Mogavero Architects

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Parklets in Sacramento?

As you may know, for the past eight years Mogavero Notestine Associates has been actively engaged in Park[ing] Day, which is an annual event which helps to bring attention to the benefit of parks in our community through the creation of short-term parklets, which last for only one day: over the years we’ve been involved it has become a much larger, more energized event – and now the City Council will be considering issuing permits to business owners for longer-term parklets. A parklet is most commonly a low deck installed in two or three adjacent parking spaces, with seating and decorative elements and often bike parking, too. Not only does this beneficially transform the use of land, but it also creates usable, human space for an environmentally sound, pedestrian friendly community. For the past 25 years, MNA has been trying to activate our neighborhood sidewalks, and we feel that this is a great method to accomplish this. We hope these parklets will enable business communities to help foster Sacramento’s continuing evolution into a more pedestrian/bicycle friendly place, while benefiting not only the environment, but their bottom lines, by adding not just activated foot traffic, but happier people, more ready to buy services and goods. Link to SABA Article – Morgan

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Park[ing] Day 2013 – popup parks greening the Midtown grid

Friday 20 September was Park(ing) Day – an event Mogavero Notestine Associates has participated in since just after its inception in 2005. (http://parkingday.orgg) (http://rebargroup.org/parking-day/) This year, for the first time, the section of 20th street between K & J was almost completely filled with popup parklets, ranging from the silly and fun to the sublime, and of course Mogavero Notestine Associates was there in good form. Our parklet included 90% or better recycled, reused or repurposed materials and elements, a landscape and planning approach, and a planned theme of “Adirondack Hiatus”. The goal was to create a gardenlike retreat space, with a sense of serenity and escape, while using as close to 100% recycled or reused materials as possible. Our process was intensely collaborative, and had a noticeable improvisational component – once we had the elements and concepts, we pre-assembled in the Mogavero Notestine Associates garage, and tweaked and built on the design there. We were lucky enough to get assistance from Lumens Light & Living (http://www.lumens.com) who loaned us the two lovely green Adirondack chairs and matching table (all with a very high recycled plastic content) and also a wonderful Chilewich rug – which also had significant recycled content. We had some bespoke land art created by our own amazing Erin Reschke, and some artwork on loan from local sculptor Vince King (http://kingsculpture.com/about/) which helped really make our space pop; overall the collaborative spirit pervaded not only our process, and our parklet, but the entire event as well: we collaborated with Hammel, Green and Abramson’s (http://hga.com/about-us/locations/sacramento-office) first-ever park(ing) day team to ensure that visitors to our two little more isolated parklets would be able to easily pass from one to the other without having to step into the street. After the main park(ing) day event, we were also involved with the Rooftop Alliance and Loftgardens (http://www.loftgardens.com) popup rooftop garden party, which involved relocating our parklet to the top of a nearby parking garage, along with a handful of other parklets, to highlight the Rooftop Alliance’s goal to raise awareness of rooftop gardening opportunities and benefits. Local restaurant Lowbrau provided drinks and links for those so inclined on Saturday, and on Sunday there was an open all-acoustic jam session which lasted for several hours. It was fascinating to see how large and energized this event has become – I’ve been involved in this with Mogavero Notestine Associates from the first time we participated, and previously it was rather small and guerrilla in nature – this year, walking down the road towards our parklet, with both sides of the road chock full of parklets was a truly tremendous experience. – Gerard

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Capitol Yards Breaks Ground in West Sacramento!

Last week, our firm and our client The Wolff Company celebrated the groundbreaking of Capitol Yards apartment homes in West Sacramento. The project is the largest of its kind to be undertaken within the capitol region in years, and will sport 350 units when complete. Mogavero Notestine founding partner David Mogavero spoke at the ceremony...

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Natural Stormwater Strategies – Multiple Cases and Applications

For decades, Stormwater has been routed to drain inlets and piped underground to either a treatment plant or the nearest river; while efficient at conveying water away from a parking lot, this is expensive, and buried pipes that “flow to the river” are environmentally destructive: the beauty of natural Stormwater management is that instead of DI’s, PVC pipe, charcoal filter vaults and manhole covers, the mitigating “equipment” includes trees, grass, rocks, soil, pervious pavers and interesting topography – elements that most people consider site amenities...

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The Arbors at Oak Park Celebrates Grand Opening!

The Arbors at Oak Park, a senior affordable project our firm designed, had its grand opening today.  It was a great event with strong community support, attended by neighborhood activists and advocates.  Mayor Kevin Johnson and Assemblymember Roger Dickinson helped to dedicate the project and welcomed the new residents to the neighborhood. Having worked on planning and urban design projects in Oak Park for many years, particularly visualizing this prominent corner at MLK Boulevard and Broadway, Mogavero is proud to be a part of this project and contribute to supporting the revitalization of Oak Park.  This sustainable, urban infill project has 55 units for low income seniors combined with 5,000 square feet of commercial space complemented with a series of outdoor garden rooms.

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Natural Ventilation Strategies – Case Study: UC Davis Tercero Student Housing Phase Two

Historically almost all buildings were naturally ventilated; the UC Davis Tercero Student Housing project incorporates natural ventilation strategies to provide fresh air and cooling, avoiding the higher energy consumption of mechanical systems...

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Our firm has been recognized as bike friendly!

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments has awarded Mogavero Notestine Associates a 2013 certificate for being a bicycle friendly business, and Mogavero has been recognized....

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AIA EXPO in Denver: Cool New Products, including a Holodeck

There were about 16,000 conferees and 1,000 vendors at the American Institute of Architects 2013 National Convention and Expo in Denver the week before last. A "petting zoo" showcase of the building industry's newest products, from cladding stone to structural fasteners, shading devices, and software, the Expo is always fascinating. I walked the floor for a good 4-5 hours and wanted to share some standouts...

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Grand Award Honors for 7th & H

With entries from around the world, but largely from California and the west, Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) awarded our 7th & H mixed-use building with the 2013 Judge’s Special Award of Excellence for “Outstanding Responsive Design Addressing Special Needs.”...

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Let’s celebrate! Maple Park opens in Live Oak, California!

Last week, MNA Project Manager Sam Kingore joined members of the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) along with members of the Consolidated Area Housing Authority of Sutter County to celebrate the grand opening of Maple Park, the new affordable housing development in the city of Live Oak...