The days are short and the weather may be gloomy, so now is a perfect time to think about summer.
The application process is open for the summer 2023 PIVOT Fellowship in which one UO student is selected to work on a project of their choosing and be integrated into the PIVOT team. It is a paid position that runs from June until September.
The PIVOT Fellowship is open to BARCH, BIARCH, MARCH, and MIARCH students for the summer preceding their final year of study at the University of Oregon.
The Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District replacement station is now out to bid. The bids will be opened January 24 at 2 p.m.
The 2,800-SF station and related site work in Blue River, OR will replace the facility destroyed by the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. The new facility will include two apparatus bays, a turnout room, office space, a mechanical room, restrooms, a training room, and other spaces.
The design team includes Branch Engineering, KCL Engineering, Dougherty Landscape Architecture, and Construction Focus.
For more information about the project or the bid, email info@pivotarchitecture.com or call 541.342.7291.
For the 2022 Fellowship, we tried something different. Rather than bringing in an architecture or interior architecture student, 2022 PIVOT Fellow Matilda Jereza was entering her last year studying product design.
Matilda’s project was born out of a desire to explore whether amenities like the transit shelters PIVOT designs could be employed to improve the pedestrian experience outside of transit systems.
“Altogether it was an extremely enriching experience to see a project through of my own design, with the support and input of my peers,” she said.
Matilda took a tried-and-true systematic approach in tackling her project by identifying a need, exploring the opportunities and challenges, as well as researching the target market, competitors, and constraints to develop her project objectives.
The result is what she calls The City Squiggle, an easy-to-install, solar-powered shelter of precast concrete arches that can be placed together in any quantity to form a “squiggle.” The resulting memorable and whimsical shelter provides protection from rain, sun, and enables users to charge devices.
We’ve been watching in growing amazement as Jacky Grey and Alexis Thomas make short work of the complexities of our most significant projects. Each has a remarkable ability to stay pointed into the wind, focused on our clients, while project design challenges are transformed into beautiful, highly functional architecture. We have come to rely on their design and organizational skills and are looking forward to adding their energy and know how in our leadership group as our newest Associates.
Jacky has been instrumental in some of PIVOT’s recent complex projects including construction administration for the four concurrent projects with the Corvallis School District, the Douglas ESD renovation, the Yachats Fire Station, and a number of other fire districts. She has also been co-leading PIVOT’s internal Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts.
Her ability to guide clients through the initial vision of a project and then developing ideas into a cohesive, highly-functional design is something she takes pride in. Through her hands-on experience from more than 10 years as a contractor, Jacky has developed an astute sense of how to construct projects. Her insights into construction and strong communication skills allow her to build trust and rapport with contractors, consultants, and clients alike.
“I’m excited about this new role at PIVOT,” Jacky said. “What I love about PIVOT are the people and the places we help make. I am energized by the culture of learning and striving to make the world a better place around us: in our community, in our projects, and in our practice. Maya Angelou said it best: ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better do better.’ ”
Jacky joined PIVOT in 2016 after graduating from the University of Oregon with a Master of Architecture. She also has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Pacific University as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in math and art from Eastern Oregon University. When not at work, Jacky spends time with her daughter and her dog paddling Oregon’s waterways and biking through our vast paths and mountain trails.
She is a thoughtful designer who applies keen project management skills to ensure projects are successful. She is apt at facilitating meetings with a number of user groups making sure they each are heard and understood.
“I’m honored to be named as one of PIVOT’s newest associates,” Alexis said. “I have deep interest in architecture’s ability to serve our community and it’s been a joy to work alongside such thoughtful people on highly impactful projects in my time here at PIVOT. I’m looking forward to all the hard work and joy that is surely yet to come!”
By way of Columbus, OH, Alexis joined PIVOT in 2018. She has nearly 20 years of experience, a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Bowling Green State University, and a Master of Architecture from The Ohio State University. Along with her two sons, she loves exploring water channels on her paddleboard.
Jacky and Alexis join fellow PIVOT Associate Scott Clarke.
The days are short and the weather may be gloomy, so now is a perfect time to think about summer.