From Quarry to Residential Village 
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}

DETAILS

LocationLarkspur, California, United States
ClientLincoln Property Company
Size280 multifamily units

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 was very sensitive to livability issues related to this project. SWA’s approach was to freely reshape/sculpt the degraded site to maximize the site’s potential for the proposed residential use. The project required an interdisciplinary approach involving architects, civil engineers, geotechnical consultants, and horticulturists. SWA was the lead designer responsible for the site plan, overall building massing, site grading, and open space improvements. Following the schematic phase, the landscape architects played an important role in coordination with the work of the architect and civil engineer; and continued this effort throughout the construction process. The designer massed and sited buildings to maximize offsite view potentials. They created a pedestrian precinct within the development, which emphasizes the pedestrian connections and amenities. This was enhanced by restricting vehicles to the perimeter of the site. The team created a distinct identity within each courtyard cluster and prioritized access to outdoor space. Given the City’s desire to create 97 family units, the design integrates these units with non-family units via building clustering and shared courtyards.

 

 

Related Projects

Elan The Presidential

At Elan the Presidential, residents are taken on a journey through the passage of water, cascading through multiple levels within the development before culminating at the central clubhouse and pool. Green spaces complement the water features, bringing nature into the site, with 60% of the development dedicated to open space and outdoor amenities.

Resid...

SunCity Tachikawa Showa Kinen Koen

SunCity Showa Kinen Koen takes its name from the beloved Koen National Park that borders the development to the east and south. Built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Showa’s reign, the park offers an ideal setting for Half Century More’s flagship continuum-of-care retirement community, with 518 independent living units and 82 nursing...

The Camellias Garden

The Camellias Garden is inspired by the verdant green gardens of India and the petals of one of Asia’s most beautiful and vibrant native plant species: the camellia flower. These blooms’ flowing curves and lines are interpreted within the Garden’s design, drawing residents of these 16 luxury apartment towers out into the landscape and offering the sense of bei...

Quail Hill

This mixed-use planned community of over 6,000 people features over 2,000 dwellings in a broad mix of single family detached dwellings, and over 500 multifamily dwellings, complemented by a retail center and 800,000 square feet of flexible development. . Prominent natural landforms such as the Southern Ridge and the three knolls have been preserved and incorpo...

Senayan Square Apartment Towers

An upscale complex of four apartment buildings in downtown Jakarta catering to visiting executives and their families required landscape design services to ground two recently constructed towers. Providing inspiration for enriching this flat, undifferentiated site were the country’s ubiquitous, terraced rice paddies, located just beyond the city’s border. The ...

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 Sovereign at Regent Square

The Sovereign at Regent Square is a multi-family apartment building located within the first phase of the mixed-use Regent Square development along Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas. The project features an amenity deck with pool, offering framed views to Houston’s skyline and a panoramic view of the city. Outdoor living spaces surround a formal pool shaded by a...

Bamboo Grove Residence

Boasting premium views of the Jialing River, this development is divided into three residential parcels of different sizes and a commercial district with a sales center at its center. Unique topographical conditions for each parcel include, in one instance, a more than 40-meter grade change. The design responds to the natural topography of the site, using runo...