SWA announced that Todd Strawn was promoted to Managing Principal of the firm’s Dallas studio, bringing two decades of experience as an accomplished designer and 18 years at SWA, a global landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm that has held a Dallas office since 1983. Over his tenure at the firm, he has worked with both the Dallas and Shanghai studios, serving as a technical principal, project manager, and field specialist on numerous resort, planning, and mixed-use development projects.

“I’m honored to step into this role, especially at a pivotal moment for the studio with the opening of Halperin Park,” said Strawn. “In many ways, Halperin exemplifies our core mission of building more accessible, connective, and beautiful public spaces that truly work for their communities. That’s only been possible through the partnerships and trust we’ve built here over decades, and I’m excited to carry the legacy forward.”

For over four decades, SWA Dallas has been at the forefront of the city’s design community, shaping projects that have defined the city’s public realm and improved its overall resilience. The studio has led some of Dallas’ most influential civic projects, including the Katy Trail—widely credited with catalyzing a shift in urban mobility and green space after its completion over 20 years ago—along with Pacific Plaza, a centerpiece of downtown reinvestment, and Williams Square in Irving. Current work includes the New Pediatric Campus for Children’s Health and projects for UT Southwestern.

The studio has also built a strong international hospitality portfolio, with projects such as Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Cabo San Lucas and more recent work including the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal and Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe. That portfolio continues to expand, with the Park Hyatt Cabo Del Sol and projects underway in St. Kitts.

“Todd’s new role is a natural next step for the studio,” said Gerdo Aquino and David Thompson, Co-CEOs of SWA. “Over nearly two decades, he has helped shape the studio’s reputation for design rigor, technical execution, and long-standing client relationships. We can’t think of a better person to lead its next phase of growth.”

Strawn has played a key role in many of the studio’s legacy projects, including the Katy Trail, the Hi Line Connector, and Pacific Plaza, often working across complex public-private partnerships and funding structures in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. He previously collaborated closely with former Managing Principal Chuck McDaniel on a number of high-profile resort projects and continues to build on that foundation as the studio expands its work across North America and the Caribbean.

As Strawn steps into the role, the studio is preparing for the opening of Halperin Park, a deck park spanning I-35E in Southern Dallas. Opening to the public on May 9th, the project reconnects the Oak Cliff community long divided by highway construction, marking a major milestone for both the city and the Dallas studio.