Springboard Design is an award-winning architecture and planning firm based in Pittsburgh that concentrates on public interest design, cultural facility and civic planning, healthy workplaces, and sustainable, innovative homes.

Founded in 2001, it has become a nationally recognized leader in the benefits of ethical development of communities. The company focuses on measurable project success, outstanding client service and satisfaction, and the exploration of design solutions for a healthier, more sustainable world.

Springboard Design’s founding partner, Paul Rosenblatt explained his relationship with City High. “We are committed to offering smart and inventive architectural design and planning solutions while cultivating the development of a transformative and creative community.” The firm’s focus on developing a creative community is where City Charter High School comes in.

“Typically, we will have summer interns,” Rosenblatt says. “Usually these are college or grad students, already in architecture school. We have probably had a few high school students over the years, but not a for-credit program like City High offers… and certainly not as structured.”

Luckily for City High’s Damani Brown, Mr. Rosenblatt came to Pittsburgh as an architecture professor at Carnegie Mellon and taught for over 10 years. So he has a natural instinct to help young people learn under his watch. He also taught a career discovery program at CMU where high school students could explore architecture as a possible career direction. So, he was an ideal mentor for this young student who’s dream job is to become an architect.

According to Mr. Rosenblatt, “Because we’re a small working office, we don’t have an intern coordinator to make sure students are busy and working on things. So, the interns we take on have to be independent enough to occupy themselves and anticipate what they need to know to complete their projects.” At City High, each student is “workplace ready” before heading to their internship and independent learning is a key element in each student’s development, which came in handy for Damani.

So, whether they are completing a new exhibition space at Phipps, building an expansion of the National Aviary on the Northside, creating a new headquarters building for CLASS (Community Living and Support Services) near Edgewood Towne Centre or creating innovative single-family homes, Springboard can also take credit for another successful community project – a possible future architect from City High.

To learn more about Springboard Design, visit: http://www.springboarddesign.net/