MICHELLE MCCOVEY-GOOD

Bio:

Michelle McCovey-Good is of Hupa and Yurok descent and was raised on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in Humboldt County. She received her BS degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and became a licensed professional engineer in 2001. Michelle is currently the CEO of T&S Structural, which has four offices in California servicing a variety of project types across the state. Michelle resides in San Luis Obispo County with her husband of 25 years, two sons, and two dogs.

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How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

On a 3rd grade field trip to an architects office, I fell in love with the studio environment. The large scale renderings posted on the walls and the scale models displayed throughout the large, open work space made me feel like I found my career

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What do you do?

Currently I am the CEO of a structural engineering firm. I spent the first 18 years of my career as a structural designer for residential, commercial, and civic projects.

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What excites you in the work you do? 

I'm excited by the creativity it takes to achieve a successful project. Taking the architectural design and creating the framing and foundation plans for the builder is an extremely satisfying puzzle. Every project is unique. It never gets boring!

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Who or what inspires you professionally? 

I am inspired by thoughtful, environmentally friendly design. I love the use of sustainable materials whenever possible and fitting a structure to the site that it will occupy.

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What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

I am most proud when I see my staff complete a project successfully, regardless of scale It is immensely satisfying to see the professional development and satisfaction of a project engineer when they find a creative solution to a design challenge.

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Featured Project Name: 

Thacher School Dining Commons

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Featured Project Location: 

Ojai, California

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Featured Project Completion Date: 

2019​

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Role in Featured Project: 

Engineer of Record

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Featured Project Description:

The Thacher School is an independent boarding school located in the hills of Ojai, CA. The 14,500 sf structure is LEED Gold Certified with several eco friendly features including responsibly sourced, natural wood siding that is Forest Stewardship Council certified. The dining hall seats 300. Outdoor features includes patios, landscape and garden space, and a terraced amphitheater area. The rocky soils of the site forced creativity in the foundation design.

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Architect Credit: 

Blackbird Architects, Santa Barbara CA

Photography Credit:

Alex Nye