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.
Envision Willowick
The Cities of Garden Grove and Santa Ana are developing a “vision” for redevelopment of the Willowick Golf Course site. This process explored conceptual land use options that are formed by community and stakeholder collaboration and input. The Visioning is intended to be used to guide the preparation of development plans for Willowick. The visioning...
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...
Chabot College Library & Grand Court
In collaboration with architects Group 4 and HMC, SWA transformed Chabot College’s predominantly paved Grand Court into an outdoor living room at the heart of the 14,000-student campus. The opportunity to reimagine the space came in conjunction with siting, massing, and designing the new iconic, three-story faceted library where the campus’ main walks intersec...
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...