Salazar Architect
Salazar Architect is a Portland-based architecture firm specializing in affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, and community facilities for nonprofit developers, housing authorities, and local governments across Oregon, Washington, and California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Salazar Architect does
Salazar Architect, Inc. is a privately held architecture firm founded in 2007 by Alex Salazar and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a secondary office in Sacramento. The firm provides architecture, interior design, urban design, and community engagement services focused on affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, community centers, and mixed-use developments for nonprofit developers, community development corporations, public housing authorities, and local governments across Oregon, Washington, and California. As of 2020, the firm operated with 16 staff organized into three specialized Design Labs: Community Design (participatory methods sharing decision-making power with marginalized communities), Wellbeing Design (Trauma Informed Design and biophilic approaches), and Sustainable Design (AIA 2030 Commitment signatory using Sefaira, Autodesk Insight 360, and Cove.tool for energy modeling).
The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services fees contracted through RFPs and direct relationships with housing authorities and nonprofit developers, with no disclosed pricing or recurring subscription structure. Salazar Architect has designed approximately 3,000 affordable apartments cumulatively and has launched Mass Casitas, a modular mass plywood panel housing system manufactured with Freres Engineered Wood and the Port of Portland. The firm is MBE certified across California, Oregon, and Washington, holds an internal ownership track for key staff, and operates a pro bono Catalyst Design Grant program offering up to $15,000 in design services to nonprofit housing organizations. Recognition includes AIA Oregon, IIDA, ENR West, Earth Advantage, Housing Oregon, and Sacramento Housing Alliance awards, with multi-project partnerships across Hacienda CDC, Mutual Housing California, BRIDGE Housing, CASA of Oregon, and Latino Network.
Salazar Architect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Salazar Architect
- Legal name
- Salazar Architect, Inc.
- Website
- https://salazarch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Salazar Architect is a Portland-based architecture firm specializing in affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, and community facilities for nonprofit developers, housing authorities, and local governments across Oregon, Washington, and California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Salazar Architect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where Salazar Architect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Salazar Architect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Provides architecture, interior design, urban design, and community design services for affordable housing, community developments, and public interest projects. Revenue generated through professional service fees for design work on new construction and renovation projects.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Salazar Architect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Salazar Architect is an architecture and design firm providing full-service architecture, interior design, urban design, and community engagement services for affordable housing developments, permanent supportive housing, community facilities, and mixed-use projects across Oregon, Washington, and California. The practice is organized around three Design Labs (Community Design, Wellbeing Design, and Sustainable Design) and serves developers, housing authorities, nonprofits, and public agencies through project-based professional service contracts.
Product overview
Salazar Architect is an architecture and design firm offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around three Design Labs (Community Design, Wellbeing Design, and Sustainable Design), plus specialized project types including Mass Casitas modular housing and the Catalyst Design Grant pro bono program. The firm provides architecture, interior design, and urban design services with a focus on affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, community centers, and mixed-use developments across Oregon, Washington, and California.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture and Interior Design Services Full-service architecture and interior design for affordable housing, community developments, and mixed-use projects with a focus on equity and sustainability. Services new construction and renovation projects for developers, housing authorities, and nonprofit clients.
- Urban Design Services Urban design services including master planning, site feasibility, and community visioning for neighborhoods and commercial districts. Includes community visioning projects such as the Hillsboro 10th Avenue multicultural business district work.
- Catalyst Design Grant
Quantifiable outcome
- Designed nearly 3,000 affordable apartments in Oregon, Washington, and California
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Salazar Architect
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Salazar Architect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Salazar Architect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Hacienda CDCcorePrimary development partner for affordable housing projects including Las Adelitas, Mass Casitas modular housing, Small Homes NW ADU development. Hacienda CDC leads the Mass Casitas pilot to model solutions to Oregon's housing crisis while ensuring underrepresented communities have access to safe and affordable housing.
- CASA of OregoncoreDevelopment partner for Talent Mobile Estates Cooperative (wildfire recovery) and Summit Gardens (farm worker housing). Working on mobile home park cooperative ownership models.
- Coalición FortalezacorePartner with CASA of Oregon on Talent Mobile Estates and Summit Gardens for farm worker and Latino/x community housing projects.
- Walsh ConstructionmajorGeneral contractor partner for Mass Casitas modular housing construction, Williams Plaza, and other projects.
- Mutual Housing CaliforniacoreClient and development partner for Mutual on the Boulevard (127 units) and Cornerstone projects in Sacramento, CA. Mutual provides supportive housing services to residents.
- BRIDGE HousingcoreClient for Altura (Goldcrest Apartments) - 75-unit affordable family housing in Beaverton, Oregon achieving Earth Advantage Platinum certification.
- Latino NetworkcoreClient for La Plaza Esperanza - 16,500 sq.ft. mass timber community center in Gresham, Oregon serving Latino/a/x community with early education and social services.
- Portland State University Research Based Design InitiativemajorOngoing collaboration on environmental design expertise and net zero energy research. Students assist with energy modeling and post-occupancy evaluations.
- ZGF ArchitectsmajorPartnered with ZGF on La Plaza Esperanza where ZGF led building shell design and Salazar Architect provided interior design and community engagement.
- Peter Meijer ArchitectmajorPrime architect partnership on Fountain Place and Dahlke Manor projects where Salazar Architect provided apartment renovations and Peter Meijer led common areas.
- Community VisioncorePartner for Mass Casitas urban infill sites in Portland, providing land and ensuring universal accessibility for units.
- Freres Engineered WoodmajorManufacturer of mass plywood panels (MPP) made with Oregon-grown timber for Mass Casitas modular housing prototypes.
- Port of PortlandmajorManufacturing location for Mass Casitas units at Terminal 2 facility. Project lays groundwork for new modular home factory at the Port.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Salazar Architect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PIVOT Architecture: Eugene, Oregon-based architecture firm with substantial affordable housing, education, and community design practice. Comparable to Salazar on Oregon footprint, nonprofit developer clients, and similar firm scale and sustainability orientation.
- Holst Architecture: Portland architecture firm with strong multifamily, affordable housing, and community-oriented practice. Directly comparable to Salazar as a Portland peer with similar firm size, sustainability focus, and affordable housing developer clients.
- SERA Architects: Portland-based architecture and urban design firm with significant affordable housing, mixed-use, and community design practice. Directly comparable as a PNW peer with similar size, mission orientation, and overlapping client base including local housing authorities.
- Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects: San Francisco architecture firm widely recognized for affordable, supportive, and transitional housing design with strong sustainability credentials. Comparable to Salazar on affordable housing specialization, nonprofit developer clients, and West Coast footprint, with similar firm scale.
- Torti Gallas and Partners: National urban design and architecture firm with deep affordable housing and community planning practice. Highly comparable to Salazar's community-engaged urban design work, and founder Alex Salazar previously collaborated with the firm in Washington, DC.
- Paulett Taggart Architects: San Francisco architecture firm focused on affordable and supportive housing, multifamily residential, and community-serving projects. Comparable to Salazar on mission alignment, client overlap with Bay Area nonprofit developers, and firm scale.
- Pyatok: Oakland-based architecture firm specializing in affordable and supportive housing design, with deep community engagement roots. Highly comparable to Salazar on mission, client base (nonprofit housing developers), and Bay Area/PNW regional overlap, plus founder Alex Salazar apprenticed with firm principal Mike Pyatok.
Broad incumbents
- ZGF Architects: Major Pacific Northwest architecture firm with broad portfolio including civic, healthcare, and housing. Salazar partners with ZGF as subconsultant (e.g., La Plaza Esperanza), and they share PNW geography and affordable housing project overlap, but ZGF operates at materially larger scale and broader scope.
- Mithun: National architecture, urban design, and interior design firm with strong social mission and sustainability practice. Comparable to Salazar on values alignment and PNW presence, but operates at much larger scale with broader client base beyond affordable housing.
Regional players
- Hacker (formerly Hacker Group): West Coast architecture firm with strong multifamily, affordable housing, and community-serving portfolio. Comparable to Salazar on affordable housing design expertise and West Coast focus, but operates at larger scale and broader geography (Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Salazar Architect social profiles
Digital presenceSalazar Architect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Salazar Architect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Salazar Architect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Salazar Architect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Salazar Architect
What does Salazar Architect do?
Salazar Architect is an architecture and design firm providing full-service architecture, interior design, urban design, and community engagement services for affordable housing developments, permanent supportive housing, community facilities, and mixed-use projects across Oregon, Washington, and California. The practice is organized around three Design Labs (Community Design, Wellbeing Design, and Sustainable Design) and serves developers, housing authorities, nonprofits, and public agencies through project-based professional service contracts.
Is Salazar Architect a public or private company?
Salazar Architect is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Salazar Architect founded?
Salazar Architect was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Salazar Architect based?
Salazar Architect is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Salazar Architect make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are Salazar Architect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PIVOT Architecture, Holst Architecture, SERA Architects, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, Torti Gallas and Partners, Paulett Taggart Architects and Pyatok. Broad incumbents are ZGF Architects and Mithun. Hacker (formerly Hacker Group) is listed as a regional player.
Does Salazar Architect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Salazar Architect.
What industry is Salazar Architect in?
Salazar Architect's product category is Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8700.