Department stores, as anchors for shopping malls, are closing rapidly. From this decline, grows an opportunity to reimagine the traditional mall experience. Avalon Alderwood Place is a mixed-use, multifamily development situated on the former Sears department store site at Alderwood Mall. Residences housed above ground-floor entertainment and retail add a greater sense of community and neighborhood evoking a 24/7 lifestyle.

The project was thoughtfully organized to maintain important retail sightlines and add visual connections for enhanced activity and safety. Amenities and common spaces are stacked at the corner—expressing life from within and contributing energy to the surrounding mall environment. Embodying the context of the Pacific Northwest, the team utilized biophilic design strategies through the integration of wood, natural stone textures, plant life, and colors found in nature. And the strategic use of bold strokes and organic patterns throughout the interiors creates a layered aesthetic that evokes a casual sophistication. The project is grounded in the sustainable ethos of the Pacific Northwest with materials with low embodied carbon, green chemistry, and sustainable sourcing.

Effectively providing refuge from, yet engaging with, the activity of a mall environment, the project evokes a residential warmth and casual sophistication—evolving the traditional notion of a shopping mall into a community asset.