Mahonia Crossing

Cultivating moments of interaction

    • Client: Community Development Partners

    • Location: Salem, OR

    • Size: 94 Senior Apartments & 219 Family Apartments

    • Year: 2024

    • 2025 Multifamily Executive Grand Prize Affordable Housing

    • 2025 DJC TopProject

    • 2022 GRAY Visionary Award

    • Path to Net Zero: Community Building

    • NGBS Emerald Certification

  • This project was completed as part of Dave Mojica’s work at SEA where his role was Project Lead under Principal In Charge Lisa McClellan.

Mahonia Crossing is a mixed-income “Community for All Ages” housing development in Salem, Oregon, that uses design to promote connection. The development’s building typologies include family-centered residential walk-ups, a senior living building, and a community building—each responding to the differing needs of residents in 30, 60, and 80 percent AMI brackets. The integrated architecture and interior design approach supports indoor-outdoor living, incorporates art into daily life, and creates opportunities for a series of passive and active multi-generational interactions. Mahonia Crossing is National Green Building Standard Emerald-certified and features a Path-to-Net-Zero community building, integral to the development’s focus on sustainability.

Historically, suburban multi-family housing typologies consist of walk-up buildings distributed in a parking grid with minimal attention to green space. These developments are marketed to young families and professionals while older adult housing is developed independently. At Mahonia Crossing, family walk-ups are organized around a central park, encouraging biophilic connections and informal and formal gatherings with neighbors. 

  • The Amafa Community Center

  • Senior Housing

  • Gather

  • Play

  • Family Housing

The incorporation of art adds an additional layer of engagement. The design team partnered with a local elementary school to procure student-made collages, paintings, and drawings featured throughout the development, further reinforcing multi-generational community connections. The community building’s mural, created by artist Davey Barnwell, references local landmarks and nature-based iconography, using vibrant, saturated colors to depict them.

Mahonia Crossing’s interiors focus on creating an environment that is welcoming and accessible for all ages and abilities by applying the principles of trauma-informed and universal design. The interior design is strongly informed by its Pacific Northwest context and spaces are oriented to prioritize access to natural light and views of the landscaping and outside activity. 

  • SEA
    Lisa McClellan
    Dave Mojica
    Alexa Cano
    Amy Cripps
    Phil Viana
    Jason Wesolowski
    Jay Thornberry
    Shakti Velio
    Melissa Ehn
    Molly Culbertson
    Michael Gregg

  • Davey Barnwell
    Ivan McLean & PLACE
    Kate Blairstone
    Pringle Elementary Students

  • Gerding Builders
    Interface Eng.
    Stonewood Structural
    PLACE
    QE Consultants
    Radongreen
    Winterbrook Planning
    Westech Engineering

  • Jeremy Bittermann
    Casey Braunger

    *Image courtesy of Scott Edwards Architecture.

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