“Ichigaya Forest” is the privately owned, publicly accessible, major open space on Dai Nippon Printing Company’s 5.4-hectare new world headquarters in the Shinjuku Ward. Vertical development and production modernization that extends underground was made possible the creation of this 3.2-hectare open space. Over half the site is now planted with native trees, shrubs, and ground cover, creating a unique urban forest with peaceful pathways and small plazas to accommodate the 10,000 DNP employees and their Ichigaya neighbors.
The design team’s vision of returning a mature native forest to this dense urban neighborhood serves as a catalyst for similar future developments, and sets a precedent of resiliency for this Asian megalopolis. To recreate the native forest, SWA developed a “native” soil profile and natural drainage processes to promote infiltration and reduce runoff. Natural stormwater management processes are designed to enrich the forest and keep all rainfall on the site. Hardscape areas are minimized, to reduce surface runoff and heat island effect. Natural pavement materials are used in the secondary pedestrian circulation throughout the site, both to minimize environmental impacts and to look and feel like forest paths.
Jin Hai Wan Riverfront Park
Located along Chongqing’s Jialing River, this new linear public park offered unique challenges: a 30-meter annual river fluctuation, steep topography, and low-impact maintenance of a continuous riparian corridor. Adjacent new urban development, with attendant needs for green space, called for a flexible and resilient approach to the park’s landscape and infras...
Nanjing Tech Campus
This industrial park, located in Nanjing’s prominent Hongshan District, is an iterative upgrade of Shenzhen Galaxy World that will activate industry and finance city innovation. SWA proposed a “rivers and stars” design concept for the north and south commercial districts respectively, creating an attractive, flowing, high-quality commercial landscape for this ...
Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters
Founding SWA partner Peter Walker collaborated with architects SOM on site analysis, planning, and landscape development for this hugely influential corporate headquarters, which remains notable for its unique integration of landscape, architecture, and environmental stewardship. The 425-acre site was chosen by the design team with George Weyerhaeuser for its ...
PayPal Global Headquarters
The workplace of the new millennium is a far cry from the indoor-only, parking-centric “concrete jungle” of the past. After its 2014 separation from eBay, PayPal engaged SWA in a three-part, campus-wide improvement project that exemplifies corporate campus trends by shifting the focus to outdoor amenities, flexibility, and life/work balance for its more than 4...