AXIS Architecture + Design is pleased to announce that the firm has been commissioned to provide architectural design services for a new Moxy Hotel in downtown Tucson, Arizona.

Proposed for a half-acre site bordering Tucson’s Central Business District, the six-story hotel will introduce 137 guestrooms to a prominent location near the city’s historic Fourth Avenue neighborhood and destination Congress Street entertainment district. The development will be constructed above an existing below-grade parking garage originally designed to accommodate a future hotel.

AXIS’ architectural design draws upon downtown Tucson’s early industrial brick vernacular while incorporating complementary elements of Pueblo Revival architecture. A warm brick façade, articulated pilasters and corbelling, expansive street-level glazing, recessed windows, flat rooflines, and earthen-toned plaster will connect the contemporary hotel to the material character and architectural history of its surroundings.

At street level, the lobby and lounge will open visually onto Fifth Avenue through tall storefront glazing, strengthening the relationship between the hotel and the surrounding pedestrian environment. Above, the guestroom levels step back from the street, differentiating the hotel’s private accommodations from its public-facing podium while responding to the scale of neighboring buildings.

Watch for updates in future editions of the Praxis as AXIS’ vision for this new boutique lifestyle hotel takes shape.

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AXIS Architecture + Design, the noted and award-winning West Coast hospitality design, hotel architecture, adaptive reuse, multi-family residential design, and affordable housing architectural design firm, is proud to announce the completion of the comprehensive renovation of Hotel Viking, one of New England’s most iconic boutique hospitality destinations. A project on behalf of KHP Capital Partners activating the design of Los Angeles-based interior design firm Beleco, the hotel’s centennial transformation reimagines the historic Newport property through a design narrative that balances the grandeur of the city’s Gilded Age heritage with a contemporary vision for residential-style luxury hospitality. Proudly, AXIS served as AOR on the project.

An upscale boutique hotel renovation authentically inspired by the property’s historical character

Originally constructed in 1926, with an additional wing introduced in the 1960s, Hotel Viking presented a uniquely layered architectural history shaped by decades of evolving hospitality trends and interventions. Working within a historic structure that lacked complete as-built documentation, the project compelled the design team to continuously adapt as concealed conditions and unforeseen structural realities emerged throughout planning and construction. The resulting transformation thoughtfully showcases the coastal character of the original 1926 landmark while introducing a renewed sense of warmth, sophistication, and modern classicism.

Throughout the public spaces, AXIS assisted in restoring the hotel’s original sense of procession and layered arrival, while Beleco introduced interiors that blend Newport’s maritime heritage with the relaxed sophistication of contemporary coastal living. Historic research informed numerous interventions throughout the property, including reinterpretations of original Viking iconography, historic lighting motifs, and maritime-inspired detailing woven subtly throughout the guest experience. Signature architectural moments include the transformation of the lobby lounge fireplace into a dramatic double-sided marble focal point, the introduction of custom lotus-motif glass walls and doors to improve guest marshalling, and the reinterpretation of the hotel’s historic Viking barback mural within the bar’s new recessed ceiling feature.

The renovation extends beyond the interiors to reinforce Hotel Viking’s presence within Newport’s historic Bellevue Avenue district. The design team introduced new exterior lighting designed to accentuate original architectural elements and reestablish the building’s nighttime identity within the city fabric, while updates to the front entrance portico strengthen the sense of arrival. Additionally, the hotel’s rear courtyard was expanded and reconfigured to support future food-and-beverage activations and open-air social programming.

Project adds to AXIS Architecture + Design’s demonstrated expertise along the East Coast

Beyond its significance as a historic hotel repositioning effort, Hotel Viking also represents an important milestone in AXIS Architecture + Design’s continued expansion into the East Coast. Following AXIS’ recent work on The Press Hotel, Autograph Collection in Portland, Maine, Hotel Viking adds to AXIS’ growing East Coast project portfolio, and reflects the firm’s well-established nation-wide architectural design capabilities.

AXIS also extends its thanks to Kaleb Schelhaas and the Owner’s Representative team at Artaic Group for their very capable project management expertise.

Visit AXIS’ online project portfolio for complete project imagery, and for additional details of AXIS’ design program for the Hotel Viking historic hotel renovation.

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Recently, AXIS Architecture + Design welcomed Megan Kim to the firm’s Seattle studio as its newest Senior Project Architect. Bringing nearly two decades of experience in market-rate housing, affordable housing, senior living, and mixed-use developments across the Pacific Northwest, Megan joins the firm with a design-oriented approach focused on translating client vision into thoughtful, context-sensitive architectural solutions.

Prior to joining AXIS, Megan spent nearly ten years designing complex Pacific Northwest housing projects through entitlement and permitting. From compact urban housing in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood to amenity-driven senior living communities throughout the region, Megan’s experience reflects a strong understanding of how architecture can respond to both market demands and community context by balancing density, livability, neighborhood integration, and evolving municipal design requirements.

Already collaborating with Principal Architect Rory Carroll on a hotel renovation project in San Francisco, Megan’s arrival underscores AXIS’ continued investment in multidisciplinary design leadership across hospitality and housing.

Welcome Megan!

This article appeared in the Spring 2026 edition of the Praxis newsletter.

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AXIS is excited to announce the groundbreaking of our newest hospitality project now underway in Seattle: the Candlewood Suites hotel on Jefferson Street. AXIS is serving as the Architect of Record and Design Architect on the project on behalf of clients Perfect Wealth Investment LLC. Construction expertise is being provided by Synergy Construction Inc.

Located directly across from the Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill Campus, the seven-story hotel is designed to provide comfortable, extended-stay accommodations in one of Seattle’s most active medical and residential districts. The project will include 37 guestrooms, with some featuring private patios, as well as a rooftop deck with a BBQ station, and a fitness room for guests.  Designed by AXIS’ Seattle studio, the hotel will offer convenient access to nearby medical facilities and transit, and will deliver a welcoming and practical long-stay lodging option for visitors to the Cherry Hill neighborhood.

The article appeared in the Winter 2026 edition of the Praxis newsletter.

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AXIS is pleased to announce that Christopher C. Coates, AIA, NCARB, has joined the firm as Associate Principal and Project Director. A recognized expert in California multi-family residential and affordable housing design and development, Christopher brings more than 20 years of experience delivering complex housing projects across Southern California to the team, and includes in his expertise unique experience in navigating the regulatory, financial, and entitlement frameworks that shape housing production in Los Angeles.

Over the course of his career, Christopher has worked extensively across a wide range of residential typologies, including affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, student housing, senior living communities, and market-rate developments. His design approach emphasizes the integration of sustainability and innovation within housing solutions, and includes experience with both wood and steel modular construction systems. Additionally, Christopher’s portfolio includes Passive House design and an expert understanding of its engineering standards. Christopher has also led adaptive reuse and ground-up residential developments utilizing HUD financing, positioning him at the intersection of design excellence and development feasibility.

In addition to his architectural design expertise, Christopher is highly experienced in the policy and financing mechanisms that enable housing delivery in California. He has advised development teams on navigating state and local Density Bonus laws and the 4% and 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) process – critical tools for advancing affordable housing production in high-cost urban markets. As well, Christopher is an active advocate and volunteer giving back to the industry through a number of organizations and boards committed to advancing housing accessibility and affordability. He is an affiliate and proponent of the ULI Los Angeles Housing Council and its mandate of informing and educating housing industry leaders on housing development solutions and best practices, and also sits as a Board Member on the Westside Urban Forum, activating its mission to bring together forward-thinking housing development stakeholders to improve the urban environment.

In his new role, Christopher will further strengthen AXIS’ growing portfolio of multi-family and affordable housing work, and will support the firm’s continued commitment to advancing high-quality residential design and housing opportunities across Southern California and the Los Angeles region.

Welcome Christopher!

This article was included in the Winter 2026 edition of The Praxis newsletter.

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In this first edition of our Praxis newsletter for 2026, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the milestones and achievements that defined the past year. We extend our sincere thanks to our clients, collaborators, and industry partners whose trust and partnership made 2025 such a meaningful and productive year for the AXIS team.

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Late last year, one of AXIS’ most recent upscale boutique soft-branded hotel conversion and renovation projects, the Martis Valley Lodge, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, quietly celebrated its completion and grand opening. A boutique mountain retreat located in Truckee, California, the project saw AXIS serve as AOR and assist in transforming a former Hampton Inn into a new 109-room contemporary lodge-style hospitality destination authentically inspired by the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Contributing to the activation of lead design firm and interior designers Atwater Inc. Studio’s creative direction for the property, the project repositioned the property from a conventional select service hotel into a distinctive boutique lodge. Heavily inspired by the changing seasons of the Sierra Nevada and the sports-focused sensibilities that define the Lake Tahoe region, guest spaces and public areas are designed to reflect the rhythms of mountain life. From winter skiing to summer hiking and lake activities, spaces are pragmatically designed to serve as a basecamp for year-round exploration.

See a fulsome project description and additional project photography in our online project portfolio.

This article appeared in the Winter 2026 edition of The Praxis newsletter.

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Designed by AXIS’ San Francisco studio, the project will deliver 26 residential units over six stories, and includes over 2,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. Expertly activating California’s State Density Bonus, AXIS’ design includes three rent restricted affordable housing units. Capping the development, a sixth-floor rooftop communal amenity deck will offer views of North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf, as well as the surrounding Telegraph and Russian Hill neighborhoods.

Watch our blog for updates on this much needed housing project, as well as for additional commentary on AXIS’ experience achieving approval success with SB 423.

This article appeared in the Summer 2025 edition of The Praxis newsletter.

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This year, the keynote panel – including Head of Planning at California Forever Gabe Metcalf, Chief of Infrastructure for Climate and Mobility at the City and County of San Francisco Alicia John-Baptiste, Executive Director at Abundant Housing LA Azeen Khanmalek, and KQED housing reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi as moderator – was particularly keen to examine and applaud the recent initiatives undertaken by San Francisco’s new Mayor, Daniel Lurie. With issues of homelessness, community safety, and stifling bureaucracy impacting the accessibility of affordable housing in the Bay Area, Mayor Lurie’s profound initiatives to make safe and revitalize San Francisco’s downtown core, his commitment to increase funding for services to stabilize vulnerable members of the community through his “Breaking the Cycle” initiative, and his commitment to expedite the creation of much-needed affordable housing through streamlined permitting by way of his “Family Zoning Plan”, were each debated with hopeful anticipation. Indeed, Mayor Lurie’s first six months in office have yielded some encouraging results.

As active members of HAC, and as avid supporters of its mandate and efforts to address housing affordability in California, we’re pleased to support HAC’s endorsement of Mayor Lurie’s recent efforts. With progressive and ambitious effort, California’s housing crisis does not need to be inevitable – it can be addressed.

To read a summary of HAC’s legislative strategy, including its analysis of Mayor Lurie’s policy initiatives, visit the HAC blog: https://housingactioncoalition.org/news/2025-legislative-strategy

Photos courtesy of Scott Chernis Photography.

This article appeared in the Summer 2025 edition of the Praxis newsletter.

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A rendering of the new-build multi-family residential housing project Alexan Shoreline, designed by Seattle architects AXIS Architecture + Design.

Designed by AXIS’ Seattle studio on behalf of Trammell Crow Residential, Alexan Shoreline East is a new-build multi-family residential development that blends contemporary style with sustainability. Rising elegantly to eight stories, this multi-family marvel offers a diverse array of 299 apartments – from cozy studios to spacious three-bedroom homes. Tentatively, a portion of the development’s units are earmarked as affordable housing.

Concrete being poured at the new-build multi-family residential housing project Alexan Shoreline, an apartment designed by Seattle multi-family residential architects AXIS Architecture + Design.

On a recent site walk, members of AXIS’ Seattle office watched the project’s concrete pour in action, including for its bioretention planters ingeniously designed by AXIS to aid in stormwater management and to add significant landscaping texture to the common outdoor amenities. In those outdoor spaces, the amenities come alive with two inviting courtyards and a rooftop deck complete with a sheltered kitchen. Adjacently, a generous clubroom offers spaces to gather, play, and cook in an indoor kitchen. The ground level caters to various needs – from fitness enthusiasts to pet lovers – featuring a gym, study rooms, a communal workspace, an outdoor pet zone, and a dedicated dog wash. To add a personal touch, select units feature private patios or balconies. Keeping with AXIS’ commitment to sustainability, Alexan Shoreline East aims for LEED Platinum certification, including provisions for 30 EV chargers.

Visit AXIS’ multi-family residential design portfolio on our website for more project imagery of the Alexan Shoreline East.

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