SWA worked closely with the client and architect in siting the house to maximize views and preserve opportunities in which to develop the landscape. The varied program for the landscape included a small family vineyard, a multi-use field, flower gardens, fountains, terraces, a koi pond, swimming pool and spa, tennis courts, courtyards, a heli-pad and guest parking. The landscape design incorporates these program elements into a formal framework of connected open spaces and paths. The landscape maintains a dialogue with the building plan to foster interesting opportunities in which the interior functions of the building can extend outdoors. The design also condenses the program within an efficient area to minimize impact on the natural landscape. Native grasses, trees, and the natural landforms are used extensively to integrate these new interventions.
Elan The Presidential
At Elan the Presidential, residents are taken on a journey through the passage of water, cascading through multiple levels within the development before culminating at the central clubhouse and pool. Green spaces complement the water features, bringing nature into the site, with 60% of the development dedicated to open space and outdoor amenities.
Resid...
SunCity Takarazuka
Twenty percent of Japan’s population is 65 years or older and the demands for high quality residential communities for seniors is growing. Helping to meet that demand, SunCity Takarazuka is a new continuum of care retirement community in Takarazuka, a suburb of Osaka, Japan. The project, owned and operated by Half Century More Co., Ltd., a leader in Japan’s fa...
Bamboo Grove Residence
Boasting premium views of the Jialing River, this development is divided into three residential parcels of different sizes and a commercial district with a sales center at its center. Unique topographical conditions for each parcel include, in one instance, a more than 40-meter grade change. The design responds to the natural topography of the site, using runo...
Ping Yuen Public Housing Renovation
The San Francisco public housing projects known as “pings” are widely viewed as successful. Part of this success is a direct result of their ties with the wider Chinatown community: they are comparatively low-crime, and their tenants are well-organized. Composed of four buildings with 434 units, 2,000+ residents, and five acres of landscape, the Pings are a pa...