Placing in the top 10 last year, Mogavero Architects staff is participating again in May is Bike Month, the Sacramento region’s month-long celebration to encourage bicycle commuting. With several of our staff as regular bicycle commuters, Mogavero Architects has been actively involved in Bike Month over the years. In fact, one of our firm’s architects, Alix Ogilvie, who rides into work everyday – rain or shine – was recently appointed to the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) Board of Directors. SABA advocates on behalf of our area’s bicyclists, reviewing and alerting bikers of traffic impacts and hazards, and helping people ride safely and conveniently. Congratulations to Alix on her recent appointment! We appreciate her contributions to the safety of our bicyclists and kindness to our planet! Keep up with our miles, or start logging your own at https://mayisbikemonth.com Get out there and ride!

Mogavero Architects Associate Jay Hyde was recently appointed to Committees on the California State Building Standards Commission and the Los Angeles Basin International Code Council (LABICC) Chapter. Jay will serve as the Architect Representative for the California State Building Standards Commission Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical and Energy Code Advisory Committee for the 2018-2019 term. His position will advise the State on how proposed amendments affect the architectural community. As a Member of the LABICC Chapter, Jay’s extensive experience has also afforded him service on the LABICC’s Administration Committee. The Committee coordinates code change proposals and code enforcement on a national, statewide and local level. With over 40 years of experience in an array of design projects, Jay currently provides code review and analysis, quality control and document review for Mogavero Architects. He is a certified interior designer, and serves on two committees for the California Association of Building Officials (CalBO); Outreach and Communication Committee and State Licensing Board Committee. Jay is also the Chair of the Code Development and Review Committee for the Sacramento Valley Association of Building Officials (SVABO). He is a recipient of the Chuck Cohen Award for Recognition of Outstanding Effort in Code Development.

View a video: Driving an Earthmover On Friday the 13th, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit Teichert Construction’s @Teichertinc annual “equipment rodeo” in Sacramento County at one of their old mines. It was just like a kid’s sandbox filled with yellow Tonka trucks, but these vehicles were 15’ tall! I had always wanted to see one of the massive Earth Movers (or “wheeled tractor scraper”) up close, perhaps even sit inside the cab. It never occurred to me I would actually DRIVE one! But it happened – see above video of me driving the ultimate “Monster Truck” with 8’ tall wheels! The instructor is tethered to the outside of the cab on a teaching platform. I scooped up dirt, drove around, then dropped the fill in place. Because the scraper is “articulated” it can practically bend itself in half to do a 180 degree turn. It was awesome to be 10’ above the ground controlling this gigantic machine! As an architect, the experience was invaluable, because it helped me better understand the “constructability” of heavy site work. I often watch these machines prepare our sites as the do “ground remediation” and rough grading before foundations. As infill architects, our sites are often really tight. I have a whole new appreciation of the difficulty to move these monsters with precision. Being up in the driver’s seat helped me better understand the sub-contractor’s perspective as they make our drawings become real buildings and places to live. While I will never be a good grader operator, the experience will help me be a better architect. Thank you Teichert for the opportunity!

Come by our Exhibit Space at the annual Housing California Conference, and check out Mogavero Architects’ Virtual Reality goggles for a tour of Mercy Housing’s Vernon Street project, currently under construction. You can find us in Space 28. The 2018 Housing California Conference is taking place now through tomorrow afternoon, March 9th, at the Sacramento Convention Center. Additionally, don’t miss our Senior Partner, David Mogavero, who will present on a panel on Housing Site Development – “Don’t Lose Your Shirt in the Dirt!” – on Friday, March 9th at 10:45 am in Room 103. For more information and a complete agenda for the upcoming Conference, visit Housing California at https://www.housingca.org/annual-conference