Zachary Dietrich

Hometown: Newton, MA

Education Background: Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis

How did you get interested in your field?

Architecture has been a prominent interest of mine since start of high school. I took a few classes that my high school offered and a couple of summer classes as well. I’m the grandson of an architect who practiced in Cambridge, MA and started Cambridge Seven so a little of my inspiration came from the various examples that his firm produced. During my undergraduate studies I really got exposed to the field and started to try and find what architecture I was really interested in exploring. Towards the end of my four years, the concept of time and memory started to come up more often within my schoolwork and internship experiences. This is where my interest in historic preservation started to emerge and I began to think more about how time and memory could be used as design mediums to create more sustainable and individually meaningful spatial experiences.

What was your background prior to coming to Penn?

I graduated from WashU in May 2025 and went back home to take a quick gap year. I was fortunate enough to work at a couple firms within the Boston area, both with extremely different styles and types of architectural design but was extremely beneficial to how I approached my projects here at Weitzman.

Why did you choose Penn?

I chose Penn for its flexibility in allowing students to pursue a dual degree of their choice. This is a unique opportunity that not many other schools offer. I think what’s even more important is that the departments love to work together and collaborate. I think another thing that drove me to choose Penn is for the numerous amounts of resources that are offered to students. And networking!

What do you like best about Philadelphia?

Being from just outside the Boston area, the adjustments made by moving to Philly has been surprisingly easier than I thought. There’s a lot of things to do here which I love about the city as well. I’ve been able to make my way around the various art museums within the city such as the Barnes Foundation, Calder Gardens, and Philadelphia Art Museum. There’s also so many places to eat and get a drink.

What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?

As mentioned previously, I love going to art museums and taking inspiration from so many artists that I could implement into my own work. I also love going thrifting and vintage/antique shopping. In terms of organizations through Weitzman, I want to become more involved in AIAS during my time here.

What are your career ambitions?

After graduating, I hope to become a design director at either an existing architectural firm or my own that emphasizes historical preservation and adaptive reuse. I hope to advocate for the importance of memory and time within the field of architecture as I think this is something that is becoming a less prominent area of concern.