Replacing over 10 acres of surface parking at the western edge of UCSD’s campus, the new Theatre District Living & Learning Neighborhood introduces housing for over 2,000 undergraduate students, interwoven with academic facilities, campus arts venues, and access to the adjacent La Jolla Playhouse.
Anchored by five mixed-use buildings, the site introduces new dining options, interdisciplinary classrooms, and a mobility hub that consolidates bike, shuttle, and rideshare services. But beyond its academic and residential offerings, the neighborhood foregrounds a layered open space strategy—interweaving courtyards, trails, and restored habitat to support ecological function and student well-being.
The landscape builds on the site’s proximity to the campus’ Historic Grove and Coastal Sage Scrub Preserve, restoring portions of coastal forest while extending native corridors throughout the district. Stormwater is managed through a series of stepped basins and bioswales known as The Ramble, which doubles as a connective green spine and social commons. Outdoor classrooms, shaded seating areas, and walking paths are integrated throughout the site plan, encouraging passive recreation and everyday engagement with the landscape.
Targeting LEED Platinum certification, the neighborhood includes all-electric buildings with low-carbon materials, passive ventilation, and high-performance envelopes. In the landscape, native and climate-adapted plantings reduce water demand and heat retention, while permeable paving and smart irrigation support long-term sustainability. Taken together, these elements signal a broader campus shift toward denser, greener development—and a long-term investment in climate-responsive student housing across several of the university’s new developments.
RIT Global Village and Global Plaza
Global Village, a pedestrian-only infill neighborhood adjacent to Rochester Institute of Technology’s academic core, and its mixed-use centerpiece, Global Plaza, create a social heart for 17,200 students and 3,600 faculty and staff. The landscape architects and architects collaborated on an urban design that establishes multiple “crossroads” ...
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 ...
Stanford University Campus Planning and Projects
Over the past 20 plus years SWA has been working with Stanford University to reclaim the 100 year old master plan vision of Leland Stanford and Frederick Law Olmsted for the campus. This series of campus improvement projects has restored the historic axis, open spaces and landscape patterns. With Stanford Management Company, SWA designed the Sand Hill corridor...
Universidad de Monterrey Campus Master Plan
The project focuses on improving the sustainability of the 247-acre campus, designing a shift from a vehicular orientation to one that encourages pedestrian, bicycle, and transit use. Site design strategies employ indigenous plant materials and natural water retention and filtration for low-maintenance landscaping. Phase 1 includes site design for one of Latin...