Las Adelitas is an empowering development located in NE Cully, one of Portland's most diverse, gentrifying neighborhoods. It is the outcome of a 5+ year community process that transformed a former strip club site known for human trafficking into a catalyst affordable housing and public plaza development with deep social, economic and environmental benefits.  In strong contrast to the site’s previous use, Las Adelitas uses design strategies that foster communal resilience, including energy performance measures to handle Portland’s future climate and a plaza and event spaces for people to congregate as the neighborhood evolves. This webinar presentation focuses on the community engagement and architectural design process that brought the building to life. It is an example of how Public Interest Design firms assist clients in creating community resilience through the practice of architecture. 

AIA CE Pending

Speaker:

Alex Salazar, AIA, NOMA
Founding Principal, Salazar Architect

Alex's career-long focus linking architecture to community organizing serves as the foundation of the firm and its guiding ethos. Early in his career, Alex apprenticed with NGOs in India designing culturally appropriate, earthquake safe homes, and he later served on the Board of Directors of multiple housing justice organizations in Oakland, CA and Boston, MA. His decades of experience leading multifamily developments and community-based master plans continues to shape the firm's body of work and our mission-based approach. Today he can be found volunteering on the AIA's Housing and Community Development's Knowledge Community and the AIA's Government Affairs & Public Policy committee.