Replacing over 10 acres of surface parking at the western edge of UCSD’s campus, the new Theatre District Living & Learning Neighborhood introduces housing for over 2,000 undergraduate students, interwoven with academic facilities, campus arts venues, and access to the adjacent La Jolla Playhouse.
Anchored by five mixed-use buildings, the site introduces new dining options, interdisciplinary classrooms, and a mobility hub that consolidates bike, shuttle, and rideshare services. But beyond its academic and residential offerings, the neighborhood foregrounds a layered open space strategy—interweaving courtyards, trails, and restored habitat to support ecological function and student well-being.
The landscape builds on the site’s proximity to the campus’ Historic Grove and Coastal Sage Scrub Preserve, restoring portions of coastal forest while extending native corridors throughout the district. Stormwater is managed through a series of stepped basins and bioswales known as The Ramble, which doubles as a connective green spine and social commons. Outdoor classrooms, shaded seating areas, and walking paths are integrated throughout the site plan, encouraging passive recreation and everyday engagement with the landscape.
Targeting LEED Platinum certification, the neighborhood includes all-electric buildings with low-carbon materials, passive ventilation, and high-performance envelopes. In the landscape, native and climate-adapted plantings reduce water demand and heat retention, while permeable paving and smart irrigation support long-term sustainability. Taken together, these elements signal a broader campus shift toward denser, greener development—and a long-term investment in climate-responsive student housing across several of the university’s new developments.
Northwest Vista College
Northwest Vista College is situated in the oak covered hills west of San Antonio, with beautiful views toward the city and surrounding valley. Previously the design team completed an extensive master plan that accommodated for the expansion of the college facilities to three times its current size. The design seeks to sensitively integrate the nearly 400,000 s...
Coda at Tech Square
The Coda building in Technology Square represents a $375 million investment into Atlanta’s budding innovation district – the Southeast’s premier innovation neighborhood. The area has attracted industry innovation centers including AT&T Mobility, Panasonic Automotive, Southern Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola Enterprises, NCR,...
The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts
The original Stanford campus museum was damaged in an earthquake in 1989. With help from major namesake donors to the museum, significant site improvements, expansion and seismic renovation improvements were accomplished. SWA provided master plan updates and full landscape architectural services including pedestrian pathways; two major terraces for displaying ...
Soka University
When Japan-based Soka Gakkai International, one of the world’s largest lay Buddhist organizations, decided to establish a fully accredited liberal arts university in southern Orange County, SWA joined with the architects to create a setting that expresses the goals of the new university. Soka means “to create value” and the ideal of Soka education is to foster...