Meet Peter Margittai | Architect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Peter Margittai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Peter, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Owning my own practice was a dream that started while I was in Architecture School. My classmates and I would sit around, usually in the early morning hours, discussing what type of firm we would have, the type of projects we would work on, and the way we would be different and better than the others. As years past, most of my Architecture friends settled into working for others, however for me, that dream of running my own practice never left. Therefore, soon after I became licensed, around the age of 30, I went out on my own!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My love for drawing, as a child, led me to the arts. I was happiest when I was drawing, painting or making ceramics. The joy I felt while creating art was why I decided to pursue a Fine Arts Degree after graduating high school. My father, however, thought this idea was not the best. He was a mechanical engineer, my brother was an engineer, and my grandfather was an engineer. My father explained to everyone that his family had engineering lineage back to the Venetian Bridge Builders! I, however, did not want to be an engineer. Though I knew little about what Architects did, I knew that they drew, and I loved to draw. So, to appease my father and pursue my passion, I transferred into the Architecture program – one of the best decisions I ever made.

In my fourth year at Penn State, the Architecture Department offered, for the first time, the Sedia di Roma program, a required study abroad program located in Rome, Italy. In Rome I was afforded the opportunity to experience Architecture as it was intended – in person. Through his weekly lectures and tours of the city, Professor Romolo Martemucci, helped me to understand how buildings and cities are created over time. Each generation of designers and builders acknowledging what had been built before and then adding their own unique creations. The experience of standing before the Pantheon, made me feel culturally tied to this more than 2,000-year-old structure. During this program, I began to appreciate how the buildings and the cities we create are historically connected by understanding
this heritage. I also learned that, as designers, we can create richer and more meaningful environments.

After the Sedia di Roma program, I was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Ecole d’Art Americas in Fontainebleau, France where I continued to absorb everything I could. Later, upon graduation, I went to Japan and taught English so I could continue to travel and learn. These experiences informed my understanding of how history, culture and tradition influenced how successful buildings were designed.

My experiences working for Pittsburgh Architecture firms, led me to start my own practice, Margittai Architects in 2001. My goal is to create carefully considered and well-designed projects that meet our clients where they are – in regard to scope, context, budget and aspirations – while working hard to exceed their expectations, which often results in unexpected and preferable solutions. The experience from studying in Rome, and other places, helped form my
professional work as I continually try to arrive at well-crafted designs that incorporate time, style and culture.

An example of my design approach would be the Market Street Townhomes located in Pittsburgh, PA. The design challenge was to create three luxury townhomes in one of downtown Pittsburgh’s oldest buildings, a 14,100 square foot warehouse, which was built in 1847. Our design included an expansion of the rooftop which provided outdoor space with views to Pittsburgh’s Monongahela River. The glass and aluminum details pay homage to the nearby PPG Place, designed by Philip Johnson. By faithfully restoring and highlighting the masonry and heavy timber structure and designing unique rooftop terraces, Market Street Townhomes now contributes to Pittsburgh’s thriving downtown, and was the recipient of the 2019 AIA Pittsburgh Certificate of Merit in the Medium-sized project category. The competition’s jury commented, “This is a great adaptation of a historic building. The re-use of the existing timber construction and the roof-top addition that allowed light to penetrate through the residence creates a unique experience. The jury appreciated the lengths that the architect accomplished in preserving and enhancing the existing structure.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The best of Pittsburgh

Places:
Point State Park
The Duquesne Incline to take in the views from Mount Washington.
River cruse on the Gateway Clipper.
Architecture tour of Downtown
Tour the Clayton – Henry Clay Frick’s mansion. Afterwards we would have high tea at the Clayton Café.
Visit the Carnegie Museum and enjoy cocktails afterwards on the roof terrace at Spirits and Tales for the best views of Oakland.
Explore Pittsburgh’s unique neighborhoods – South Side, Lawrenceville, Shadyside, Strip District, and Squirrel Hill.

Dining:
Dish Osteria and Bar – Favorite restaurant in town for over 20years.
Fig and Ash.
Tessarro’s steak house.
Café Du Jour in their beautiful courtyard.

Live Music
Club Café
Pittsburgh Winery
Mr. Smalls Theatre
The Roxian Theatre

Drinks
Dish Osteria and Bar
Acacia speakeasy
Piper’s Pub
Carmella’s – Sunday music brunch
Scratch
Dancing Gnome Brewery
Kingfly Spirits

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to my wife Michele who, for over 25 years, supported, challenged, and assisted me on my professional and person journey. Also, as the wife of an Architect, she had to endure living for 24 years in an unrenovated house – her husband was too busy designing home renovations for his clients!

Website: www.margittai.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margittai_architects

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/margittai-architects

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargittaiArch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margittai/

Image Credits
Ed Massery Photography