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.

With its new Childcare Learning Center, which is out for construction bids, KCC aspires to be open for year-round, all-day care. The program will also provide real-world educational opportunities for Early Childhood Education students and support the early childhood development ecosystem in the Klamath Falls Community.

The project is a new 28,000-SF Childcare Learning Center with construction from the ground up and site improvements. A mandatory pre-bid conference and walk-through will be held Tuesday, August 19 at 3 p.m. at Building 7, 7390 South 6th Street Klamath Falls, OR 97603. Bid documents can be found here: https://www.klamathcc.edu/en-US/about/request-for-proposals/index.html

Entering the seventh iteration of its existence, the current PIVOT Fellow will study disaster resilience and modular mass timber structures.

Elizabeth Folpe, who will begin her final year at the University of Oregon’s College of Design in the fall, will consider how communities can plan and rebuild in the event of disaster.

For her project, Liz will research case studies of fires and fire-resistant architecture, explore mass timber’s new role in recent wildfire rebuilds, and examine the current challenges of Oregon’s disaster management by speaking to local professionals. She seeks an understanding of the successful material and social characteristics of fire-resilient buildings and communities.

With Oregon facing a housing crisis and natural disasters destroying available housing stock, defensive architecture can prevent damage. Liz plans to explore if modular homes made from mass timber—with its carbon sequestration, as well as its fire and seismic-resistant qualities—can provide a fast and high-quality alternative to traditional building methods.

A component of her project will include mapping areas along the region’s wildlife urban interface to explore what increasing wildland fire risk will mean for the buildings of the future.

Liz believes that by designing structures with natural materials like mass timber and relying less on plastics and other materials that release toxins when they combust, recovery efforts can be streamlined and communities will experience fewer health complications from wildfire. For rural communities, mass timber also holds the powerful potential to permanently improve quality of life by providing jobs in forestry and manufacturing.

Her project is a continuation of work in a recent University of Oregon studio concerning the resilience of new developments to Oregon’s future risk of wildland fire.

Last year, Oregon faced its largest wildfire season on record with nearly two million acres affected by wildfire, incurring costs upwards of $350 million, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry and the governor’s office respectively. As this summer heats up, Gov. Kotek has already declared a state of emergency as the threat of wildfire again looms over Oregon.

Liz became interested in architecture through her love of illustration, 3D modeling, and computer science. In her leisure time, Liz enjoys drawing, playing horror video games, wandering in the outdoors looking for oddities, crafting with laser cutters, and making furniture and clothing.

About the PIVOT Fellowship

The PIVOT Fellowship is a means of fostering original thought about issues outside the daily routine or obvious future trajectory of our firm’s thought process. PIVOT selects fellows based on the nature of their project proposal and other factors. It is a paid position and the term runs from June until September. The fellowship is open to students for the summer preceding their final year of study at the University of Oregon. The fellows’ projects constitute half of the candidates’ responsibilities. Fellows are also incorporated into PIVOT project teams for the duration of their term gaining real-world experience working side-by-side with our design teams.