2016 AIA Central Pennsylvania Excellence in Design Award Winners
The York Central Market Historic Renovation
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects | Good Design is Good Business and Merit Award in the Built Category
Jury Comments for the Good Design is Good Business Award:
“The sympathetic design enhances the positive attributes of the existing building while the market contributes anew to the vitality of the community.”
“A careful renovation which reinvigorates the classic market hall with necessary modern updates while preserving the time honored tradition of the market for a new generation of shoppers and vendors. So many of these types of buildings are getting chopped up into separate programs for offices and other uses- it’s wonderful to see the original use of this building preserved and exalted in the community.”
Jury Comments for the Merit Award:
“This is a sensitive and thoughtful renovation that successfully maintains and enhances the integrity of the historic building, while accommodating the necessary complexities of different market vendors and space for community gatherings and events.”
“The architects took care to analyze the existing structural system and the renovation preserves and highlights the beautiful historic wood roof which provides a rhythm and ordering system for the rest of the building. This is a lovely counterpoint to the dynamic and lively diversity of the market stalls below.”
51 North Queen Street
Hammel Associates Architects | Citation Award in the Small Projects Category
Jury Comments:
“The architect has demonstrated great restraint with their ability to recognize the understated elegance of the existing building geometry and elevated the user’s experience by adding a complementary curved canopy. The increased transparency of the storefront provides an important relationship with the streetscape and pedestrians on North Queen Street. The renovation at 51 North Queen Street incorporates sensible design to help establish a new identity within an established Historic District.”
“An elegant project and an incredible transformation which celebrates the history of the storefront while updating the facade to a modern day version with nods to the original design and the historic era when the building was first constructed. The new design has a retro feel that works with both the existing building and its neighbors while also providing an appropriate retail stage for the new tenant.”
Phoenix Contact RBU Building
LSC Design, Inc. | Honor Award in the Built Category
Jury Comments:
“New and existing facilities are wonderfully unified in a program type that is rarely recognized for achieving design excellence. “
“All aspects of the design are carefully considered in relation to each other. Most notable are the selective materials palette, artful manipulation of daylighting, and the sophisticated spatial and ff&e refinements that seldom take place in “back of house” areas.”
“This design uses the simple but powerful qualities of natural daylight, visual access to vegetation and the outdoors, and direct and honest form to create a work environment that is generous and considerate of all employees.”
Rupert Elementary School
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates | Merit Award
Jury Comments:
“The design successfully and simultaneously uncovers, edits, and enhances the many stages of life that have been demanded of this building.”
“The restoration of the original building is carefully considered. Just as importantly, the main addition itself skillfully mediates and resolves the stylistic incompatibilities of the pre-existing expansions.”
“By looking at proportion, rhythm, and other architectural characteristics inherent to the original building and subsequent addition, the architects successfully create a contemporary addition that is sensitive to the existing past.”
Harrisburg Area Community College Advanced Technology Center & Library/Learning Center
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects | Citation Award
Jury Comments:
“The plans are done quite well. They show considerable skill at resolving the inherent conflicts between the use of the orthogonal and curvilinear geometries present in both buildings. The strategy of inverting the primary languages, while maintaining a residual reflectance of the other, results in a successful dialogue between the two despite their vastly different designs.”
“There is also a synthesis between the exterior expressions and the interior spaces; which, despite their complex nature, maintain the clarity of the principal spaces.”
“The adaptive and transformative re-use of this existing warehouse structure creates several dynamic spaces that can inspire provocative ideas to exist. The adjacent library with a primarily angular glass façade is a nice counterpoint to the curved façade of the Advanced Technology Center. The architect’s ability and understanding of form-making while relating to a programmatic function makes for a truly collaborative learning environment.”
