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.
Larchmont Yacht Club
Larchmont Yacht Club is the second-oldest yacht club in the United States. Conceived in 1880 on the cleft rocks of Larchmont Manor, the club has grown to a membership in excess of 600, with a continued mission to instill and enhance an interest in yachting and the spirit of sportsmanship in members and their families. Set within a mature forest of deciduous tr...
The Resort at Pedregal
Situated at the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Cabo San Lucas is a beautiful illustration of nature at its most diverse. Baja’s dramatic desert terrain is punctuated by the rugged Pedregal Mountain before converging with the pristine sandy beaches along the Sea of Cortez. Crashing blue waves of the Pacific meet the calmer waters of the Sea and cr...
La Cantera
Perched atop one of the highest points in San Antonio, this luxury resort was designed around its unique views of the city and its own golf course. SWA’s renovation of this striking hotel’s landscape included terracing down over 10 feet of the San Saba courtyard, expanding the resort’s many hospitality venues. Within San Saba, guests are invited to explo...
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...