Elder Care Facility Comes of Age 
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}

DETAILS

LocationKobe, Japan
ClientHalf Century More Co., Ltd.
Size12,431 m2

Kobe has a unique geographical context in Japan, with breathtaking views both inland to Mt. Rokko and to the broad expanse of Osaka Bay to the south. The landscape design of SunCity Tower Kobe, a landmark senior community in this newly developed city district, celebrates this environment. The tower is tucked into the northwest corner of the site, setting it away from a major public boulevard. This allows the low-rise nursing wing on the east perimeter and the single-story public program to frame a tranquil, on-grade stroll garden court that features a waterscape inspired by regional hydrology patterns. The development’s formal arrival court at the site’s southwest corner is set apart from adjacent “big box” retail by a generous landscape setback, providing a park-like backdrop for Sun City Hall and the Tea Lounge, two important public spaces. The property as a whole draws on Kobe’s striking mountain, city, and sea features while establishing a new standard of design, service, and care for seniors in the Kansai region.

Related Projects

Huntington Memorial Hospital

SWA Group acted as consultant to the architect on the development of a long-range master plan for the expansion of this existing hospital as well as landscape design and development for the 220,000 square foot phase one addition. The hospital facility’s design includes streetscape, a major entry drive and plaza, and on structure gardens with fountains adjacent...

The Sovereign at Regent Square

The Sovereign at Regent Square is a multi-family apartment building located within the first phase of the mixed-use Regent Square development along Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas. The project features an amenity deck with pool, offering framed views to Houston’s skyline and a panoramic view of the city. Outdoor living spaces surround a formal pool shaded by a...

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...

Stanford Toyon Hall

Toyon Hall, a significant historic building originally designed by Bakewell and Brown Architects in 1922, is a three-story structure centered around a magnificent formal courtyard with arcades and arches. The purpose of the project was to preserve, maintain and enhance the building and site. SWA scope of work included evaluation of existing site conditions and...

Huntington Memorial Hospital

SWA Group acted as consultant to the architect on the development of a long-range master plan for the expansion of this existing hospital as well as landscape design and development for the 220,000 square foot phase one addition. The hospital facility’s design includes streetscape, a major entry drive and plaza, and on structure gardens with fountains adjacent...

Hicks Mountain Ranch

Hicks Mountain Ranch is a 900-acre sustainable ranching operation in West Marin County. The watershed, which includes grassland, wetland, and riparian habitats had been impacted by decades of grazing. In addition to developing a home on the property, plans were instituted to restore the ecosystem and mitigate the impacts of development. In addition to undertak...

La Plaza Cultura Village

Located within El Pueblo, the birthplace of Los Angeles, La Plaza Cultura Village is a mixed-use, transit-oriented development totaling 425,000 square feet of retail, apartments (20 percent of which are low income units), cultural facilities, and public open space. Two large, surface parking lots have been transformed into a vibrant community that builds upon ...

Zobon City Villas

SWA provided landscape architectural services for this residential condominium site in Shanghai. The open space layout is comprised of three gardens, each creating a unique environment for the tenants. The Huangpu Abstraction garden is the public face of the project and is expressed with a 2.5m tall stacked glass fountain. The Sky Garden is the center piece of...