Mogavero Architects

Trying to search for nothing are we?

Work

UC Davis Segundo Student Housing

Our concept for developing a community to house students in an enhanced academic and social environment was realized through the careful siting of the buildings relative to existing buildings as well as the site in context with its surroundings as a gateway to the Davis campus at large. Pedestrian circulation and common spaces in and out of doors provide opportunities for academic and social interaction as well as the opportunity to develop a corner of the UC Davis campus that had previously lacked identity. Throughout the development of the program for the 92,000 square foot structure, our firm worked closely with a design committee as well as student housing staff to ensure that the project responded to the ever-evolving culture of University student housing. Central to the mission of student-oriented residences is the importance of community, therefore, the project was designed to embrace community at all levels: from the relationship between two roommates to student interaction with the campus as a whole by means of a central plaza, to the way the building relates to its neighbors. Using natural light and air, modified by individual controls, the residence spaces in Segundo provide pleasant, healthy environments in which to live and study. The Segundo student housing project also addresses the social context of the space, maximizing the possibility for students to have choices about personal connection and privacy. The use of operable windows and shades for student residents in their rooms and common areas provide an important level of personalized comfort for residents and visitors alike.

Work

UC Davis Cuarto Dining Commons

Mogavero was the architect for the Design Build Team with Valley Commercial Contractors to complete bridging documents for this extensive renovation, including the conversion of the dining commons from a traditional cafeteria style facility to contemporary, themed platform dining established in the Segundo and Tercero dining commons. The dining commons embraces an open “public market” design with final food preparation viewable to patrons, and includes five food distribution areas: a granary and bakery, a grill for specialty hot foods, a pizza and pasta station, a soup and salad bar, and a market station for self serve and bistro-style entrees. The first floor has an open feeling, with daylight enlivening the the main dining area through a large curved light well which penetrates the second floor, combined with the curved path through the various food counters,  creating a contemporary vibe and smooth flow throughout the commons. The second floor has traditional restaurant seating, with banquettes, separate, skylit quiet rooms, and lounge-style seating along with larger tables that allow for more intimate dining experiences.  A balcony on the second floor allows for al fresco dining.  Cuarto Commons has become a campus focal point, showcasing sustainable design and food service operations that will be implemented at other campus locations.

Work

Rochdale Grange

Rochdale Grange is a 44 unit, neighborhood friendly, multi-family complex that is designed to emulate a traditional craftsman style home in historic Woodland. The project consists of 8, two-story buildings and a separate community building with a second level manager’s unit. Unlike typical garden style apartments that often create an isolated community, Rochdale Grange addresses its neighbors by having a street presence. The project was designed with the pedestrian in mind: nicely detailed front porches engage the street to help minimize the scale of the project to a personal level and interior site streets are frequently crossed with accented pedestrian walks to serve as visual cues to motorists that they are sharing streets with pedestrians. Rochdale Grange not only has a positive impact on the neighborhood, but the project is designed in a manner to minimize environmental impact and maximize human comfort. Building features such as large windows with high head height allow light to penetrate to the backs of units. Balconies provide an exterior connection and enhance passive site security. Energy saving strategies such as dual zone air conditioning, natural day lighting, and high density insulation helped to out perform Title 24 requirements by over 30%. Additionally, a 45kW photo voltaic system further reduces the new energy consumption of the complex.  Environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo flooring, recycled insulation, and formaldehyde free casework were utilized throughout the project.

Work

Almond Court Senior Housing

Almond Court senior housing in Manteca, California complements the adjacent Almond Terrace senior housing which was completed in 2004. Connected by driveway and sidewalks, both projects are dedicated to providing independent and affordable housing for seniors in a supportive community setting. Almond Court has 39 senior apartments in addition to a manager’s residence. Six buildings are arranged around two landscaped courtyards, including seating areas, raised planter boxes for community gardening, and a bocce ball court. Adjacent to this green, the community building provides a lounge for residents, manager’s office, laundry room, and common restrooms. Nearby, a paved path covered by a steel trellis allows residents from both sites to interact and feel connected. Each apartment is accessible and adaptable for residents with mobility needs. Besides ease of access to and within the apartments, site pathways are set up for easy maneuvering from building to building, the sidewalk and street. Local dining, shopping and bus access are directly adjacent. All units have front and rear porches, and residents can gather in a number of exterior seating areas to visit. A covered patio at the community building accommodates benches that sit beneath existing redwood trees that were preserved during the design and construction process.

Work

Jibboom Street Power Station

The Jibboom Street Power Station conceptual design envisioned the reinvention of Sacramento’s riverfront into a mixed use destination where people of all ages could enjoy river views and new amenities. The historic power station and an integrated civic amphitheater were to have been the focal point of the development, acting as anchors for additional development north and south of the existing buildings. The historic power station was planned to be respectfully renovated into a dining and entertainment destination with an open air amphitheater tucked into the hillside off the southern edge of the building. The development was also planned to include a modern, sophisticated residential building with over 200 for-sale units located on the northern edge of the site.

Work

2500 J Street

2500 J street is an urban infill renovation project, in Sacramento’s thriving Midtown neighborhood; the project involved renovation of a 10,300 square foot laboratory building into a mixed-use space, with retail on the ground floor and office space above. The project goal was to maximize the building’s retail presence on the street, keeping it consistent with the pedestrian focused, friendly, easy character of its midtown neighborhood. The new glass storefronts along J Street are set along an angle defining the retail space, and due to their angled nature draw the eye to them., transforming a building that receded from the street into a vibrant, active storefront that activates the entire block. A red triangular wall at each entry connects visually with the yellow triangular trusses projecting from the second story for signage and exterior lighting, further adding a unified visual interest. The design emphasizes the human scale along the well-articulated streetwall, to draw foot traffic in. The second floor is devoted to office space and its entrance on 25th street is designed with large windows repeating the triangular pattern. In addition, the business stairwell is well illuminated by windows creating a welcoming, airy entrance space. Electrical and HVAC systems were completely renovated throughout the building. Components of the structural lateral system were modified to accommodate the increase in storefront retail, allowing more access to storefront windows and street views. The design added a colorful component to the street and quickly gained attention of retailers. The building was completely leased within two months of completion.

Work

Sac State American River Courtyard

Replacing a 60-year-old outmoded dormitory, American River Courtyard Student Housing is the initial step of transforming California State University, Sacramento from a commuter destination to one with a campus life community. The building achieved LEED Gold certification and was named the Best Public Project of 2009 by the Sacramento Business Journal. The project creates architectural integrity and scale while relating to surrounding student housing, acting as an icon for the University’s residential district. When the project was completed, CSUS was presented with a check for $75,000 from SMUD for exceeding the state’s energy efficiency standard by 35%. We facilitated this efficiency with lighting, solar hot water heating systems and building controls, the preservation of existing trees and installation of water efficient landscaping. The site is organized to create memorable places that define graduated levels of community. A courtyard creates a stage for student life, reinforcing the notion of community while the exterior design recognizes the context of the existing residence halls as well as newer buildings on campus. Architectural elements respond to diverse functions and create a lively visual experience through the composition of varied textures and colors. In the courtyard, special attention was paid to circulation for pedestrians and cyclists. Bicycle parking is accommodated along the main circulation paths, providing convenient access and storage.

Work

UC Davis Tercero 2 Student Housing

Our firm was charged with developing a program and implementing an interactive schematic design process for this 592 bed, dormitory style student housing project. The resultant LEED Gold project incorporates 30% water and energy savings along with storm water detention and treatment, natural ventilation, recycled materials and on-site renewable energy. Our firm provided site massing studies and constructability value analyses followed by an area-wide site planning effort that organizes existing and future housing projects on the UC Davis campus. The project creates community at ascending levels, accommodating differing comfort levels while allowing for varying levels of resident interaction. Plans encourage social engagement, balancing accessibility and safety with the need for solitude. Common spaces are carefully located with spatial visibility as a goal: a place to see and to be seen while contributing to a greater sense of community. In this way, students are able to establish a sense of ownership, taking care of their ‘home’ while being engaged with their surroundings. Floor plans from the University’s recent housing projects were analyzed as a way of developing prototypical clusters of student rooms, serving as building blocks for floor configuration and amenity layout. Window seats reinforce hallways as gathering spaces, defining each cluster while working in concert with the building’s passive ventilation system. Hallways end in vistas to the campus community, providing an open, airy feel to corridors and connection to the campus at large. New cluster design with window seats Sustainable site drainage‚ percolation swales, pervious concrete Motion detector ramp up/dim down Hallway lighting Natural ventilation system using stair towers to circulate air Beat Title 24 by more than 32% Daylight harvesting Natural ventilation system Solar water heating

Work

Maple Park

Tucked away in rural Live Oak in Sutter County, and a few blocks from the main avenue, were 30 wartime-era affordable housing units that were falling apart and slowly becoming abandoned. It was determined that rehabilitation was unfeasible and the site was transformed, providing 56 units of low income family housing in 3 story buildings. The property is surrounded by a pedestrian friendly loop road and complemented by a central open space and community building. An agricultural vernacular is expressed in the buildings with expansive shed roofs, citrus accent colors and a playful mix of siding patterns. Garden areas and courtyards allow residents to grow their own food, socialize and build community. The project consists of 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units with a central community building that contains a daycare facility for preschoolers. Each unit has storage, a private patio or balcony, and a washer/dryer.  The buildings face narrow, pedestrian friendly streets and create park-like courts of various sizes.  Parking is tucked under the buildings and does not dominate the site. Given the lack of municipal storm drainage, all runoff is retained and allowed to infiltrate the site, and numerous green features are incorporated into the design: energy performance 26-30% above T24; Green Point Rated 118pts.; low VOC materials and finishes; high thermal mass design; variable speed HVAC fans; ceiling fans; energy star appliances; low E dual pane operable windows and shades; construction/demolition waste reduction; efficient lighting; materials with recycled content; water conserving fixtures; a community garden;  and water conserving landscape. The project is designed to accommodate future solar hot water and photovoltaic systems which will make it a Net Zero community. Designed to create a centrally located community space the site includes a new community building as the focal point, with a portion of the building dedicated to day care for up to 20 pre-school aged children who participate in the local Head Start Program.  Adult education classes for project residents are held in the adjacent, larger rooms.  Outdoor open spaces are located near existing trees and have become small courts that subdivide the site into smaller communities.  Gum Street, which previously was a dead end, has been extended through the site to create a stronger connection with the surrounding neighborhood. The private, narrow driveway-like loop slows cars and creates a safe pedestrian oriented space. All unit entries are visible from the street and create focal points for informal interaction and gathering.

Work

McKinley Village Clubhouse

2017 Gold Winner – NAHB’s Best in American Living Awards McKinley Village is an urban village in the core of Sacramento that combines the qualities of the city’s most successful urban neighborhoods with design features that give this neighborhood distinctive character. The 4,200 sf recreation center for a community of 328 homes serves as the community’s civic center; offering a pool, community gathering space, and an area for retail use such as a cafe, restaurant, or yoga studio. Bikeways and walkways stitch together the neighborhood and connect McKinley Village, McKinley Park, Midtown, Sutter’s Landing Park and the American River Parkway. The design of the Recreation Center enhances the character of East Sacramento, with distinguishing neighborhoods like McKinley Park, Meister Terrace and East Portal Park. As the neighborhood’s community facility, the building was designed with sweeping roof forms and deep overhands that define and engage outdoor spaces while also shading large expanses of glass. The building’s design is enriched by details such as brick patterning, expressive structure, and interconnection to the site. Natural Ventilation The McKinley Recreation Center is a 4,200 sf clubhouse with a 34’ tall passive downdraft cooling tower. The tower takes advantage of the prevailing winds, plus the higher relative density of cold air to create passive cooling at a tiny fraction of the cost of traditional mechanical cooling. Air enters the top of the tower where evaporation from a wet medium cools the air. The heavy cold air then naturally falls down the tower into the space below. The building’s control systems regulate the tower intake. Hot air is exhausted through motorized windows at the top of monitors on the north and down wind side of the building. The resulting system is very simple to operate and maintain because it relies on natural movement of hot and cold air rather than energy intensive compression cooling of the space. It also allows the building to be open to the outdoors during many of the warmer months.