MURPHY & DITTENHAFER ARCHITECTS COMPLETES NEWBERRY STREET ENTRANCE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE YORK BRANCH YMCA

Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects was commissioned by the YMCA of York and York County to redesign the main entrance to their York City branch.

The entrance, along Newberry Street in downtown York, was a grand and dignified entryway when the building was constructed in 1925, but over time became an unattractive assemblage of steep, cracked, gray granite steps and a patchwork of unsafe sidewalks and broken or missing curbing. The Newberry Street entrance has been the access point for the Y’s childcare program - where children are dropped off and conveyed to the care of the YMCA on a daily basis.

The improvement project replaces this unsafe and unsightly construction with a new set of precast/poured-in-place concrete steps with a new mid-level stair landing, gently-curved radius step profile, and flanking brick planters. Streetscape improvements also include a new checkerboard-patterned sidewalk landing area at the curb and new lighting.

“The new entrance is more user-friendly - certainly more child-friendly,” says Frank Dittenhafer. “the new, visually attractive composition restores an element of dignity to the Newberry Street facade and conveys a new identity that correlates with the quality of child care services provided within the YMCA.”

The improvements to the York City branch are an effort by the YMCA to further contribute to the City’s renaissance.

“The plan is to diminish the institutional presence while preserving the historical significance of the building,” says YMCA President/CEO Larry Richardson, “securing the Y’s place in the community and securing access, inclusion, and engagement.”

The $250,000 entrance and streetscape improvement project began in June 2015 and was completed in December 2015.

CPAFF Architecture Scholarship

by Frank E. Dittenhafer II, FAIA, LEED AP
Chair, Central PA Architects Foundation Advisory Committee     

The Central PA Architects Foundation Fund (CPAFF) Architecture Scholarship has been awarded to Hannah Bahney, a fourth year Architecture student attending Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hannah Bahney is the fifth recipient of the annual CPAFF Architecture Scholarship and has received a $1,000 award. Hannah was the unanimous selection of the Foundation Advisory Committee as the 2015 recipient after their review and evaluation of an impressive group of scholarship applications received during spring/summer 2015. Financial need, community involvement, volunteer activities, and examples of design work are considerations in the scholarship recipient selection process. The Foundation Advisory Committee is comprised of Past-Presidents of the AIA Central Pennsylvania Chapter.  

The Committee was particularly impressed with Hannah’s inspiring perspectives about architecture and commitment to community engagement which became apparent while attending Tulane University in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. In Hannah’s own words as stated in her CPAFF Scholarship Application: “I want to feel that I am part of every community in which I design a project. Community engagement is essential in New Orleans, especially after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Witnessing firsthand the effects of rebuilding an entire city has made me fully understand the need for engagement of the community in everything we create. As architects we must do whatever we can to preserve and honor their culture, while not losing sight of our own designs.”

To be eligible for the CPAFF scholarship, student applicants must be currently enrolled in an architecture degree program: two year or four year undergraduate program, five year professional program, or graduate program leading to a Masters degree. Present or former residency is required from one of the thirteen counties within the AIA Central Pennsylvania Chapter Region. Hannah is a resident of Myerstown, Pennsylvania in Lebanon County.

Hannah spent the Fall 2015 semester in Spain studying Architecture - and was unable to attend the AIA Central PA Expo and Design Awards Program on November 2, 2015, when her selection as the CPAFF scholarship recipient was announced.

The Central PA Architects Foundation Architecture Scholarship was established as a permanent restricted scholarship fund in conjunction with The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC), headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which administers the Fund.  Annual fundraising efforts by the Foundation Advisory Committee and AIA Central PA Chapter continue to preserve and grow the endowment, and increase the annual award.  Tax deductible donations may be made online through the AIA Central PA website link to TFEC.

The 2016 Scholarship Application Forms may be submitted by eligible students anytime after April 1, 2016 and prior to June 30, 2016 – with the award determination made by the CPAF Advisory Committee no later than August 15, 2016.  Architecture Scholarship Application Forms will be available in 2016 through the TFEC and AIA Central PA Chapter websites.       

Renovations to Sarah's Hope Transitional Housing Facility

Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects led the renovation of a 1931 school building to expand the Sarah’s Hope Transitional Housing Facility for Women and Children.

The $7 million project, commissioned by Baltimore City Department of General Services and St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, comprehensively renovated the 38,000-square foot facility.

Prior to the renovation, Sarah’s Hope occupied the first floor of the building, originally constructed in 1931 as a school. The comprehensive renovation of the existing three-story structure, located in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore City - the neighborhood where Freddie Gray died while in police custody, resulting in a series of protests - has allowed Sarah’s Hope to fully utilize all three floors.

The project enhanced resource and program space for clients, improved staff areas and spaces that will be made available for community use, including a daycare area. The renovation also included installation of a new, energy-efficient variable refrigerant flow HVAC system, new interior finishes and lighting throughout the building. The design developed by Murphy & Dittenhafer provided a complete reconfiguration of all three floorplates, additional client sleeping rooms and common living areas for added privacy, and a more dignified transitional housing experience for residents.

The building has been designed for compliance with easements administered by the Maryland Historical Trust.

Construction was completed earlier in 2015 with a dedication ceremony for the expanded building held in October. Now that the interior renovation is complete and Sarah’s Hope is using the building to its full capacity, Murphy & Dittenhafer has also completed plans for site improvements that will fully develop the surrounding 1.34-acre site for resident and community programming. Construction for the $1.2 million site improvements project is slated to begin in early 2016 and last approximately nine months.