The Classic Residence by Hyatt in Palo Alto provides seniors with independent and assisted living facilities. The roughly 19-acre site is adjacent to the San Francisquito Creek, a shopping mall, and two in-progress SWA projects- Ronald McDonald House and Stanford West Apartments. Hyatt has been working closely with SWA as well as the City of Palo Alto and Stanford University to develop the site. SWA has placed a special emphasis on maintaining the riparian corridor with native planting, using consideration when dealing with the archaeologically sensitive areas of the site, as well as existing recreation trails and landscape amenities such as parks and play areas. The architectural elements have been sited with the same understanding, and with great care to avoid significant existing planting. This layout incorporates a series of landscaped garden-courts, each with a unique theme: a cut flower garden, a kitchen garden, a sensory experience garden, etc. These garden-courts serve as visual clues for residents to associate with their homes while providing places for walking, resting, reflection, and visual enjoyment.
Larkspur Courts
SWA was hired to help reclaim an abandoned quarry into an attractive residential village. The program called for 256du on 12.5 net acres, a density of 2.5 du/acre. The City of Larkspur required that 97 of the total units be family units. They defined family units as residences with two or more bedrooms and located not more than one level above grade. The City ...
Sonoma Residence
Creating a retreat for a family with small children, the project re-envisions a site with an existing home and barn and capitalizes on a view to a pond through mature oaks, with the challenge of transitioning from a central lawn into the surrounding natural landscape. Three new structures—a garage, a main house with two structures connected by an overhead roof...
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...
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...