Doctors doubted she would survive when a bullet lodged in her brain on the night of October 1, 2017 at the Route 91 Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas. But through faith, determination, and miraculous medical treatment, Jovanna Calzadillas, a 30-year old mother of two from Queen Creek, Arizona is recovering. Although her injuries have left her confined to a wheelchair, she is determined to come off conqueror. “A part of me changed that night. Even though I will not be the same old Jovanna, I will come back stronger.” Wright Engineers’ Phoenix office teamed with a group of volunteers led by Lennar Homes to help with modifications to Jovanna’s home to accommodate her accessibility needs. You can learn more about Jovanna’s miraculous battle here. “It was heart-warming to see so many different trades so ready to jump in without hesitation and donate time and materials to help someone in need.” said Tye Havey, Director of Arizona Operations. “There are really a lot of great people in our industry and it is a privilege to work with them.”
CALIFORNIA MANDATES SOLAR FOR NEW HOMES
The California Energy Commission voted unanimously to require all new homes built after January 1, 2020 to have solar photovoltaic systems. The new regulations also set forth more stringent standards for building thermal envelope, ventilation and lighting. The CEC estimates that buildings constructed under the new standards will use about 30 percent less energy and save consumers $80 a month on energy bills. Some estimates indicate the cost to install solar will be around $10,000 per home. Read the CEC’s FAQ here.
CALIFORNIA LAWMAKER PUSHES HIGHER SEISMIC STANDARDS
California assembly member Adrin Nazarian has authored legislation that will raise the bar for structural safety of buildings during an earthquake. Current minimum building code standards require a level of design intended to keep a building’s occupants safe during a major earthquake, but not necessarily to keep the building functional. The proposed new standards are intended to allow buildings to be occupied immediately after a major earthquake with little or no rehabilitation. While performance based design is not necessarily uncommon for essential facilities, its use in common residential structures would be unprecedented. You can read the BIA’s summary of the proposed legislation here.