Mogavero Architects

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North Creek Crossings at Meriam Park

As a part of Chico’s visionary development plan, the Meriam Park Affordable Development offers a thoughtfully designed, three-story multi-family apartment community on approximately 5.4 acres. This vibrant community features 160 modern dwelling units, including one, two, and three-bedroom stacked flats. The development includes five distinct residential building designs, each crafted to meet the city’s TND code standards for Apartment Buildings (CMC19.86.180). The community is comprised of 43 one-bedroom units, 76 two-bedroom units, and 41 three-bedroom units. Targeting families and individuals in Chico and surrounding areas, the development is designed for income qualified residents. All 160 units are rent-restricted, catering to households with incomes ranging from 30% to 60% of the area median income. Residents will also enjoy access to a dedicated community building featuring managerial and leasing offices, a multipurpose lounge, kitchenette, and inviting outdoor gathering spaces. The Meriam Park Affordable Development embodies a commitment to quality living within a vibrant, inclusive community. Units feature high-frequency entrances, patios, and porches that enhance street activity, promote a walkable environment, and improve security throughout the neighborhood

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Lowden Lane Apartments

Ecologically-minded, accessible housing is coming to Redding in the form of a cohesive community serving residents 62 and older. Lowden Lane Apartments is an affordable senior housing community consisting of 97 one- and two-bedroom units on approximately 4.93 acres. There are 83 one-bedroom units and 14 two-bedrooms, including the manager’s two-bedroom unit. The project is located in the southeast quadrant of Redding, California and boasts close proximity to many service amenities including transit, supermarkets, and pharmacies that will serve future residents and their daily needs. One-hundred percent of units will be reserved for qualified Senior Citizen residents with incomes ranging from 30-60% of the area median income. The architectural intent of Lowden Lane is to compliment the design elements of the surrounding neighborhood and the natural elements of the site. The buildings are thoughtfully arranged so that as much of the existing site trees can be preserved, creating a “village in the woods” feel.

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Ohlone College Student Housing

Ohlone Community College has operated since 1965, serv­ing the economically diverse populations of students in Newark, Fremont, and Union City. As part of a Public-Pri­vate Partnership, the college will construct 500+ beds of student housing in close proximity to the Newark campus. This project will be the first student housing provided by the District and will serve a critical need for the campus. Slated to break ground in 2024, the partnership between Ohlone Community College District and Gilbane Devel­opment, a housing developer, will leverage funding from California’s Senate Bill 169, which offers grants for the construction of student housing in its efforts to provide affordable, low-cost housing options for students enrolled in public post-secondary education. The design of the project is a collaboration between Mogavero Architects and our partners, PBK Architects. Consistent with Mogavero’s design philosophy, the project will emphasize ascending levels of community within a student housing project, and the importance of stimulat­ing connections and relationships amongst residents in various scenarios. The project’s objective is to provide a quality, affordable housing program containing approximately 200 units for a total of 532 beds that are a mix of single students’ resi­dence hall units and apartment-style units at the Newark Center. The unit mix will consist of studios, 1-, 2-, 3-, & 4-bedroom suites on the 250,000 square foot site. The residence hall units will also include additional spaces for shared amenities, including a full kitchen, laundry, shared living areas and interior and exterior community spaces. In addition to the housing program the develop­ment will include a childcare center, student outreach cen­ter for student counseling, a food pantry, and a connection to the existing city recreation center.

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UCD Shasta Hall Student Housing

The Shasta Hall Student Housing project, Mogavero Architects’ fifth housing project for UC Davis, involves the design of a replacement building for a Emerson Hall, which was constructed in 1967 by a private party, and later purchased by the University. The initial investigation involved a significant programming exercise to develop a new housing prototype for UC Davis, and an analysis comparing renovation to a demo and new build. The project is intended to serve both first time freshmen and returning students. Other student residences in the Cuarto Residential District are based on a suite-style model, differing from the more recent “cluster” style housing on campus. The program led to a unit type that is in the middle of the spectrum between suites and traditional dorm style units, providing more privacy, while emphasizing the social interaction common to the traditional dorms. The building massing recognizes the desired lines from the project toward the “food path” to the Dining Commons and the center of the Campus (SE) and the connection to the Cuarto Quad (NW). The large transparent lounge makes a connection to the Cuarto Quad and serves as architectural eyes, and a clear gateway marking the main entry to the project. High activity rooms at the entries emphasize the dynamic quality of entry to the courtyard. The building block of the residential floor plans is a unit of two double rooms sharing a compartmentalized bathroom. It is possible to have the bedroom connected to the hall via the hold-open entry door. Several lounges open to the hall act as “living rooms” to encourage social interaction with spaces for studying, lounging and socializing. The architectural expression is based on a strong distinction between the protective exterior, shielding for privacy and sun protection, and the more welcoming nature of the interior of the courtyard. The transparency of ground floor common spaces and the stacks of multiple lounges form transparent shifting volumes, untethered from the geometric ordered restrictions of the stacked bedroom units. In September of 2021, the new Shasta Hall opened its doors to receive 1,000 freshman students for the Fall quarter. The project was completed ahead of the initially-proposed schedule, with completion occurring nearly one year early.  

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UCD Yosemite Hall Student Housing

The Yosemite Hall Student Housing project is Mogavero Architects’ fourth housing project for UC Davis. It is the first of two phases of buildings that replaces two 50-year old residence halls in the Cuarto neighborhood, located just a few blocks northeast of the UC Campus. Replacing the former Webster Hall, the new building blends suites & dorm-style units to create more privacy while still maintaining ample resident social spaces. The initial investigation involved a significant programming exercise to develop a new housing prototype for UC Davis, and an analysis comparing renovation to a demo and new build.   The project is intended to serve both first-time freshmen and returning students. Other student residences in the Cuarto Residential District are based on a suite-style model, differing from the more recent “cluster” housing on campus. The program led to a unit type that is in the middle of the spectrum between suites and traditional dorm style units, providing more privacy, while emphasizing the social interaction common to the traditional dorms. Yosemite, replacing the former Webster Hall, is a 373-bed student housing project that is comprised of 7 floor communities in a single 4-story building. The building massing recognizes the desire lines from the project toward the “food path” to the Dining Commons and the connection to the Cuarto Quad to the northwest. The path to the center of campus (SE) is past the bike parking, protected under floors above and under the watchful architectural eyes of the laundry room. High activity rooms at the entries emphasize the dynamic quality of entry to the courtyard. The building block of the residential floor plans is a unit of two double rooms sharing a compartmentalized bathroom. It is possible to have the bedroom connected to the hall via the hold-open entry door. Five lounges open to the hall act as “living rooms” to encourage human interaction with spaces for studying, lounging and socializing. The transparency of ground floor common spaces and the stacks of multiple lounges form transparent shifting volumes, untethered from the geometric ordered restrictions of the stacked bedroom units. These shifting crystals emphasize the relative importance of the common spaces and give a dynamic life to the courtyard.

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Salvator Apartments on Arden Way

A transit oriented community serves as a catalyst for planned neighborhood revitalization and growth. Salvator Apartments is an infill development located near the Royal Oaks Light Rail Station, providing access to transportation to downtown Sacramento and other nearby neighborhood areas with jobs and services. Community HousingWorks’ sustainable, transit-oriented development features 128 new apartment homes. Improvements along Arden Way near the project include new sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, bike lanes, and easier access to the nearby light rail station. Two 4-story buildings provide affordable housing to the local workforce, families, seniors, and veterans. The buildings engage the street with windows, balconies, and ground floor patios to enhance interaction between residents and the community.  Ranging in size from studio to three bedroom, each apartment includes sustainable features; solar thermal hot water heating, Energy Star appliances, water-saving plumbing fixtures, dual pane windows, and energy efficient heating and air conditioning. A large shared courtyard between the two buildings, along with a resident garden, children’s play area, barbecues, outdoor seating, exercise path, bike storage, and swimming pool are shared outdoor amenities for residents. 4,000 square feet of ground floor community space includes a computer lab, multipurpose room, leasing office, and laundry facilities. SPECIALIZED APPROACHES  Transit oriented  Infill development  Solar thermal hot water heating and PV  Energy Star appliances  Water-saving plumbing fixtures  Dual pane windows  Energy efficient heating and air conditioning  GreenPoint Rated

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The Lofts at Fort Visalia

  The Lofts at Fort Visalia is a development that truly reinvigorates downtown. It consists of 80 units of multifamily affordable housing and centrally located community & art gallery space.  In the heart of downtown Visalia, it occupies the site which formerly hosted the city’s first structure: a 60-by-60 square foot fort built in 1854 and demolished by 1855. To honor the rich history of the area, the Lofts at Fort Visalia echos the neighboring brick structures while providing a contemporary gathering space for future residents and members of the community.  This project provides multifamily housing units targeted to low-, very low, and extremely-low income households. The project was funded through the low-income housing tax credit program and includeda 55-year affordability covenant. The program includes several Live/Work artist lofts at the ground floor along East Oak to build upon the success of Arts Visalia, Dance Arts and the Garden Street Art Studio by extending an “art walk” along East Oak to further strengthen the arts community while providing affordable residences above the lofts.

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Cashin’s Field

Nestled among the Sierra Nevada foothills, 51 units of affordable workforce housing showcase how community and nature can unite. Set to address Nevada City’s lack of affordable housing, the Cashin’s Field development aimed at transforming a vacant lot on the southeast side of town into 51 units of multifamily housing.  The site offers a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and a community space within 7 buildings on the nearly 5-acre property.  As of December 2020, Nevada City faced a high cost burden rating with zero affordable housing units per 1,000 residents. Coupled with recent years of devastating wildfires, Nevada County’s housing crisis continues to be at the forefront of local legislation efforts.  Through the use of funds from the Disaster Recovery Low Income Housing Tax Credit, as well as other private and public funding sources, Cashin’s Field offers respite to those who meet the qualifying criteria for affordable housing eligibility. All units are designated for residents making 30-60% of the area median income, with ten percent of units reserved for households classified as “extremely-low-income.”  Cashin’s Field sought to meld nature with the new community of families by preserving forestry on the site and establish outdoor recreational spaces within it. The development features two play areas for children, a community garden, and a central village green.    

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Mogavero Architects Office Building

Mogavero Architects purchased the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange (SRBX) office building Summer of 2018 and immediately began a comprehensive renovation of the property. After an extensive overhaul, we moved into the building in May of 2019. The classic mid-century modern building’s exterior was highlighted by window walls and detailed brick work, but the interior was outdated, with a variety of rooms and compartments throughout both floors that harkened back to the building’s original use. SRBX had been the sole tenant since the building was constructed in 1951. With multiple renovations and additions during their tenancy, the building lost functionality as a modern office space. They truly wanted to hand the property off to a steward, someone who would invest in and breathe new life into the space. Our firm was the only one with a creative vision for how to do so. The renovation included adding over a dozen skylights to improve daylighting, and walls were removed to create an open floor plan. The original windows were replaced with aesthetically congruent modern windows that maintained the original character of the building while meeting more current standards for energy use. Interior walls and closed offices were eliminated to create open space, a large glass-enclosed conference room was created, and lots of skylights were added to bring in more natural light. On the second floor, we removed the roof of the old board room for the SRBX to create a roof terrace with views and seating areas for staff to enjoy. A spacious kitchen was added. The final result looks very similar from the exterior, but feels completely different inside, transforming this older and languishing building into a modern open and airy office space, and a new home for Mogavero Architects.

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Bakersfield Downtown Charrette

Mogavero Architects worked with the City of Bakersfield to implement a Downtown Design Charrette. The charrette came out of a community driven process called Vision 2020. The visioning process had been active since May 1999, and over 12,500 participants have actively participated. The City of Bakersfield has experienced much adversity throughout its history. In the early 1900’s the town was devastated by a major earthquake and has also the unfortunate experience of burning down twice. Due to these disasters much of the historic foundational presence is no longer there. Through the charrette, Mogavero Architects developed images that reinforce the vision of downtown and include implementation strategy for the future. Mogavero Architects facilitated the workshops utilizing local architectural, landscape and planning professionals as well as the general public. The final product included: A discussion on the context of downtown’s place in the larger community; A discussion of the existing conditions and images for the year 2020; A discussion of how to get there through catalyst projects, opportunity site projects and other activities; Discussions on financing, implementation partners, and schedules for the implementation of the various projects. In addition, the community wanted to create additional parks, streetscape improvements, and allocate district uses for cultural elements, government use, educational use, and retailing. Entrances and additional downtown housing are also important components to this strategy. AWARDS The Bakersfield Charrette project received an Outstanding Planning Project Award from the Central California Chapter of the American Planning Association.