The Dongguan District is located at Binhai Bay in China’s Pearl River Delta, strategically situated between Shenzhen’s airport and the city of Guangzhou. An international competition asked for ways to capitalize on the heavy flow of traffic between them while also addressing extreme environmental risks: the World Bank ranks the Pearl River Delta at the top of its list for expected economic losses due to climate change. The area is subjected to tropical cyclones and storm surges; 85 percent of its land is due to be inundated before 2100.
The concept of fluidity helped direct planning decisions that could connect the site’s social, environmental, and capital dispositions in this future “Delta City”. Operating from the fundamental knowledge that the area could at times be up to four meters underwater, a second public ground level was established throughout the project at that height. Plugging into the suggested walkways and bridges in that elevated grid is a landscape urbanism “kit of parts” designed to facilitate constructive interchanges between building forms and architecture. Intersecting civic and hydrological systems will facilitate knowledge transfer between the region’s social and civic realms.
The Landscapes of Wuhai
The Inner Mongolian city of Wuhai is transforming from focusing on coal mining as its main industry to tourism. This very special place has many different, striking landscape types located within just 1666 sq. kilometers: sand dunes, mountains, and wetlands, plus adjacency to the Yellow River. Consequently, the city has decided to boost its tourism. Already pl...
3Roots
A transformed mining site in Mira Mesa, 3Roots captures San Diego’s innovative spirit, drive, and natural beauty. SWA’s work began with the master plan, including 1,800 new homes, 160,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and office spaces, a five-acre mobility hub, and over 250 acres of parks and open space. The landscape blends the region’s mining her...
Hangzhou Grand Canal
For centuries, the Beijing-Hangzhou’s Grand Canal – a staggering 1,000 linear miles which remain the world’s longest man-made waterway – was a lifeline for commerce and communication. The water’s edge was necessary for trade, a logical place to live, and often a driver of innovation. However, as with many waterfronts globally, it eventually fell victim to the...
The Cannery
The Cannery is a new pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in the City of Davis that exemplifies the most current and best practices of sustainable community design. Drawing from the agricultural roots of the adjacent landscape, the development emphasizes wellness through the establishment of a comprehensive open-space and recreational system and locally produced f...