Capitol Subaru

Intentional design with a unique connection to the outdoors.

Capitol Subaru is a 72,000 sq. ft. car dealership in Salem. It was designed with careful thought into the processes of the various departments of the dealership, along with the flow and interaction of people, vehicles, and parts within the building and on the site. The intent was to reduce redundancies, limit travel times, and optimize the processes of the dealership, all while enhancing the user experience through interaction with the outdoors. It was also designed with extra flexible space to allow the operations to grow.

Given that the project was a Subaru dealership in the Pacific Northwest, it was a top priority of the owners of this building to promote a healthy lifestyle for their customers, employees, and vendors. The Subaru dealership joins the Capitol campus and includes a dog park and 0.75-mile walking loop, with much of it along the stormwater detention area and wetland, and connects to an outdoor pavilion on the nearly 12-acre site. The pavilion also includes a large lawn and parking spaces for multiple food trucks to serve as an event space. In addition to encouraging individuals to venture outdoors and explore the site, there was a desire to bring the outdoors in. One of the primary features within the showroom is a large 12’ x 16’ living green wall, while planters throughout the lounge areas help to differentiate spaces and enhance one’s connection to nature.

Capitol Subaru was awarded 2nd Place in the 2022 AIA Salem People’s Choice Awards. Read the news article here.