Maria A. Bentel

Dates of Birth and Death

Education

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture - Bachelors degree in Architecture (1951)
• Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship for the Scuola d'Architettura di Venezia (1952-53)

Years of practice

Affiliations/Firms

• Bentel & Bentel, Architects/Planners AIA (NY, 1957) - Founding partner with husband Dr. Frederick R. Bentel (FAIA)

Professional organizations

• Joined AIA in 1957
• Became AIA fellow in 1976

Major projects

• St. Francis de Sales Church (Bennington, NY)
• St. Anthony’s Church (Nanuet, NY)
• Nassau Centre Office Building (NY)
• Shelter Rock Library (Searingtown, NY)
• Salten Hall, New York Institute of Technology (NY)
• Amityville Public Library (Jericho, NY)
• John B. Gambling Residence (Lattingtown, NY)
• Steinberg Learning Center, Woodmere Academy (NY)
• Neitlich Residence (Oyster Bay Cove, NY)
• Hempstead Bank (NY)
• Glen Cove Boys’ Club at Lincoln House (Glen Cove, NY)
• North Shore Unitarian School (Plandome, NY)
• Kinloch Farm (NY)
• C.W. Post College, Long Island University (NY)
• New York College of Osteopathic Medicine at New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, NY)

Awards, honors and press

• New York State Association of Architects Award for St. Jude’s Within the Walls, Napanoch (1964)
• Honorable Mention in the Brighton Beach Housing Competition (1968)
• New York State Association of Architects Award for the North Shore Unitarian School, Plandome (1970)
• New York State Association of Architects Award for the Jericho Public Library, Jericho (1974)
• New York State Association of Architects Award for the Hillwood Commons Student Union Facility at Long Island University’s Brookville Campus (1975)
• National Award (Bentel & Bentel, Architects/Planners AIA) from the American Institute of Architects for Saint Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church, Warwick (1992)
• Recipient (along with husband Frederick) of the Lifetime Achievement Medal from the Long Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (1999)
• Distinguished Faculty Award from the alumni of the Architecture School at New York Institute of Technology (1999)
• First Prize from the Interior Designers Association (Bentel & Bentel, Architects/Planners AIA) for the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, NYC (2000)

Location of architect’s archive

Related websites

Keywords

Biography

Early Life and Education

Born Maria-Luise Ramona Azzarone to parents Louis and Maria Teresa Azzarone on July 15, 1928 in New York.  Recognized just as much for her architectural virtuosity as she was for her passionate teaching methods, Maria Bentel was an instrumental figure in the development of women as leaders of the architecture industry.  She attended Hunter High School in New York and received her Bachelors degree in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1951.     She passed away November 8, 2000 in Locust Valley, leaving behind her husband Dr. Frederick Richard Bentel and her three children: Paul Louis Bentel, Peter Andreas Bentel, and Maria Elisabeth Bentel.

Career in Architecture

Taught at the Architecture School of New York Institute of Technology (1977-?); prior to NYIT lectured at the City University of New York.

Firm Size: 22

Major Buildings and Projects

• St. Francis de Sales Church (Bennington, NY)
• St. Anthony’s Church (Nanuet, NY)
• Nassau Centre Office Building (NY)
• Shelter Rock Library (Searingtown, NY)
• Salten Hall, New York Institute of Technology (NY)
• Amityville Public Library (Jericho, NY)
• John B. Gambling Residence (Lattingtown, NY)
• Steinberg Learning Center, Woodmere Academy (NY)
• Neitlich Residence (Oyster Bay Cove, NY)
• Hempstead Bank (NY)
• Glen Cove Boys’ Club at Lincoln House (Glen Cove, NY)
• North Shore Unitarian School (Plandome, NY)
• Kinloch Farm (NY)
• C.W. Post College, Long Island University (NY)
• New York College of Osteopathic Medicine at New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, NY)

Press and Awards

• New York State Association of Architects Award for St. Jude’s Within the Walls, Napanoch (1964)
• Honorable Mention in the Brighton Beach Housing Competition (1968)
• New York State Association of Architects Award for the North Shore Unitarian School, Plandome (1970)
• New York State Association of Architects Award for the Jericho Public Library, Jericho (1974)
• New York State Association of Architects Award for the Hillwood Commons Student Union Facility at Long Island University’s Brookville Campus (1975)
• National Award (Bentel & Bentel, Architects/Planners AIA) from the American Institute of Architects for Saint Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church, Warwick (1992)
• Recipient (along with husband Frederick) of the Lifetime Achievement Medal from the Long Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (1999)
• Distinguished Faculty Award from the alumni of the Architecture School at New York Institute of Technology (1999)
• First Prize from the Interior Designers Association (Bentel & Bentel, Architects/Planners AIA) for the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, NYC (2000)

Institutional Affiliations

• Advanced Panel of Government Building Projects; General Services Administration Advisory Review Panel of Architects – Chairperson
• American Arbitration Society – Member of Commercial Panel
• American Institute of Architects – Member (1957); Fellow (1976)
• City University of New York – Lecturer
• Correlated Designs, Inc. (Locust Valley) – Vice President, Secretary Treasurer
• Locust Valley Business District Planning Commission – Founding Member
• Locust Valley Library Advances Board – Chairperson
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Member of Alumni Association
• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
• National Advance-Selection Committee for Fulbright Hays Awards – Member
• New York Institute of Technology – Faculty of Architecture School
• New York State Association of Architects – Member, Chair Design Committee (1976- )
• New York State Council for Arts – Member, APD Panel (1985-1987)
• Tesstoria Realty Corporation – President (1961- )