Mike holds a Master of Architecture from University of Oregon, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He is also a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.

Mr. Ober is the “OD” (Original Designer) at Vanguard Planning.  Before he joined us in 2016, the firm’s work was limited to land-use consulting.  We had to find third-party architectural designers to serve our clients.  With Mike on board, we were able to bring this critical service in-house.  This sets us apart from typical planning firms.

 In 2017, the State of California passed legislation that created Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as we know them today.   ADUs quickly became Mike’s focus.  He enjoys the challenge and puzzle of designing ADUs - threading the needle of site constraints and regulations that are regular “features” of these challenging projects. He has designed and obtained approvals for over 65 of them in the Santa Barbara area!

His free time is usually spent riding bikes.