In 2007, Pittsburgh Public Schools undertook an ambitious plan to reinvent its secondary education programs, creating several new schools that would focus on special areas of study. One of these schools, the International Studies School, will be created in the existing Reizenstein School building in East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

The infrastructure of the two-story, 215,000 square foot existing building will undergo a complete renovation, from a total replacement of the existing enclosure system at the exterior, to construction of new partitions and installation of new building operations systems on the interior.

All of the educational areas are to be completely re-configured to address the specific programmatic requirements for the new facility. Enhancements to the building are planned to improve the performance and effectiveness of the facility, including operable windows at the exterior walls of the building, daylight monitors at the roof to bring natural light into interior sections of the building, and high-performance HVAC, electrical, lighting, and data networking systems. The renovation is targeted to meet the requirements for a “Gold” certification under the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

Phase I of the project will be completed in 2008; the complete renovation will be performed in phases, and is expected to be completed by 2011.