The 275-acre Baton Rouges Lakes system is a series of six lakes in central Baton Rouge adjacent to Louisiana State University, three major parks, and a diverse mix of neighborhoods. Recognizing opportunity in crisis, a newly funded master plan provides sound ecological restoration methods that will heal a dying lake system while reconnecting the region to its ecological and cultural heritage. No longer the epicenter of “cancer alley,” the Baton Rouge Lakes, as the centerpiece of Louisiana’s capital, have the potential to elevate the city’s identity to one based on best management practices, positioning man and water in equilibrium. Using nature as a catalyst for healthy lifestyles while providing habitat infrastructure for migratory birds and aquatic wildlife, the project will serve as a touchpoint for visitors from across the Parish and throughout the country to experience Louisiana in a new way. The first phase of work identified corrects water quality issues; phase two provides safe pedestrian, bike, and vehicular connectivity; phase three includes ten projects that produce recreational opportunities for a broad cross section of users. To guide the project toward implementation, a nonprofit Lakes Conservancy has been created.
To learn more about the effort from SWA Principal Kinder Baumgardner, please see his interview with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.
The Clearing: Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial
This project was designed to honor the 20 children and six educators who were slain on Dec 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Designers Dan Affleck and Ben Waldo created a competition-winning design for a memorial space which is both open-ended and unifying in how it is experienced, honoring the full spectrum of emotions this tragedy evokes. They wanted...
Canvas Park
Canvas Park is an activity-packed recreation center at the heart of Regions North, the latest addition to the growing New Haven community in Ontario. Centering on sports, family play, and social activities, the park offers a 5,000-square-foot lap pool, flexible lawn spaces, sport courts, and reservable outdoor spaces that residents can use for private gatherin...
Fernwood Avenue Park
The Fernwood Avenue Park represents a significant opportunity for the city to enhance the water quality and availability of groundwater for residents, while also offering public amenities. Equipped with four detention basins that capture water onsite and from the street, the project plays an important role in the community as a stormwater infiltration site. Th...
Pellier Park
In the heart of downtown San Jose, the first of three new SWA-designed parks celebrates the plum tree and agricultural origins of Silicon Valley. The site is a registered California Historic Landmark and the original nursery of Louis Pellier, known as “ The Prune King’ who introduced the French Prune to the Valley in 1856 and sparked the orchard boom in Calif...