home office above creates an intimate sunken front entry courtyard.

MCAI

7430 Ben Hur Street, Pittsburgh PA 15208

MCAI is a firm that offers a range of services. Led by Mary Cerrone, AIA, the firm’s project experience includes different project types. Through the integration of architecture and interior design, MCAI provides thoughtful and creative solutions to any project concerns that may arise throughout a build. This and more make it one of the preferred architects in Pittsburgh.

Located in Somerset County, this circa 1960 redwood “kit cabin” was selectively dismantled and rebuilt by MCAI. The firm recycled its redwood components, such as trusses, columns, and half-log wall panels, both inside and outside, to come up with a modern, rustic guesthouse with a deck overlooking the lake.

Desmone Architects

3400 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Desmone Architects has been shaping the Pittsburgh region for over six decades. As a full-service architecture and interior design firm, the firm’s practice is rooted in design excellence and superior client service to achieve its clients’ health and wellness. Founded by Luke Desmone and led by Chip Desmone, AIA, and Eric Booth, AIA, the firm’s team is comprised of architects, interior designers, and LEED APs. Because the firm is dedicated to wellness as the future of design, it invests in its team as much as it does its clients so that they can design projects that will thrive. Among Pittsburgh’s best residential architects, it received the MBA Building Excellence Award for New Construction Under $10 Million.

Pictured is an example of the firm’s work on a residential project. This private residence in Butler, PA, is a custom home built to accommodate its owners’ busy schedules, lifestyles, and personalities. The two-story residence, which lies on a sprawling, almost two-acre property, exudes an old-world atmosphere. It features ornate and traditional interior furnishings and spacious living and dining areas on the ground level. 

Moss Architects

5122 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224

When firm founder Andrew Moss returned to his native Pittsburgh after working on award-winning projects for 12 years at Semple Brown Design in Denver, he was inspired by the change and potential he saw in his home city. Andrew went on to establish Moss Architects with the intention of developing responsive, artful, and expressive design solutions for Pittsburgh projects. The company is one of the leading ​​Pittsburgh residential architects with a Dwell feature.

Showcased here is an example of the firm’s residential design work. The Ligonier Street residence is a home designed for a young, city-dwelling couple in the popular neighborhood of Lower Lawrenceville. The structure is a modern, functional, and light-filled home with sweeping views of the downtown skyline and bridges. The home is composed of three floors. The first floor features the entrance, a formal living room with an alcove for a baby grand piano, and an open plan great room containing the kitchen, dining, and family room. The second-floor houses guest and master suites with private balconies, and the third floor is a large roof deck offering views of downtown Pittsburgh. 

DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design

Foster Plaza 10 Suite 500, 680 Andersen Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15220

DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design is a firm with a mission to develop partnerships with clients that last beyond a single project. With an 80 percent repeat business rate, the firm continues to achieve this goal one project at a time. Led by Dennis L. Astorino, AIA, DLA+ provides “strategic architecture solutions” through a consultative partnership between client and architect. Under his watch, this residential architect in Pittsburgh PA has a Pittsburgh Magazine feature.

An example of the firm’s great work is an American Shingle-style home completed in 2017 for a client who desired a contemporary plan in an authentic Shingle style. The project involved demolishing an existing house on the one-acre lot and designing a stormwater management plan. Once the existing house was demolished, underground retention facilities and surface rain gardens were designed to address the stormwater management problems. The home featured numerous intricately detailed areas, including the foyer, kitchen, game, and exercise rooms, great room, and a custom-built 568-bottle capacity wine cellar. 

Ranking Methodology

To evaluate the performance of contractors, our methodology employs a systematic approach that considers various factors contributing to customer experience and satisfaction. We focused on assessing the residential architects in the Pittsburgh area. The methodology involves assigning weightings to specific categories based on their significance in determining customer service quality. Here’s the breakdown of the categories and their respective weightings:

• Average Customer Satisfaction (35%): This metric represents the average rating given by customers across the same review platforms as the Average Customer Satisfaction Score. A higher average rating indicates greater overall satisfaction with the service provided.
• Service Rating Score (25%): We analyze the ratio of high (4-5 stars) to low (1-2 stars) ratings for each business across multiple review platforms: Google, Houzz, and Yelp. A higher percentage of positive reviews contributes to a higher score, reflecting better customer satisfaction.
• Complaint Percentage (25%): We analyze the ratio of complaints to total reviews for each business. A lower complaints ratio indicates better service quality and results in a higher score.
• Business Hours and Availability (10%): The operating hours of each business are assessed to gauge accessibility. Companies with extended operating hours are awarded a higher score, as they offer greater convenience to customers.
• License Status (5%): We verify the licensing status of each contractor with their local licensing board to ensure legal compliance. Companies with valid licenses receive a higher score, reflecting professionalism and adherence to regulations.
• Total Score: We determined the overall rating for every contractor by calculating a weighted average, with the category weight determining the amount the subscore contributed to the total score 

Additional Note: Service Rating Score, Average Customer Satisfaction, and Complaint Percentage are calculated with a Bayesian estimate to account for if the contractor has a low number of total reviews. A Bayesian average is a statistical method used to calculate the average of a set of data points while taking into account prior information or beliefs about the distribution of the data. It combines the observed data with a prior distribution to generate a more accurate estimate of the true average.