Role: Architect Designer at Nichols, Brosch, Wurst, Wolfe & Associates.

​Arlo Hotel.  Miami Florida

​Boutique Micro Guestroom Hotel. 140,000 sf 

Located in the largest street art gallery in the nation, Arlo Wynwood is a cross between a sophisticated boutique/pod hotel and an urban event venue that mirrors the rogue artistic character of its location: The vibrant Wynwood District.
Recognized by its pervasive graffiti street art, Wynwood is part of a larger movement of urban renewal in American cities.  From unused railroad tracks converted to linear parks to industrial neighborhoods converted to art centers, this movement is calling for the occupation of public spaces by their citizens.  We call this Urban Tactical Design.
By using more tactical design and less master-planning, the Wynwood neighborhood has evolved from an abandoned warehouse zone into a district with enough flexibility to accommodate an array of public spaces, all suitable for organized and improvised event venues.  The hidden entrances, the surprising corridors and a network of connected alleyways became the departing ideas of our design.
The first massing design strategy was to carve the inner portion of the building site to create a landscape courtyard.  The courtyard would provide air and light to guestrooms that would otherwise face an adjacent building. The landscape was also intended to migrate to the interior to create a refined urban oasis environment, offering an unexpected contrast with the context.
The second massing strategy was to carve two large areas of the most public facades. The first is a large void at the 3rd level of the front façade that would serve as an outdoor gallery for large art interventions. It would also provide a public stage visible from the street for events and yoga practice.  The other void connects the 3rd level landscaped courtyard to the sidewalk through a monumental stair, mysteriously and strategically tucked in at the entrance of an alley, providing opportunities for 3-dimensional art expressions. The role of this connection is to extend the network of activated public spaces through the Wynwood alleyways.  The alleyway also becomes the entrance of an 8,000 sf “hidden” music venue. 
The dialogue between raw construction materials such as exposed concrete and structural metal to artistically refined wood and glass is soften by a lush tropical landscape throughout the building envelope and the interiors.

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Claudio Salazar, AIA, LEED AP