Situated within the suburban context of the Los Angeles Valley, Crest Apartments provides 64 residences for the homeless, including 23 reserved for disabled veterans. The building’s striking geometry is complemented by a flexible, multi-layered, and multi-textured landscape that support social, experiential, and environmental programs. The ground cover plant selection and placement react to the varying degree of sun light and shadow on the ground plane. From the street edge, a variety of tree species reflect the diverse residents themselves, going on to form a collective under the broad tree canopies of larger specimens. Weaving, sinuous connect the development’s main gathering spaces: an intimate space underneath the lower volume of the building and a more expansive space towards the center. The planting palette consists primarily of native, drought-tolerant species, selected for their seasonal interest as well as the wildlife habitat they foster. Songbirds, butterflies, bees, and squirrels work to enrich and evolve the landscape as its residents find restoration within.
Sonoma Residence
Set amidst a coastal oak grove in Sonoma, this modern residence provides a peaceful retreat for a family and their growing children. Selected for its trees and pond, the site offers a rural escape where the owners can connect with nature. SWA’s design integrates oak grassland, chaparral, and riparian planting over a clean, minimal hardscape. Native meadow gras...
Larkspur Courts
SWA was hired to help reclaim an abandoned quarry into an attractive residential village. The program called for 256du on 12.5 net acres, a density of 2.5 du/acre. The City of Larkspur required that 97 of the total units be family units. They defined family units as residences with two or more bedrooms and located not more than one level above grade. The City ...
SunCity Takarazuka
Twenty percent of Japan’s population is 65 years or older and the demands for high quality residential communities for seniors is growing. Helping to meet that demand, SunCity Takarazuka is a new continuum of care retirement community in Takarazuka, a suburb of Osaka, Japan. The project, owned and operated by Half Century More Co., Ltd., a leader in Japan’s fa...
Wuhan Liantou Center
Wuhan Liantou Center is a high-end residential development along the edge of the Yangtze River. Phase One of the project focuses on the display area, which houses the sales office and introduces potential residents to a sequenced, experiential tour of this forthcoming residential retreat.
The landscape design harmoniously integrates with the building’s ...