Last year we again began organizing the AIA Central PA Lecture Series with Peter Bohlin, FAIA speaking to a packed house in November. I had the distinct privilege of chairing the New York State AIA Design Awards Jury with Peter just one day after his lecture.

CDA is in growth mode as we look to add staff – please see our Job Openings. We have plans to move into a larger office by the end of the year and craft a brand video focused on our clients and the work we do for them. The studio is humming with exciting projects as we continue to refine and grow our inherently collaborative approach to practicing architecture.

CDA has been designing renovations to the former Hershey Company extraction plant on West Chocolate Avenue to create the new home for Hidden Still Distillery. Hidden Still is an award-winning grain to glass distillery, the largest in Pennsylvania. The fast paced project for President and Founder Dave Stein is slated to open this Summer and activate a long underutilized site in Downtown Hershey.

The Oklahoma City dispensary that opened in February is the 5th dispensary CDA has designed for Cure and the largest to date. Completely rehabilitating an automotive service garage we quickly, cost effectively, and dramatically transformed a utilitarian structure into an attractive destination within the highly competitive OKC medical marijuana market. The design is based on generous north-facing daylighting in patient and staff areas and the creative use of modest materials in a facility which must always balance aesthetic goals with product delivery and security concerns.

The 1,000sf renovation near the entrance to Penn State Harrisburg’s Library was re-opened to students at the start of the Spring 2020 Semester. CDA transformed a tired vending café area into a modern collaborative study space accessible to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Working with a project committee we created a diverse range of study options within a modest space using wood architectural elements such as a sloped entrance canopy, divising wall, and a thickened wall packed with a printer, bench, and study carrel.

Throughout 2019 CDA designed renovations to Harrisburg’s City Hall. We prepared a thorough master plan for comprehensive building renovations by working with elected officials and staff prior to the Phase 1 Renovations, which are largely focused on upgrades to the first floor. Our design was focused on making the space feel more inviting and accessible to citizens and staff. The construction documents are slated to be released to general contractor bidders in the first half of 2020 so work can begin this Summer.

CDA’s involvement with the Hershey Public Library dates to the early days of the practice and now our biggest project yet is well under construction and will be completed by early Summer 2020. Chris attended a Library Planning Workshop in New York City with then new Hershey Public Library Executive Director Laura O’Grady in 2017 to learn more about trends in libraries. In 2018 CDA provided concept design support to a Facilities Assessment & Planning Report by International Library Planners Aaron Cohen Associates (ACA) suggesting how the community would be better served by upgrades to the library. To realize many of the highest priority recommendations of the ACA Report, CDA designed new Staff Offices and Circulation Desk at the front of the library in 2018 and 2019, followed by a new Family Entrance, Children’s Department, and Teen Room in 2019 and 2020. CDA is proud to have supported Laura’s successful pursuit of grants to fund the Family Entrance Project and to have donated our construction administration services to a project that is being delivered on time and under budget.

CDA is thrilled to have designed our first project at the Penn State Health Hershey Campus. The Hub at the Cancer Institute is a collection of spaces to help patients and their families understand their cancer diagnosis, conduct research, and develop a holistic treatment plan. CDA’s design transformed a series of residual spaces into a collection of comfortable and bright reception, meeting, and office areas in service of Dr. Michael Hayes vision for improved patient service and outcomes.

Looking ahead, CDA will be featured in the Burg Magazine in April for our critical mass of work in Harrisburg ranging from City Hall, to projects for the nonprofit Heartshine, ZeroDay, WebFX, and more. Our work on medical marijuana projects keeps expanding with a large project in Columbus, Ohio set to continue through the end of the year. I am grateful that CDA’s hard work is leading to exciting opportunities and it is rewarding to see our team do such great work for our clients.

Lastly I am pleased to be co-chairing the AIA Central PA Lecture Series again this year and am excited to have Annabelle Selldorf, FAIA coming to Lancaster to speak at the Armstrong Corporate Campus on the evening of November 19th.

Chris Dawson, AIA