Architect designs Pittsburgh’s home of the year JOHN WEE
Gracing newsstands across southwestern Pennsylvania this spring was the work of Mark Frankovitch ’05, whose newly designed residence was named “Home of the Year” by the American Institute of Architects in the March issue of Pittsburgh Magazine. The honor was the culmination of a project that began on Frankovitch’s daily commute in the South Side of Pittsburgh, where he discovered the building with the rounded side. He soon acquired the property and named the house teres58domus: teres (Latin for rounded), 58 (the house number) and domus (Latin for home). Frankovitch wanted to incorporate the existing structure into his new design, so he used the concrete roof and block walls to build upward. He added a second and third floor to transform the building into a single-family home and turned the original building into a living room, den and kitchen. He then added two roof decks, two bathrooms, a master bedroom and an office. At the end of the project, the building’s size was nearly doubled. The 2,400 square feet of indoor living space was further enhanced by multi-leveled roof decks, providing additional outdoor space and expansive views of downtown Pittsburgh. A history major at W&J, Frankovitch attributed his successful endeavors in architecture to his liberal arts education. “I took several art classes as electives, which helped me understand the importance of the aesthetic component needed in development,” he said. “But it was the accounting, finance and business classes that gave me the necessary skill sets to turn the concept into a reality.”
1994 Jennifer Goldstein Branstetter was named the secretary of planning and policy to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. She previously served in the attorney general’s office as the director of education and outreach. For more on Branstetter, see page 14.
’94 Dwight Dachnowicz, owner of Tarrytown Honda in New York, was named Northeast chairman of the Honda Dealer Council. Dwight Dachnowicz, owner of Tarrytown Honda in Westchester County, N.Y., was named Northeast chairman of the Honda Dealer Council. The youngest to be named to the three-year position, Dachnowicz will advocate for 114 fellow dealers and act as a liaison between the dealers and American Honda. Craig Russell was elected partner at Thorp Reed & Armstrong, LLP. He practices in the areas of commercial finance, real estate transactions, creditors’ rights and commercial loan restructuring and workouts.
Andrew Tabler was interviewed on the PBS “NewsHour” by Margaret Warner concerning the political situation in Lebanon. He is a Next Generation Fellow in the program on Arab politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on how the U.S. can engage with Syria in a way that best advances U.S. interests. For more on Tabler, see page 7.
1995 Scott Adams was named director of operations for Victaulic, the world’s leader in mechanical pipe-joining systems. He is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s global manufacturing strategy and overseeing several facilities in the U.S. Scott, his wife, Cori, and their two daughters, Katelyn and Brooke, live in Wilmington, N.C. Gina Gurgiolo was named a senior consultant at the Multnomah Group, where she will lead the technical services department and provide direct consulting to clients. Previously, she worked at The Standard as a retirement plans product manager.
’95
Mark Frankovitch is the architect behind Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2011 “Home of the Year.”
Heather Holmes was named one of Library Journal magazine’s 2011 “Movers & Shakers” for helping to shape the future of libraries and communities across the U.S. Referred to as a “knowledge warrior,” she developed a clinical medical librarian program that provides a reference service within Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, where she works as an information services librarian.
1997 Jaeson L. Taylor was named a partner at the law firm of Kelley & Ferraro. He is an experienced trial lawyer who has handled cases regarding personal injury, workers’ compensation and wrongful death. Taylor is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers magazine’s 2010 and 2011 Rising Star Editions.
Heather Holmes was named one of Library Journal magazine’s 2011 “Movers & Shakers.” WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE
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