For Harper Kvasnovsky, architecture has always been about more than buildings. It is about place, people, and purpose – and for her, no place embodies all three quite like York.
A lifelong York County resident and architectural designer at Murphy & Dittenhafer (M&D), Kvasnovsky has built her career around shaping the same community that shaped her. While many designers leave their hometowns in search of larger markets or bigger cities, she made a deliberate choice to stay. The reasons are deeply personal, professionally fulfilling, and rooted in what makes York unique.
A graduate of the Dallastown Area School District, Kvasnovsky was drawn early on to both creativity and problem-solving, equally interested in art and mathematics. Architecture emerged as the discipline that combined both, leading her to Penn State University’s five-year Bachelor of Architecture program. Her education included a rigorous thesis year and a study abroad experience in Rome—exposure to global design and historic architecture that broadened her perspective.
Even so, York always remained her anchor. “York always felt like the right place to come back to,” she says. Family ties played a major role, but so did the region’s balance. “You’re surrounded by nature, but you’re also incredibly connected – a perfect middle ground between major cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore.”
That “middle ground” is central to why York works so well for her. It offers access to urban centers while maintaining a human scale, strong community ties, and an authenticity she values both personally and professionally.
Kvasnovsky’s path to M&D came through Penn State’s alumni network, where she connected with firm principal Frank Dittenhafer. That introduction led to a virtual internship during the summer of 2020, blending remote work with limited on-site visits. The fit was immediate. After graduating, she joined the firm full-time and has now been with M&D for nearly five years.
What drew her to the firm was its range— and its impact. Rather than specializing in a single building type, M&D works across community centers, urban planning, historic renovations, educational facilities, and commercial projects throughout Central Pennsylvania and the Baltimore region. “I love that no two projects are the same,” Harper says. “But more importantly, I love that so many of them are right here—places I pass every day, communities I’m part of.”
As an architectural designer, she serves as the “point person” on projects, coordinating between design vision and real-world execution by aligning structural, civil, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems into a cohesive whole. She is currently progressing through the national licensure process, having completed three of the six required exams to become a licensed architect.
Yet the most rewarding work, she says, is community-centered, especially projects in York. Among the most meaningful is the Crispus Attucks History & Culture Center, a project rooted deeply in local history and shaped through close collaboration with community stakeholders.
“That project was about listening first,” she explains. “It wasn’t just about the building—it was about honoring the story it was meant to hold.” Other projects Harper worked on include the South George Street Study and the Horn Farm Center, while M&D also played a part in renovations to familiar landmarks like the 1741 Club at WellSpan Park and Marketview Arts.
“When you design something and then watch people actually use it— that’s what makes staying in York special,” she says. “You see your work become part of daily life.”
Outside the office, Kvasnovsky lives in Glen Rock, embraces York County’s trail system, frequents Central Market, and shares her home with her husband and their yellow lab. For Harper Kvasnovsky, staying in York isn’t about standing still. It’s about contributing, investing, and helping shape the future of a place she knows intimately.
“York has history, character, and potential,” she says. “Being able to contribute to that—to help shape where it’s going – means everything.”
