SWA participated in a competition reimagining 19-kilometers of the Guipan River waterfront in Shunde, China. While the Pearl River Delta is one of the fastest growing regions of Southern China, one of the many casualties of this growth was the delta itself. Presently, Shunde has a growing flooding problem enhanced by channelizing, condensing, and containing the river system. What was once a healthy delta with countless braided river ecologies has now been constrained into 3 river systems. SWA’s design for the Guipan waterfront reflects the local Linnan waterway and “mulberry-and-fish-pond” agricultural system as the typology of new wetlands and park spaces, expressed as a series of wetland filtration ponds. The larger setting for the waterfront park is the 72-square-kilometer master plan previously developed by SWA and focuses on five unique zones: Urban Park, Wildlife Park, Recreation Park, Office Park, and Wetland Park. The concept focuses on restoring the constructed wetlands as the armature for a multimodal city while restoring the wildlife habitats for the larger Pearl River Delta. The plan develops individual islands as pedestrian-scaled mixed-use villages that are linked by a proposed environmental infrastructure of greenbelts, water corridors, rail, trails and a multilayered transportation system. In order to maximize edge surface area and increase opportunities for exchange, the 19-kilometer Guipan River project proposes a braided system of fine-grained waterways to increase filtering capacity and reconnect the new planned City of Shunde to the river. SWA’s design for the site maximizes the social and economic value of the river by emphasizing and expanding its inherent qualities of place, ultimately creating a comprehensive and connected waterfront to rehabilitate and reestablish the Pearl River Delta as a healthy ecological landscape.
Nanhu New Country Village
China’s rapid urbanization over the past several decades has radically diminished its agricultural landscapes and labor force, focusing instead on industrial and technological advancements. The Nanhu New Country Village brings a contemporary approach to integrating agriculture and residences in a village setting, enhancing existing rural character, and improvi...
Rio 2016 Olympic Park Competition
SWA was awarded 2nd place in the 2016 Olympic Park Competition in Rio de Janeiro for their master plan and landscape architecture proposal. The Olympics will be located on a 118-hectare site in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca. The underlying concept of ‘Embrace’ weaves through the design in a grand planning gesture, which both defines the Olympic Games and...
Guthrie Green Park
Guthrie Green transforms a 2.6-acre truck yard into a lively urban park in the heart of downtown Tulsa’s emerging arts district. Opened in September 2012, Guthrie Green has become the area’s leading destination, drawing 3,000 plus people weekly to activities that have enriched the urban experience and spurred district-wide revitalization. The high-performance ...
Nanchang Xiangnan Urban Infill
Situated in the capital city of Jiangxi Province, which is known for its rich cultural and ecological resources, the Nanchang Urban Infill project strives to weave two new districts into the historical heart of the city. To the west, a tower and mall create a modern icon for Nanchang. Here, the landscape reinforces the architectural design through a fluid, con...