This is the commentary on the directory. For the directory itself, click here.

Motivations

“We think bathrooms are only on floors 1-3,” a student on the 23rd floor of the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning told me when I asked them if they knew if there was one on that floor. “At least, that’s what we read online.” I had been checking every floor for about half an hour already that morning, so I could tell them with certainty that there was actually a gender-neutral bathroom on the 26th floor, and would later learn that the nearest public restrooms were actually on the 21st.

It was a similar story the first time that I thought to simply ask somebody on the 28th floor where they would get their water from. “Just down to G,” she said, indicating the elevator. She returned about ten minutes later with a Saxby’s cup filled with water. But the nearest good water fountain and bottle filler I knew about was up on the 31st floor, and honestly, while I respect differing opinions, I’d take six flights of stairs over waiting for an elevator in Cathy twice.

I had first wanted to simply write down what was on every floor when I learned about the study spaces on the 23rd floor. I thought I’d google a list of all the study spaces in the Cathedral, but I had little luck: a few Redditors had incomplete lists of what units had offices on what floors, but I wanted more than that. So I decided to simply hike down the Cathedral and write down what was on each floor.

In the end, I made this walk three times, testing water fountains, checking bathrooms, and making notes. A friend helped me get some information that was less easily determined. The result is my directory of the Cathedral of Learning, the product of (disturbingly) about six hours’ work.

I hope that the information it contains can become more common knowledge. Other than one sign on the thirteenth floor, I couldn’t find any list of all the gender-neutral bathrooms in the Cathedral, something rather important to me… and even then, the sign wasn’t completely accurate.

Notes

There are many facilities in the Cathedral that I am not sure I would ever want to use. The men’s bathrooms on the sixth and ninth floors were some of the most powerful confirmations of my transition that I have ever seen. The water fountain on the seventh floor is technically functional, but the water seems to be imbued with the spirit of Yuri Gagarin and is quite difficult to contain.

And some floors’ layouts are just bizarre. Many, like the 16th, are divided by the staircases. Almost all have bathrooms and water fountains in the same places, which makes sense considering how plumbing has to be installed, but every once in a while a bathroom is just out somewhere amidst the offices.

Floors 4-23 are all served by all eight main elevators, while floors 24-36, where the building is narrowed, are served by only E, F, G, and H… except floor 9, which is served by only elevators E, F, and G.

I have been in quirkier university buildings. At Pitt, we have Crabtree Hall and Thaw Hall, whose elevator I will never understand. I once had the joy of navigating Princeton’s McCosh hall, a building with no hallways (so you must walk through other classrooms to reach your destination) and in which I’m pretty sure a fire would leave you trapped in the basement (where the only bathrooms are) with no stairs out. And considering the Cathedral’s age (older than pretty much every other major building on campus), it’s impressive that it’s not more incomprehensible. But Cathy defines our campus, and hopefully, now that you know a little more about her, it’ll help you love her all the more.