Mogavero Architects

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Work

Yuba City Senior Housing

Situated at the end of an aging downtown main street, this 28-unit senior housing complex serves as a link between an urban environment and a residential neighborhood. The complex provides an urban edge to the street, but is set back with front entry porches that respond to adjacent lower density residential neighbors and provide defensible space.  Corner ‘sentry’ forms create a sense of arrival and imply security through surveillance. The two-story buildings are composed of 26 one-bedroom flats with two-bedroom flats located at each corner. Each unit is equipped with an emergency call system and full handicap accessibility from an interior courtyard via an elevator and second floor walkways. Common space includes a recreation room, kitchen, storage, and laundry facilities. The humanistic design of the semi-private porches and walkways encourage interaction with street activity and community while providing eyes on the street. The semi-private interior courtyard provides lawn and hardscape for outdoor community gatherings. Each apartment has a porch to provide a semi-private territory so that residents can create their own community. To achieve the relatively high density (36 units per acre) and still allow adequate open space, one building is built over a portion of the on-site parking spaces. This parking area is protected by a security gate and has elevator access. The project used HUD HOME and City funding assistance.

Work

Carrington Circle

Carrington Circle was an existing, affordable housing project that had been purchased by a non-profit housing developer with the intent of rehabilitating the 78-unit complex that had fallen into a serious state of disrepair. Crime and gang related activities were serious problems at the site, and our design work sought to make the units and site more comfortable and safe from multiple vantage points. Our plans called for combining upstairs and downstairs apartments to create townhomes and four bedroom units that better addressed the needs of the residents. Our firm also proposed site improvements including traffic calming devices in addition to site and landscape amenities that allowed for more ‘eyes on the street’, while encouraging residents to linger outside and passively observe outdoor activities, which became more positive after the improvements were implemented. The project is located on 2.79 acres and consisted of the renovation of 43,800 sq. ft. of dwelling space and and added approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of common area space. By eliminating and enlarging units, the need for parking was reduced, allowing for the creation of a new outdoor community green space which included playgrounds adjacent to a new community building.

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

Colonia San Martin

Colonia San Martin is designed to provide permanent and supportive housing to formerly homeless, low-income individuals with disabilities and/or families where at least one member has a disability. The fundamental design objective was to blend efficient constructability with a range of colors and finishes to create a vibrant, dignified community. The design includes outdoor courtyard spaces, rich Spanish colors, and accent tiles that give interest to the buildings. The buildings focus on a common green to reinforce a sense of community and create “eyes on the street”. The landscape design reflects the environmentally responsible principles of the project by incorporating edible and drought tolerant plant materials and integrated natural drainage swales. A community garden with individual plots for residents will be used to grow food and serve as a nurturing, long-term, teaching environment. Colonia San Martin includes a solar-powered community building with a great room for community events, social work/case manager offices, administrative offices and a tele-medicine exam room. The residences exceeds Title 24 energy requirements by more than 20%.

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

River’s Side at Washington Square

River’s Side is an infill mixed use project in an emerging neighborhood across the river from downtown Sacramento. The project consists of 26 detached, zero lot line, single-family homes along with a mixed use building anchoring one of the site corners. Circulation to the single family homes is provided by a narrow urban lane that provides passage for pedestrians and slow moving cars in the same space configured in what is sometimes referred to in Dutch as a “woonerf.” The project contributes significantly to West Sacramento’s redevelopment efforts, creating a catalyst for future projects in the Washington neighborhood.

Work

CityWalk Condominiums

Sustainable architecture, characterized by responsible site selection, promotes broad community benefits and reduced ecological impact. CityWalk Townhomes provide diverse housing options in a central city neighborhood within easy walking and biking distance to 100,000 jobs, schools and community. Our firm was the managing design and development principal of CityWalk. The homes were built on a long- vacant corner in downtown Sacramento. The goal of the project was to provide a catalyst for downtown condominium development. The design follows a modern interpretation of patterns in Sacramento’s historic city center. Consisting of three buildings around a central, common courtyard, each unit has its own raised front porch, a rear deck, and a private yard. The corner unit is a live/work configuration with retail space featuring an artist’s gallery on the ground floor and living space above. The secure semi-subterranean shared parking allows for denser site utilization and minimizing the impact of cars on the site and the immediate neighborhood.

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

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.