Creating meaningful, memorable, experiential places

Following Co-CEO David Thompson’s time in the Dallas office, he founded SWA Shanghai in 2011 to better serve the firm’s growing portfolio of work in China. The office, now led by Jack Wu, has delivered impactful, public space-defining urban districts, such as OCT Bao’an Cultural Park–a calling card of the Shenzhen waterfront. Many projects in the portfolio reimagine post-industrial landscapes, transforming former steel mills and industrial waterfronts into environmentally focused, large-scale public space reclamations.

Selected Projects

Located in THE LOFT, a renovated apparel factory in Shanghai’s historic French Concession, the studio boasts an Atelier vibe where sketches, models, and material samples blend with artwork to enliven the workshop’s free-spirited, creative culture.

The Shanghai studio is an effectual advocate of the Chinese landscape architecture community and is known for its insightful thought leadership. SWA was a founding member of the Landscape Forum, a collective of local and international firms that sponsor topical forums to forefront and address contemporary issues facing the profession. Studio designers serve on professional juries, speak on expert panels, and participate in professional exhibitions and publications. In 2019, the office hosted SWA’s Student Summer Program, providing a platform for research and creative discourse on the topic of resilient city building.