We congratulate Jeffrey (Jeff) Dugan FAIA on his retirement!
After more than 25 years with Dattner Architects, Jeff leaves us with a legacy of community infrastructure projects that have shaped the city. His commitment to elevating the civic realm, advancing community, and creating connections among all elements of urban life found its primary expression in the planning and design of public transportation facilities, including two of the city’s busiest: the 59 St-Columbus Circle Station and the Myrtle-Wyckoff Station. He brought the same attention to the design of public schools such as the New Settlement Community Campus and the Charles F. Murphy Early Childhood Development Center.
Other notable projects include the Bishop Rene Valero Senior Residence, the NYPD 116th Precinct, and the Newark Airport Terminal B Redevelopment. Jeff’s projects have received numerous awards from AIA Chapters and Components, SARA state and national, and the ACEC, recognizing excellence in precedent-setting architectural design and engineering. Each project demonstrates his keen understanding of how people move through space, how architecture affects mood and behavior, and how the relationship between a project and its environment can create, enhance, or spark the development of community.
In his role as co-chair of AIANY’s Transportation + Infrastructure Committee (2012–2022), he worked tirelessly to create opportunities for his colleagues and an international cohort of professionals in allied disciplines to share knowledge and explore case studies in New York City and abroad. Under his leadership, the Committee grew in size and influence, as his fellow architects came to share his conviction that the civic realm, community infrastructure, and, in particular, mass transit are worthy of their design talents.
In a management role and as Treasurer at Dattner Architects, Jeff collaborated with the Partnership to successfully grow the firm, seeing it triple in size over the past 25 years. He was a strong advocate for the transition of leadership to the next generation, including the firm’s evolution to a majority women-owned business.
Jeff has shared his insatiable curiosity, deep respect for community, and commitment to a collaborative process with all of us. His legacy will continue through the firm, its projects, and the generations he mentored. We wish him all the best in his retirement, which begins on January 1st.
