Hicks Mountain Ranch is a 900-acre sustainable ranching operation in West Marin County. The watershed, which includes grassland, wetland, and riparian habitats had been impacted by decades of grazing. In addition to developing a home on the property, plans were instituted to restore the ecosystem and mitigate the impacts of development. In addition to undertaking comprehensive ecological restoration of the site, SWA designed landscape for the main residence, and potential (future?) pool house, ranch manager’s house, and barn site, as well as a bridge to prevent future impacts to the stream. The main residence features an internal courtyard to mitigate the extremes of the West Marin climate, organized around a raised hot and cold pool that look like a water feature. The design draws inspiration from the spring boxes and water troughs of the surrounding pastoral landscape, fulfilling the owner’s desire for a distinctive family gathering place while restoring the site to its pre-use ecological condition.
Raycom City
The planned district’s one-kilometer-long public park and retail promenade draws inspiration from Hefei’s ancient river city identity and waterside parks, and includes a string of five special places–the Triangle Park, the Ribbon Park, the Crescent Park, the Source Fountain Plaza, and the Children’s Playground. All of these are connected by rain gardens, grove...
The Summit
Offering iconic views of the East River and Chrysler Building, residents can find serenity without sacrificing convenience in East Midtown’s The Summit. The tower’s “public face” is set back from the street, where a circular motor court establishes an elevated and elegant tone as residents arrive at the project. The ground level includes a reflecti...
Chongqing Dongyuan 1891
This unique linear site is sandwiched between the Yangtze River and Nan Mountain. The design concept of the model area that unites a one-kilometer retail/commercial corridor with four high-rise residences is to create the experience of Shangri-La in an urban center. The spatial layout is characterized by a series of courtyards offering different experiences in...
Ping Yuen Public Housing Renovation
The San Francisco public housing projects known as “pings” are widely viewed as successful. Part of this success is a direct result of their ties with the wider Chinatown community: they are comparatively low-crime, and their tenants are well-organized. Composed of four buildings with 434 units, 2,000+ residents, and five acres of landscape, the Pings are a pa...