Hengqin Island, located in Zhuhai, China, is embedded within a unique and beautiful landscape, and is currently being developed for urban growth throughout the region. Taking cues from the surrounding site, SWA’s master plan intends to capture the essence of the place, and pay homage to its most fundamental landscape elements: the sea, valley, and mountains. SWA takes its inspiration for their plan from these natural landscape elements and uses them as a framework for the development and growth of the island. Henquin’s ultimate goal for the master plan seeks to define a unique environment, focusing on the relationship between water and landscape, and preserves the natural beauty of the site. A saltwater estuary, previously filled between the two islands, is re-introduced in the plan as the physical framework for new urban growth. Waterways ebb and flow through mixed-use neighborhoods, and link to the natural freshwater drainage from the mountains, while smaller neighborhood islands are created that serve to fulfill specific roles, including a multi-modal transportation and shopping center. SWA’s design seamlessly connects water, land, and the larger cultural context of the site to create an ecologically sensitive and aesthetically invigorating island that will serve as an incubator for urban growth throughout the region well into the future.
Longgang River Blueway System
The Shenzhen Longgang River Blueway System is envisioned to unlock the tremendous land value of this 13-mile-long suburban watershed and galvanize the city’s future growth. SWA’s proposal addresses urbanization issues pertaining to water, the environment, and open space shortage, while also activating industrial and cultural revitalization in the surrounding d...
South Waterfront Greenway
A bold new plan for the area along the Willamette River includes a 1-1/2 mile extension of the City’s downtown’s parks and the reclamation of the river’s edge for public recreation. Working closely with the City of Portland, developers, and natural resource advocates, the design team devised a rational plan that places access and activity in targeted nodes wit...
SIPG Harbor City Parks
This new riverfront development is located on the Yangtze River in the Baoshan District of Shanghai. This area boasts some of the highest shipping activity in the world. However, in recent years this single-function industrial zone has given way, allowing for waterfront parks to develop. Within this historically layered water front the Baoshan Park and Open Sp...
Golden Shoal Riverfront Park
Located along Chongqing’s Jialing River, this new linear public park offered unique challenges: a 30-meter annual river fluctuation, steep topography, and low-impact maintenance of a continuous riparian corridor. Adjacent new urban development, with attendant needs for green space, called for a flexible and resilient approach to the park’s landscape and infras...