The award is just one recent component of Frank Dittenhafer’s continued relationship with his alma mater.
Frank E. Dittenhafer II credits long days and nights in the studio, a range of professors and mentors who guided him, and a high caliber of student colleagues who set the foundation for his Architectural career.
When he graduated from Penn State’s School of Architecture in 1978, he was launched into a field that possessed prestigious examples of design work from others.
He reflects back on the foundation Penn State set for him — not just the education he received, but the way such a rigorous design environment shaped him into the creative and successful Architect he is today.
All those years he was nurtured as a budding architect bloomed into not just a lasting relationship with the school, but with those he has come to call friends.
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When Dittenhafer walked across the stage at the Penn State Esber Recital Hall for the 2021 College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Awards Ceremony in November 2021 to receive the Architecture Alumni Award, he was one of seven A&A College Alumni whom he considers great achievers in their fields.
Among those honored were Adam Cohn (Graphic Design), Adrian Lawrence Smith (Landscape Architecture), Deborah Capperella Confredo (Music Education), Patrick Fabian (Theatre), David Anthony Gall (Art Education), and Frida Kahlo (B.A. English and M.A. Art History).
While the event had been delayed previously because of COVID-19 and was put on this year with a small group of attendees, it was a joyous occasion.
Among the greats
Peter Margittai, a ’93 graduate of Penn State, President of Margittai Architects and Immediate Past-President of the College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Society Board, introduced his longtime friend, Dittenhafer, for his award, confessing he had a big smile behind his facemask.
Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture B. Stephen Carpenter II opened the awards event by stating “The actions of our alumni out in the world, perusing their passions and their professional lives, are a reflection of their Penn State connection,” “You give so generously of your time … for which we are exceedingly grateful.”
The occasion not only recognized the efforts of the alumni present that day but spoke to the caliber of the collective—of all the things they have accomplished and the good work they continue to do in their areas of expertise.
“The standards of excellence at Penn State are very high, and to be recognized among so many accomplished people whom I consider to be ‘greats’ was an honor,” Dittenhafer says. “There is no substitute for what I gained at Penn State.”
A longstanding relationship
While Dittenhafer is co-founder and President of the firm Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, with offices in York, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland, he has been engaged with Penn State since he graduated more than 40 years ago.
He currently serves as the President of the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Society Board and also represents the Alumni Society on the College of Arts and Architecture’s Philanthropic Council. He’s also actively engaged with Penn State York, where his firm recently designed and received several Central Pennsylvania AIA awards for the new Graham Center for Innovation and Collaboration.
Through his continued involvement with Penn State, Dittenhafer aims to give current students access to all of the resources he had and more. He’s mentored several students, hired others at his firm, and recently encouraged others on the A&A Alumni Board to contribute for the first time on Giving Tuesday (November 30,2021) to the College of Arts and Architecture scholarship fund – which successfully raised approximately $7,500.
“I hope the tide keeps rising,” Dittenhafer says. “There’s a level of excitement that Arts & Architecture alumni are engaging with current students, and you see the benefits of that.”
Through it all, Dittenhafer hopes to show that exciting, inspiring Architectural design work can be done right here in places like York, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland.
“There are other big cities with exciting things going on, but they aren’t the only places where design opportunity exists,” he says. “You can make a big impact in a meaningful way in communities that need it. I hope that’s the inspiration I can impart.”
“Interior designs being integral from the beginning of a project capitalize on things that make it special in the long run.”
Digital animations help Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects and clients see designs in a new light.
Frank Dittenhafer and his firm work alongside the nonprofit to fulfill the local landscape from various perspectives.
From Farquhar Park to south of the Codorus Creek, Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects help revamp York’s Penn Street.
Designs for LaVale Library, Intergenerational Center, and Beth Tfiloh Sanctuary show the value of third places.
The Annapolis Department of Legislative Services Building is under construction, reflecting the state capital’s Georgian aesthetic with modern amenities.
For the past two years, the co-founder and president of Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has led the university’s College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Society.
The firm recently worked with St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore to renovate an old elementary school for a Head Start pre-k program.
The market house, an 1888 Romanesque Revival brick structure designed by local Architect John A. Dempwolf, long has stood out as one of York’s premier examples of Architecture. Architect Frank Dittenhafer is passing the legacy of serving on its board to Architectural Designer Harper Brockway.
At Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, there is a deep-rooted belief in the power of combining history and adaptive reuse with creativity.
University of Maryland Global Campus explores modernizing its administration building, which serves staffers and students enrolled in virtual classes.
The Wilkens and Essex precincts of Baltimore County are receiving solutions-based ideas for renovating or reconstructing their police stations.
The firm has earned the designation annually since 2016 in recognition of its commitment to supporting newer professionals in the field.
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects recently completed the Design Development phase for a 20,000-square-foot building for Crispus Attucks York. Construction should begin in August.
The facility in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is re-envisioning its focus with the help of Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects.
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects received numerous awards from AIA Pennsylvania, AIA Central Pennsylvania, AIA Baltimore, and ABC Keystone.
Since 2019, the firm has designed a number of protected entryways for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
A business lunch at an iconic building sparked an awakening whose effects continue to ripple down the city thoroughfare.
Since its founding in 1985, Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects often has sought out community-oriented projects that have a lasting impact.
The university’s Arts and Architecture Alumni Society Board President — and a past award recipient himself — handed out this year’s awards to seven recipients.
After an extensive evaluation of a Maryland state building in Annapolis, the architectural firm recommended demolishing it and erecting a new structure.
Six members of M&D’s team of creative professionals are advancing their careers within the firm.
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects is part of a team tasked with designing and renovating the burned-out Horn Farm Center farmhouse to be a sustainable building at the regenerative farm.
The firm was selected from among some of the top Architects in the area to bring a new look and improved function to the sanctuary at the Beth Tfiloh Congregation in Maryland.
Licensed Architect Stefanie Tincher has been managing an evaluation of the William Donald Schaefer Building, which houses an array of Maryland state agencies.
The York thoroughfare connects neighborhoods, businesses, and organizations on the western side of the city. Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has teamed up with the YMCA of the Roses and community member Montez Parker II to create a Vision Plan for the area.
The historic landmark building in Harrisburg’s Capitol Complex is expected to reopen in spring 2023, but in November the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra will return to the structure’s ornate auditorium for its 2022-23 season.
Seitzland Village represents historic pride and a dedication to community.