News


February 8, 2023

New affordable housing complex in Portland's Cully neighborhood: Las Adelitas

Las Adelitas featured on KGW, talking about the transformational impact of having a home. “I would say the most significant change that families feel is peace and when you have that in your life, you can start moving forward with school with work, with finding employment, you name it.” Watch video


December 20, 2022

A Portland affordable housing project spotlights BIPOC lives in art

Las Adelitas featured on OPB, with a deep dive into the inspiration for its vibrant and culturally rich mural. “We belong to you and you belong to us and together we bloom.” Read Article


October 31, 2022

Governor Jay Inslee tours Fourth Plain Community Commons

Washington Governor Jay Inslee toured Fourth Plain Community Commons today, during a visit to Vancouver. “Fundamentally, we don’t have enough housing in the state of Washington,” Inslee said. “We need chemical addiction treatment, we need mental assistance, but fundamentally, we need more housing.” Read Article


September 28, 2022

Talent Mobile Estates wins Housing Oregon’s Golden Key Award

Talent Mobile Estates, a collaboration between CASA of Oregon, Coalićion Fortaleza, and Salazar Architect, received the Golden Key Award at this year’s Housing Oregon conference. The award honors a homeownership project that best demonstrates the ideals of affordability, quality of design, livability, community revitalization, or service integration.


July 28, 2022

Cornerstone of the future? Sacramento orgs and agencies team up for a new experimental housing model

Our Cornerstone project in Sacramento recognized for its broad look at housing typologies and needs: “In one high-quality project you will see housing opportunities for low-income residents, permanent supportive housing for previously unhoused neighbors, and low-income home ownership opportunities through Habitat for Humanity. It’s a win/win/win.” Read Article


April 1, 2022

Salazar Architect endorses the 3,000 Challenge because we believe in a housing-first approach to addressing homelessness.

This campaign is grounded in justice and equity and seeks to reduce the trauma of those living outside by prioritizing housing and supportive services over forced displacement to mass shelters. What is the 3,000 Challenge?


March 1, 2022

Las Adelitas — 2022 Building Diversity Award Winner

Las Adelitas was recognized at this year’s DJC Building Diversity Awards for both its job creation for underrepresented tradespeople on the job site, and its creation of stable and supportive housing for immigrant communities. See the award winners.


January 12, 2022

Salazar Architect receives a 2022 Net Zero Emerging Leaders Internship grant

We are excited to host interns Dorian McCall and Nasrin Golshany to work with our Sustainable Design Lab — extending our research capacity and sharing our collective learning. Thank you, Energy Trust of Oregon!


January 11, 2022

ARCHITECT Magazine: 18 Designers Share Hopes, Fears, and Disruptors for 2022

Salazar Architect named for bringing hope for the future — in recognition of our prioritization of community voices and our belief that climate justice = racial justice. Read Article


December 2, 2021

Affordable Housing News: Rebuilding Inclusive Communities

Las Adelitas is recognized for its integrated approach to affordable housing and economic advancement. “Named after the collective group of female soldiers who fought alongside their male counterparts during the Mexican Revolution, Las Adelitas will feature culturally inspired spaces designed with input from immigrant Latinx and African Muslim families as well as current neighborhood residents. Read Article


September 23, 2021

Cornerstone named 2021 Affordable Housing Development of the Year by Sacramento Housing Alliance

The Cornerstone development was just named “2021 Affordable Housing Development of the Year” by the Sacramento Housing Alliance and a 2021 Major Gift Award winner from Kelly Foundation!


June 24, 2021

Salazar Architect joins AEC leaders in call on Biden Administration to take action on Building Back Greener

Metropolis Magazine: A group of architecture, engineering, and construction firms call on the Biden administration to use the Build Back Better program to raise the bar on the industry’s sustainability. Read Article


December 4, 2020

Vibrant! takes third place in Affordable Housing at the DJC TopProjects 2020

Vibrant’s 93 units are restricted to residents making below 60% of the median family income, and 40 units are reserved for households leaving homelessness. Dedicated services are provided to formerly homeless residents, ensuring they are successful in their new living situations. The project received a 3rd place award in the affordable housing category at DJC’s TopProjects ceremony.


October 5, 2020

Vibrant! receives a 2020 Rethinking the Future award

Vibrant! — Rethinking the Future 2020 award winner. Read Article


September 8, 2020

Transforming a Mall Into Mixed Use Housing

Alex Salazar and Jennifer Nye shared their ideas on transforming Portland’s Lloyd Center Mall into housing. They discuss relevant housing typologies, applicable planning strategies, the future of retail and office space, and equitable access to transit and jobs in this publication for the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association.


May 20, 2020

A win at the ballot box last night for affordable housing in Portland!

Congratulations to Welcome Home Coalition for the successful win at the ballot box last night! Portland voters approved Measure 26-210 with 57% of the vote, a new tax that will raise around $2.5 billion for homeless services over the next decade. We’re excited to know that homeless services will have a new funding stream. Great work by the campaign staff who managed the phone bank during this pandemic, remotely! Salazar Architect was happy to support, with a small group of staff who participated in the home-based phone bank.


March 10, 2020

Williams Plaza gaining upgrades, a floor at a time

Under construction: Williams Plaza, affordable housing for senior and disabled residents, is getting major upgrades. “Tenants are remaining in the building while improvements take place. In this case, the work is being done one floor at a time, with residents being shifted to a ‘hotel’ floor (the sixth) on a temporary basis. The sixth floor will then be the final level to be renovated.” Read Article


December 13, 2019

Portland ADU Program Pairs Lower-Wealth Homeowners and Low-Income Tenants

Our Small Homes NW project, in development with Hacienda CDC, discussed by Sightline Institute as part of its Legalizing Inexpensive Housing series. The development aims to tackle housing stability and the wealth gap at once. Read Article


July 29, 2019

2019 Building Diversity Awards

Salazar Architect was awarded with a Building Diversity award from DJC Oregon — a program that celebrates and examines diversity, equity, and inclusion in the local building industry.


March 19, 2019

Pearl District Affordable Housing is Vibrant!

Our Vibrant! affordable and permanent supportive housing project featured in DJC Oregon at it’s opening. Read Article


March 15, 2019

Portland’s new affordable housing development includes units for families transitioning out of homelessness

Vibrant! includes 93 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, including 40 units that are set aside for families transitioning out of homelessness. The building’s exterior design forgoes the brown brick tradition of the district and instead opts for a combination of neutral and brightly colored metal panels.” Read Article


March 12, 2019

Vibrant! to bring 93 units of Affordable Housing to Portland

Vibrant! in The Registry: “The neighborhood, originally home to rail yards, industrial warehouses, and Portland’s first immigrant settlements, has, over the last century, seen communities-of-color pushed out, while artists and others moved in.” Read Article


February 1, 2019

The Green New Deal is already at work in one Portland neighborhood

“Across the street from the asphalt plant, a barren parking lot is cordoned off by a chain-link fence. This was formerly the site of the Sugar Shack, a notorious strip club and adult video store that was torn down less than two months ago. After the owners’ arrest in 2015 for tax fraud and running a prostitution ring, the lot became a meeting spot for neighborhood groups and community members. Now, thanks to a coalition of four local organizations that goes by the name Living Cully, the site will soon be home to a new affordable housing complex: Las Adelitas, named in honor of the women soldiers who fought during the Mexican Revolution.” Read Article


January 2, 2019

Erasing an illicit past, facilitating a bright future

Our Las Adelitas project is featured in DJC Oregon.


December 10, 2018

Demolition of Sugar Shack, making way for affordable housing

KGG News reporting on the demolition of the Sugar Shack to make way for Las Adelitas affordable housing. View Video


June 26, 2018

Curbed Magazine: In Portland, a neighborhood designs its own solution to displacement

Right 2 Root, a community-created plan, offers a blueprint for pushing back against displacement and disinvestment. Read Article


November 3, 2017

So long, Sugar Shack: Affordable housing planned at Living Cully Plaza

Street Roots, Portland’s street newspaper, shares the good news about our affordable housing development coming to the Cully neighborhood, and the associated community benefits. Read Article