In collaboration with architects Group 4 and HMC, SWA transformed Chabot College’s predominantly paved Grand Court into an outdoor living room at the heart of the 14,000-student campus. The opportunity to reimagine the space came in conjunction with siting, massing, and designing the new iconic, three-story faceted library where the campus’ main walks intersect.
Alongside the library’s lobby and cafe, a series of long wood slat benches occupy Chochenyo Plaza, a space to study, dine, and socialize. Chabot College is located on the traditional lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and within the plaza, phrases in the tribe’s Chochenyo language cast into the pavement embed cultural meaning into the everyday campus experience.
The site design also resculpted the upper edge of the original lawn amphitheater, adding a new row of trees and seating to frame both the amphitheater and provide foliage for the reading rooms above. Furthermore, the site design softened the Grand Court’s elliptical perimeter concrete arcade with a row of deciduous trees. An outdoor terrace on the third floor provides long views of the East Bay Hills.
Westmark School
Westmark is a private, second-through-12th-grade school focused on providing quality education to students with learning differences. The project itself has been divided into five separate phases, which will include site renovations for classrooms, courtyards, playgrounds, etc. The school provides a unique student experience that re-envisions traditional educa...
Stanford West Apartments
SWA placed a special emphasis on maintaining the riparian corridor with native planting, using consideration when dealing with the archaeologically sensitive areas of the site, as well as existing recreation trails and landscape amenities such as parks and play areas. The internal street grid and architectural and landscape elements are designed to recall the ...
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center, established in 1947, has earned national recognition, with three of its programs ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News and World Report. Despite these academic accolades, the original Law Center building faced significant challenges due to its location and design. Situated in Houston’s low-lying coastal prairie ecoregion...
Montclair State University Student Center and Quad
SWA/Balsley collaborated with DIG Architects and Montclair State University to reimagine the campus student center, adjacent quad, and connections to the surrounding campus. Through site analysis and project stakeholder meetings, key pedestrian and vehicular circulation routes were identified for resident students, daily commuters, and University staff. The st...