Kunshan, China, located near Shanghai, has experienced unprecedented population and business growth in recent years which has resulted in environmental degradation and the need for the city to reshape its identity. SWA’s proposal aims to create a new waterfront district providing businesses as well as residents with public amenities and viable open space. The master plan balances development and environmental conservation on the Wusong Riverfront by employing highly detailed infrastructural systems that integrate cutting-edge hydrological design and land planning. The water treatment system acts as the central organizing structure of the site by introducing a sequence of several pools and channels that remove targeted pollutants by settling, filtration, aeration, and bio-processing in alternating oxic and anoxic environments. Existing storm pipe outlets that previously discharged directly into the inner bay are retrofitted, allowing water to pond onsite and flow over land in bio-swales before entering the treatment system or inner bay. SWA’s design also seeks to reconnect the population and river by maximizing the waterfront edge for varying scales and layers of experience. The perimeter of the bay is designed as an open space system with interconnected bicycle and pedestrian paths. Sustainable systems created by the compact master plan create a comfortable outdoor microclimate, encouraging people to use alternative, eco-friendly means of transportation. By designing a comprehensive sustainable network of water-cleansing and climate improving systems, the project exceeds development objectives while creating a new riverfront park for the residents of Kunshan.
Long Beach Shoreline
SWA prepared a land use and urban design plan for six miles of waterfront adjacent to downtown Long Beach. Through a series of meetings with local community stakeholders, we were able to determine the different needs of each district in the plan: of critical importance was the need to preserve valuable open space inland, and to maintain an ecological corridor ...
Fort Wayne Riverfront
As a city that was built and thrived because of its location as a crossroads between wilderness and city, farm and market, the realities of infrastructure both natural and man-made are at the heart of Fort Wayne’s history. We consider waterways as an integral part of open spaces of the City, forming a series of infrastructural systems that affect the dynamics ...
OCT Bao’an Waterfront Cultural Park
Bao’an Waterfront Park is an essential amenity for future residents of Shenzhen’s rapidly expanding Qianhai area, and is also an important connection between the urban fabric and the ocean. The key landscape frameworks for the park are its riverine interpretation aspects and water’s edge programs. The “Eco River” will bring water experiences into the green spa...
Shenzhen Longgang River Blueway
Shenzhen’s Blueway Initiative is envisioned to activate the industry and culture of its urban communities, unlock the tremendous land value of the watershed, and inject sustainable vitality into Shenzhen’s future growth. The design is inspired by the interplay of the blueway’s five systems: hydrology, ecology, leisure, industry, and culture. The design strateg...