Gerard Damiani
Gerard Damiani is an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon Architecture. He is the founder and president of studio d'ARC architects (SDA) in Pittsburgh. A graduate of Syracuse University, he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree with honors and was awarded the James Britton Medal for best senior thesis. Gerard is a registered architect with professional licenses in New York and Pennsylvania and has been in practice since 1990, and as principal of his own firm since 1996.
He is as committed to the education of architects as he is to the practice of architecture. Gerard has taught both adjunct and full-time since 1992 at Syracuse University, Kansas State University and Carnegie Mellon. He taught first year design studios and drawing courses at Syracuse University from 1992 through 1994 and was a visiting faculty member at Kansas State University in the fall of 2003 in the fourth year design curriculum where he also taught a course on mid-century modern architecture. Gerard has been with Carnegie Mellon Architecture since 1996, where he has served as both an adjunct and associate professor in architectural design teaching and coordinating first, second, third, Advanced Synthesis Option (fourth and fifth) and fifth year (thesis) design studios; an elective on architectural detailing; and a technology course. Gerard received tenure as an Associate Professor in 2017.
In addition to his teaching commitment, Gerard has served on many committees, including the 2008-09 Carnegie Mellon Architecture Head Search Committee, the Campus Design Vision Committee, Campus Design Review Committee, the Architect Selection Committee for CMU’s Gates building and TCS Hall, and multiple Faculty Search Committees at Carnegie Mellon as well as the Kent State University School of Architecture Advisory Board.
He has been invited as a guest juror and guest lecturer/speaker at a variety of institutions including universities, museums and AIA chapters. As an author, he has contributed articles to Oz, the Kansas State University architectural periodical, as well as the University of Virginia’s architectural publication Modulus.
Since 1999 Gerard’s work has received many local awards from the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as well as Pittsburgh Magazine's Superior Interiors and Home of the Year awards program. He has also received recognition from the National AIA with a national housing award for his project Live/Work Studio as well as a number of AIA Pennsylvania awards for design excellence. His residential work has been featured in U.S. and international architectural publications including Dwell, GreenSource Magazine, Azure Magazine, Architectural Review, C3, Elle Decoration, A Vivre and Architectural Record.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
PROJECTS
Mt. Washington project. Credit: Massery Photography
Bark House project. Credit: Massery Photography
Spring 2025 Teaching
Architects’ fascination with the barge has been mythological, societal, cultural and utilitarian. This studio looks at the commonplace western Pennsylvania waterways and river barges as a way to resolve present cultural and ecological challenges as well as the making of objects that engage the water’s edge.
This course examines the role of the architectural detail in the formation/thematic development of a work of architecture and how the detail reinforces the theoretical position of the architect.
Fall 2024 Teaching
This course introduces and examines the fundamentals between design intent and construction materials, and the science of materials (performance) and their assemblies.
Fulfills minor requirements for: Architectural Technology (non-majors)
This studio is the capstone of a student’s undergraduate education and is an opportunity to integrate the various technical aspects of their professional degree to date.