WILLIAM "PETE" BLACKWOOD
FOUNDING PARTNER.
William “Pete” Blackwood’s career in the green and building industries began before he could even drive a pick-up truck. As a boy, he began working on the maintenance crew of his grandfather’s 27-hole golf course. And when his grandfather decided to design and build nine more holes, he enlisted the by then teenager’s help. Pete was instantly hooked and embarked on a lifetime journey of creating beautiful and functional homes and gardens.
From a single-truck operation, founded in 1972, performing lawn maintenance and tree and shrub planting, Pete’s company continues to grow and thrive today, encompassing all aspects of residential design-build services - from conceptual designs to architectural details, construction services to project management, swimming pools to perennial gardens, kitchens, baths, furnishings and everything in between. Through an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, Pete and his team have emerged as a design-build industry leader known today as The Blackwood Group.
MELISSA BLACKWOOD
MANAGING PARTNER.
As a second-generation designer, Melissa Blackwood’s passion for architecture, homes, gardens, and the decorative arts was fueled at an early age by watching her father design and build beautiful homes and landscapes. She began working for the business part-time at the age of 13, and spent more than a decade apprenticing with her father, carefully studying all aspects of home design and construction before launching her own successful design career.
Today, Melissa is one of the few design/builders in the area that truly understand the critical art of blending interior and exterior spaces to fit the lifestyle of a homeowner and their family with the surrounding environment. With more than 30 of years of experience, she continues to be inspired daily by her clients and their stories to create warm, inviting and award-winning homes and gardens. Along the way, Melissa, together with her father, Pete, have assembled and lead a talented team of designers and craftspeople that have become known as The Blackwood Group, all dedicated to providing world-class quality and service to discerning homeowners in Pittsburgh and beyond.