Positioned along the Pearl River, Yuzhu’s landscape is shaped by the layered forces of geography, history, and industrial memory. The Yuzhu Riverfront Mixed-Use Development is organized along a north–south framework: a vibrant commercial and retail core anchors the waterfront, while the southern district is defined by ecological richness and a high-quality residential environment oriented around health, activity, and sustainability.
A defining diagonal axis cuts through the northern parcel as a direct reference to Yuzhu’s former port identity, reconnecting the waterfront as a civic stage and drawing movement into the heart of the development. Along this spine, four thematic plazas anchor the sequence, linked by a system of weathering steel lighting elements that begin as a continuous linear band and gradually dissolve into individual nodes. The progression mirrors the site’s own evolution: from a singular industrial economy to a layered and diverse urban future. Integrated with the paving design, this sequence also functions as a clear, intuitive wayfinding system throughout the district.
In the residential parcel, the landscape shifts in character, adopting an organic matrix of flowing, layered spaces that balance energy and calm. Inclusive in program and generous in scale, these environments are designed to serve all ages and draw residents into an active, connected community life.
MKT Mixed-Use Development
The MKT mixed-use development is a truly Houstonian take on adaptive reuse, with a tilt wall industrial office park. Located in the chic and rapidly upscaling neighborhood of Houston Heights, this industrial, 1970s-era industrial remnant is being transformed: the buildings’ concrete shells remain, but are bisected by pathways that seem to surgically remove the...
Westbund Central Parcel F
Shanghai Westbund Central Parcel F, sited next to Xuhui Waterfront Park, takes inspiration from Guangqi Xu (1562–1633), the district’s most significant historic figure, whose contributions to agricultural studies became the foundation for the mixed-use commercial development. As the site’s economic context shifted over time, the design evolved. Whi...
South Waterfront Greenway
A bold new plan for the area along the Willamette River includes a 1-1/2 mile extension of the City’s downtown’s parks and the reclamation of the river’s edge for public recreation. Working closely with the City of Portland, developers, and natural resource advocates, the design team devised a rational plan that places access and activity in targeted nodes wit...
NOAH Ethnographic Village
Armenia has set an initiative to increase global tourism and develop a site within its capital city with majestic views of Mount Ararat, where Noah’s Ark is purported to have landed. SWA developed a strategic plan based on several principles derived from the existing context of the site: first, to capitalize its proximity to important landmarks that allow for ...