Uber Advanced Technology Group Center

The "City of Steel" becomes home to the city of the future

Uber Advanced Technology Group Center

Client
Uber
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Size
80,000 square feet
Status
Completed 2017

The Advanced Technology Group (ATG) Center in Pittsburgh is focused on researching and developing solutions for mapping, vehicle safety and autonomous transportation. Pittsburgh’s history of manufacturing the most essential machines of its age matched Uber’s vision of launching its first self-driving vehicle.

Uber joined dozens of other companies working on robotics and autonomous technologies on a three-mile stretch of riverfront known as Robotics Row. This strip of land houses expansive warehouses, factories and foundries that were largely abandoned after the collapse of the local steel industry. The ATG occupies 80,000 square feet in a warehouse that was once a restaurant depot.

Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
A steel-framed bridge traverses the machine shop, where self-driving cars are engineered, built and tested.

The ATG houses engineers envisioning, designing and testing the future. Unlike a typical technology office, the space was designed for builders. Every work area has room for toolboxes, carts and prototypes. There are studio spaces designed for teams of six to brainstorm and hash out specific projects over a set period of time. Each space has an informal area, two small conference rooms, and six workstations—all oriented around communal zones. Housed between the studios is a fully functional machine shop where autonomous cars are engineered, built and tested.

Drawing inspiration from the “City of Steel,” the ATG is filled with materials inspired by the industrial era. The worn corten steel frames, glass walkways, and natural grain of local hardwoods all echo the city’s proud heritage.

Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
The grey-toned lobby features walls sheathed in hot-rolled steel panels and a sculptural desk with a blackened steel base.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
The workplace includes open-plan studios, meeting rooms, social areas and lounges.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
The heart of the building is an expansive multi-use space with stadium-style seating. A glass wall overlooks the Allegheny River, which runs alongside the building.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
The heart of the building is an expansive multi-use space with stadium-style seating. A glass wall overlooks the Allegheny River, which runs alongside the building.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
The heart of the building is an expansive multi-use space with stadium-style seating. A glass wall overlooks the Allegheny River, which runs alongside the building.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
The "Tunnel of the Future" is lined with prototypes of hardware, such as car parts, cameras and microchips.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
Transparent garage doors connect the machine shop to the main public areas.

Ultimately, the ATG Center is more than a workplace. It's a laboratory where the future is forged.

Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
Perforated corten steel screens are paired with smokey glass. Patterning on one screen depicts a map of Pittsburgh, while the other portrays San Francisco, where Uber is headquartered.
Uber Advanced Technology Group Center
Fireplaces throughout the building give teammates places to lounge during cold Pittsburgh winters.