At the confluence of the San Antonio River lies Brackenridge Park, a once postcard-worthy destination with a rich heritage obscured by years of neglect.
Reimagining cultural landscapes requires balancing historic preservation, ecological health, and visitor experience. Rather than opting for piecemeal rehabilitation as originally proposed by the city, SWA recommended a comprehensive reinterpretation of the entire site, aiming to weave together the park’s cultural, historical, and ecological narratives.
Central to this goal is reinvigorating the water story. The design reinterprets the river’s original flow, reactivates a 19th-century acequia and raceway, and highlights historic structures and their functions. By removing invasive species, reducing hardscape, and stabilizing riverbeds with native plantings, the project aims to restore the local ecosystem and cultural landscape. New pedestrian connections improve safety, while a Cultural Trail and plaza celebrate the site’s heritage.
SWA communicated extensively with various stakeholders, including the Office of Historic Preservation, Indigenous groups, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Historical Commission, the San Antonio River Authority, and the public. To shape a historic park that honors the past, serves present communities, and safeguards ecological futures within a single, cohesive design, SWA thoughtfully revised plans to accommodate stakeholder preferences and regulatory requirements.
Brackenridge Park is positioned within the greater San Antonio River Vision Plan, along with Spirit Reach and Miraflores.
Pacific Plaza
The latest step in the renaissance of Downtown Dallas has arrived with Pacific Plaza, a 3.89-acre public park that serves the central business district’s burgeoning population and contributes substantially to the city’s outdoor experience. The first of an ambitious four-park initiative, Pacific Plaza complements adjacent urban greenspace with a varied program ...
Jeddah Central District
For many Muslims making the holy pilgrimage to Makkah, the journey begins in Jeddah. Recognizing the resource strain from religious tourism, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan outlined the need to address the city’s mounting concerns surrounding housing, mobility, and flooding.
SWA’s Central District master plan introduces 58,000 new acco...
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
In the early 1970s, the National Park Service began the enormous task of creating a new national recreation area in the midst of an urban center—the San Francisco Bay Area, home to 4.5 million people at the time. Riding the wake of the environmental revolution of the late 1960s, the Park Service would need to find consensus among a wide range of constituents, ...
Uptown ATX Master Plan
Previously a single-use, auto-centric office complex, Uptown ATX is a 66-acre transformation resulting in a transit-oriented, mixed-use neighborhood that further bolsters the burgeoning technology hub of Northwest Austin. Situated between the Charles Schwab campus and The Domain, the Uptown ATX master plan features 3.2 million square feet of workspace, 2.9 mil...