Renovation of Historic Dormitory 
{"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

LocationStanford, California, United States
ClientStanford University

Branner Hall is a three-story undergraduate dormitory built in 1924 by Bakewell and Brown, prominent architects of the time who were also responsible for San Francisco’s City Hall. The renovation design creates two significant courtyards: an entrance courtyard flanked with four-decades-old magnolia trees shading a seating area and an interior courtyard with a fountain, creating space for students to gather. In addition, a barbecue area was recreated in a space that once held a rose garden. The design addresses critical Stanford site issues such as providing bike parking facilities, reconfiguring existing vehicular parking, and renovating the courtyards and peripheral landscape spaces.

Related Projects

UC Davis West Village

UC Davis West Village is a new 225-acre development in Davis, California, that responds to a substantial growth in the number of students, faculty and staff living on the University’s campus. The city of Davis is a unique and cherished community, and great care was taken throughout the design and planning process to pay homage to its history and culture. The n...

Sonoma Residence

Set amidst a coastal oak grove in Sonoma, this modern residence provides a peaceful retreat for a family and their growing children. Selected for its trees and pond, the site offers a rural escape where the owners can connect with nature. SWA’s design integrates oak grassland, chaparral, and riparian planting over a clean, minimal hardscape. Native meadow gras...

Hicks Mountain Ranch

Hicks Mountain Ranch is a 900-acre sustainable ranching operation in West Marin County. The watershed, which includes grassland, wetland, and riparian habitats had been impacted by decades of grazing. In addition to developing a home on the property, plans were instituted to restore the ecosystem and mitigate the impacts of development. In addition to undertak...

The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts

The original Stanford campus museum was damaged in an earthquake in 1989. With help from major namesake donors to the museum, significant site improvements, expansion and seismic renovation improvements were accomplished. SWA provided master plan updates and full landscape architectural services including pedestrian pathways; two major terraces for displaying ...

Poly Vita Residential Community

Situated within Foshan’s emerging art district near the Nanhai Art Center, Poly VITA reimagines high-density residential living by drawing from the spatial traditions of Lingnan water town culture. The design translates the layered, processional quality of classical southern Chinese gardens into a contemporary community landscape, moving residents throug...

Mill Valley Residence

Nestled on a hilltop in Mill Valley, this family residence presented a unique opportunity to unify multiple buildings within one cohesive landscape. Originally a home and ADU renovation, the project expanded when the owners decided to purchase the adjacent property for a new house, pool, and ADU. SWA was brought in to collaborate with TGH Architects to realize...

Gotham West

Gotham West is a residential development west of Times Square that nearly encompasses a full city block. The space between two mid-rise buildings and a market-rate tower forms a signature courtyard accessed from the tower’s lobby. A sculptural Japanese maple, floating within a reflecting pool, serves as a focal feature. Other courtyard elements include illumin...

Foothill Community College

SWA’s design for Foothill College is an exemplary model of site, building, and landscape harmony. The 100-acre campus bridges two hilltops, with parking and roadways relegated to the surrounding valleys. Buildings and landscape together form a series of courts and terraces connected by a continuous campus greenway. Overhanging wood eaves of the low profile bui...