Located within El Pueblo, the birthplace of Los Angeles, La Plaza Cultura Village is a mixed-use, transit-oriented development totaling 425,000 square feet of retail, apartments (20 percent of which are low income units), cultural facilities, and public open space. Two large, surface parking lots have been transformed into a vibrant community that builds upon the rich cultural, historic, and geographic context of the area. A historic paseo passes through the village’s heart, providing a pedestrian connection from Union Station to the Fort Moore Memorial and linking monuments of the city’s past to present residential life. Interpretive signage, paving inlays, cultural iconography, and traditional building materials honor the cultures who have come together to form this diverse area of Los Angeles. A dog park, as well as a pool and amenities deck offer residents the opportunity to enjoy the sun and experience local history firsthand.
OCT Bao’an Waterfront Cultural Park
Bao’an Waterfront Park is an essential amenity for future residents of Shenzhen’s rapidly expanding Qianhai area, and is also an important connection between the urban fabric and the ocean. The key landscape frameworks for the park are its riverine interpretation aspects and water’s edge programs. The “Eco River” will bring water experiences into the green spa...
RIT Global Village and Global Plaza
Global Village, a pedestrian-only infill neighborhood adjacent to Rochester Institute of Technology’s academic core, and its mixed-use centerpiece, Global Plaza, create a social heart for 17,200 students and 3,600 faculty and staff. The landscape architects and architects collaborated on an urban design that establishes multiple “crossroads” ...
Williams Square
For decades, Williams Square has been the walkable “living room” for Irving, Texas’s Las Colinas community. The plaza’s iconic bronze mustang sculptures, designed by artist Robert Glen, are among the state’s most iconic landscape features, speaking to the state’s identity and history.
SWA’s engagement with the plaza is longstanding, dating back to the 1...
Monet Avenue 2.0 at Victoria Gardens
A decade after completing Victoria Gardens, the owner looked to refresh the project to maintain its relevancy. SWA redesigned a three-block streetscape and plaza along Monet Avenue. The focus is on the next generation of users, with a shopping environment that highlights the social landscape and blurs the lines between retail and recreation. The design scope i...