Happenings - PIVOT Architecture

Project 12/20

A Decade in the Making: the Eugene Family YMCA Officially Opens

Since its opening in 1887, the Eugene Family YMCA has been a cornerstone of Lane County. It is a place for community gathering and connection, bringing together people from all walks of life.

And now, a decade after the Y first approached PIVOT about designing a new facility, the Eugene Family YMCA Don Stathos Campus is officially open! This new facility will allow the Y to greatly expand their youth, health, and wellness programs, and we are honored to have been a part of creating this important community resource.

“The Y is so much more than a fitness center. It’s truly a community hub offering connections for everyone,” says PIVOT Principal Kari Turner. “Their services benefit kids through seniors including everything from childcare to disease prevention and support, to encouraging overall healthy living. The Y truly meets people where they are.”

At PIVOT, we are driven to design valuable community spaces that help make the world a better place. When PIVOT and the Y began talking about building a new facility back in 2010, we knew it would be exactly that. After those initial conversations, the project officially started in 2014 under the direction of the since-retired PIVOT Principals Eric Gunderson and Bill Seider. After years of fundraising, design restarted in 2020, led by Principal Kari Turner, Project Manager Karen Williams, and Interior Designer Martha Wassweiler.

YMCA design team, from left to right: Eric Gunderson, Kari Turner, Karen Williams, Martha Wassweiler, and Bill Seider.

Restarting the project in 2020 came with its own set of challenges. Not only did the way we work change with the pandemic, but the design did as well.

“As we were finishing design work in late 2020, the world was changing,” Kari says. “The pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, the local wildfires – they all reiterated the importance of the Y in our community as a source for childcare for essential workers, creating safe places for all people to connect, and providing a refuge for people escaping fires, smoke, or other natural disaster.”

Over the years, more than 20 PIVOT employees contributed to the project; each one inspired by what it meant, both for the community and for PIVOT.

Martha Wassweiler says it well, “To me, this project represents perseverance. We faced many setbacks and challenges. Seeing the owner, design, and contracting teams come together and persevere through these obstacles, that is what the project embodies for me.”

As the project wraps up, Project Manager Karen Williams shares her feelings on being a part of something people have been working towards for decades. “Finally seeing their dream come true has been really rewarding. It’s not something that I get to wear as a medal, but I get to know that I supported that dream.”

Our team will take lessons learned from this project; patience, resilience, trust in themselves, and teamwork, with them for the rest of their careers.

We would like to thank the team that helped make this dream a reality: ABD Engineering, Cameron McCarthy, Chambers Construction, Foundation Engineering, Gro, Hohbach-Lewin, KPFF, NIS, PAE, Redpoint, Sandow Engineering, and the entire team at the YMCA for their dedication throughout this project.

Together, after more than a decade of hard work, we opened one of the finest YMCAs in the nation.

Careers 01/24

2025 PIVOT Fellowship Opens

PIVOT Architecture is pleased to announce the seventh PIVOT Architecture Fellowship. The Fellowship is open to University of Oregon BARCH, BIARCH, MARCH, and MIARCH students for the summer preceding their final year of study. One student will be selected following an application process that includes review of the applicants’ proposals for projects of their choice to be executed over the summer of the Fellowship. This project will constitute one half of the fellow’s responsibility. In addition to the project, the fellow will be incorporated into one or more PIVOT project teams for the duration of the program. The fellowship includes monetary compensation comparable to typical entry level professional architectural positions. Additionally, a $1,000 stipend will be provided to the fellow upon successful completion of the project and work term.

Applications for the Fellowship are due April 7, 2025. The term of the fellowship is from mid-June to mid-September, 2024. It is expected that the fellow will work approximately 40 hours/week, with most of that time spent within the office.

Click here for more information or to apply for the position.

News 12/11

PIVOT Welcomes Three New Designers

PIVOT is pleased to introduce our three newest designers to our team.

Designer Emil Good

Emil believes design is everywhere, in everything. Emil earned their Bachelors of Interior Architecture from the University of Oregon. Prior to joining PIVOT, they worked as a cabinet maker. Emil is working on the design of a new gym for the Oakland School District, the agricultural center for LBCC, the Childcare Learning Center for Klamath Community College, and other projects. An artist at heart, Emil enjoys drawing, painting, sewing, woodworking, and zipping around town on their moped when not at work.

Designer Fa’afouina (Ina) Fruean

Ina joins the PIVOT team with four years of experience. He graduated from University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelors in Environmental Design. Prior to moving to Eugene, he worked for an architectural firm in Honolulu designing high-end residential and affordable housing projects. Ina is working on the agricultural center for LBCC and other projects. In his leisure time, Ina enjoys playing world/city building simulation games and spending time outdoors, having his first experience in fall and winter climates.

Designer Jordan Levis

Jordan earned Master of Architecture and a Bachelors of Science in Fine Arts with a minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon. He has four years of experience and designs with a focus on environmental consciousness and community responsiveness. A native of Southern California, Jordan is an Eagle Scout and former California State beach lifeguard. Jordan is working on the agricultural center for LBCC, the Childcare Learning Center for Klamath Community College, and other projects. He enjoys camping, hiking, snowboarding, surfing, and watching sunsets with his wife at the coast while their rescue dog runs.

Insight 12/04

The 2024 Fellowship

With multifaceted affordable housing solutions an ever-growing need in the region, PIVOT’s 2024 Fellow studied the roles intentional community models can play in finding solutions for the housing and loneliness crises.

Abby Brown studied intentional community models, especially for individuals transitioning out of houselessness. Intentional communities are groups of people who choose to live collaboratively and strive to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared values.

The housing shortage has created intense pressure on the housing market, particularly in cities like Eugene. Extremely low vacancy rates have resulted in an ultra-competitive housing environment, exacerbating the challenges faced by individuals trying to secure affordable housing. For many, this has led to homelessness.