The Buji River urban review master plan integrates strategies of recreation, reconnection, culture, and ecology to bring the river back to the people of Shenzhen. Based on a restored Buji River ecosystem, the urban review master plan for this flourishing environment aims to reconnect the river with the city.
The program is to be implemented at three scales. At a city scale, a new green road network connects the Buji River and the city. At an urban scale, a vibrant waterfront hub with terraced water access and an amphitheater opens up the city toward the river with a dynamic three-dimensional bridge system to provide much-needed access to the river. Building forms are integrated within the river terminus, punctuating the mixed-use transit district. At a larger site scale, river banks will be reimagined with boardwalks, outlooks, terraced river banks, rock gardens, and floating gardens to encourage a peaceful or playful river experience. The greenway network extends into the neighborhoods and connects to the overall landscape system.
Qatar Public Realm
SWA’s set of illustrative Design Guidelines promotes a public realm that is a relaxed manifestation of the Qatari vernacular landscape, and serve to maintain the locale’s cultural integrity. Unique among the fast-growing areas of the Gulf region, Doha’s landscape reflects a balance of cultural imp...
Shunde New City
The Pearl River Delta is the second largest bird migration delta and estuary in Southeast Asia. Preserving and restoring bird and wildlife corridors while also providing regional connectivity, transportation, and development options is at the pinnacle of today’s development challenges. In the Shunde New City Plan, urban development and nature are integra...
Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue is the oldest street in Downtown Minneapolis, and has gone through multiple transformations over time. The street is undergoing a major reconstruction, and SWA is leading the effort to enhance the character of Hennepin for years to come. The conceptual approach was developed through a robust public engagement process, and touches on the three m...
Greening Houston’s Freeways
As Houston’s Downtown has developed and expanded over many decades, public green space has been increasingly constrained by several interstate routes: primarily I-59, -45, and -69. These thoroughfares, while essential for commuters, have left little room for workers and nearby residents to enjoy unimpeded access to their locale’s adjacent trailways and bayous,...