This Ian Schrager-helmed Haitang Bay resort off the coast of Southern China was conceived as a “dream of aqua,” where sky and water converge. SWA’s competition-winning landscape design emulates a river delta and its convergence with the sea. Gently curved forms define the boundaries for 40 private villas, and are echoed throughout the terraced resort in swimming pools, aquatic life pools, and fountains—the most dramatic of which, in the lobby, pours through openings into basin pools below and opens the view to preserved sand dunes and the sea. Additional forms derived from creatures such as the abalone and octopus influenced plantings and pools. Careful site programming and planning helped to preserve the existing specimen trees, particularly in the beach zone and dune ecosystem. Re-vegetation of impacted dune areas will be done with naturalized plantings rather than ornamental species, complete with a management plan that allows for an environment that ensures the overall quality of the resort experience without having to be manicured. The 52-acre landscape for this luxurious 500+-key resort hosts an array of locally farmed native plant materials, as well as transplanted local specimens to protect and promote biodiversity.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina
The design team’s challenge was to re-envision the existing hotel as a premier luxury destination that employs aspects of local culture and heritage to create a unique sense of place. An existing pool and water features were renovated, two new pools added, and restaurants enhanced. The resulting Four Seasons Hotel redevelopment and new residences by partner To...
Las Ventanas al Paraiso
On the Baja peninsula a seemingly lifeless landscape meets the Sea of Cortez in a dramatic vista of eroded mountains, sand and sea, creating one of the most diverse biomes on the planet. The term “sustainable” was not typically in use at the time Las Ventanas al Paraiso was conceived nearly 20 years ago, but the landscape architect nonetheless inherently recog...
The Palms Grand Resort
The Palms Grand Resort And Spa is beautifully located on the British territory Islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. The Islands are an archipelago country of eight major islands and numerous uninhabited cays located 575 miles south of Miami and 39 miles southeast of the Bahamas, known for beautiful beaches, pristine coral reefs for diving and fishing,...
Tuckers Point Club Hotel & Spa
The subtropical environment of Harrington Sound, Bermuda, is the home of Tucker’s Point Club Hotel, beach club, villas, and golf community. Originally the site of the ‘30s–era Castle Harbour Hotel, SWA worked to protect much of the indigenous landscape, and site new hotel features on previously developed areas. Amidst the rolling terrain, the 180-room hotel is...