SWA

Weaving 3 miles of richly detailed social and ecological infrastructure through a formerly single-use drainage channel, the Longgang River Blueway, an urban design plan by Hassell and Urban Planning & Design Institute of Shenzhen, transformed one of Shenzhen’s largest rivers into a dynamic open space network serving over 4 million residents in a rapidly urbanizing city. “Threading the needle” of an expanded floodplain through highly complex infrastructure, the Blueway restores a highly polluted stream into a vibrant trail system with nodal parks, playgrounds, pavilions, and cultural facilities drastically expanding the connectivity, flood resilience, and economic value of the emerging River District, referencing traditional Hakka culture and craftsmanship throughout structures, program, and site design.

In a climate-changed world, heat is all around us—extending summer unnaturally far into fall, scorching our cities, warming the ocean, fueling storms like Hurricane Milton, and claiming untold lives every year, both the deadliest of environmental risks and the least visible. So when SWA looked at topics for our annual Summer Student Program in Houston, extreme heat naturally gravitated to the top of the list. Houston is one of the hottest cities in the U.S., and one of the least green—only 18% of the city has tree canopy, much of which is on private property. Studies show that in the next 25 years, Houston will go from 10 to 74 days a year with a heat index of 105°F or more—not an anomaly, but a clear upward trend. And to many experts, heat is known as a “threat multiplier,” amplifying the effects of flooding, drought, fire, and storms like Beryl, Helene, Milton, and the derecho that tore across Harris County in May. While all of this is true, there’s good news: we already know how to cool cities. Architects, landscape architects, urban planners, and designers have an incredibly well-stocked toolkit: expanding contiguous, mature tree canopy, retrofitting buildings with high-albedo materials and green roofs, building cooling centers, and creating “cool corridors.” All of these can help lower ambient temperatures, improve air quality, and capture stormwater at a comparatively low cost. For SWA’s 2024 Summer Student Program, created in partnership with Downtown Houston+ and a range of local partners, eight undergraduates from across the U.S. proposed an ambitious, blue-sky vision for heat adaptation in Houston’s urban core: a contiguous “Cool Loop” through downtown. What if, the students proposed, there was a single loop of cooling infrastructure from Avenida to Historic Main Street, from the Theater District to the Skyline District, from Buffalo Bayou to EaDo? Paired with “good heat”—civic improvements, activations, and programs that can help bring people downtown—the impact could be transformative. Read the full story on the SWA website to learn more. https://lnkd.in/gHav3XtV

Last night at the opening of Perspectivas 2024, SWA Associate Karla Damken presented her work on building kinship with plants and the land, in an exhibit curated by AIA San Francisco Latinx in Architecture. The exhibit, on view through October 13, is hosted at the Strike Slip Gallery in San Francisco as part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. Learn more about the event here: https://lnkd.in/ek6DkKAG

In "Decarbonizing the Design Process," SWA's Mariana Ricker and LPA, Inc.'s Alejandra Hinojosa offer a phase-by-phase structure to decarbonize design through big ideas, strategies, and best practices. ? The free guide is available through the American Society of Landscape Architects.

SWA is proud to partner with UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health on the open space for the transformative pediatric campus in Dallas. Congrats to all on the groundbreaking!

Extending the greenery and leisure-focused atmosphere of the bordering golf course, the 206-hectare Agile Residential Community has become a popular destination both for locals and its Hong Kong neighbors. The development's central lake blends art and utility, acting as a unifying element for the project as it invites users to connect with the native environment. SWA prepared the preliminary master plan for the site located in southern Chin, approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Guangzhou. Located in a small valley surrounded by hills that rise several hundred meters above the existing fish ponds on the valley floor, the design seeks to work with the elevation, rather than against it. The program includes a mix of high-rise and detached residential buildings, a central lakeside retail center, and several neighborhood recreation facilities.

Happy Fall! While we'll miss longer and warmer days, we welcome the changing foliage and the beginning of the holiday stretch. At SWA, our teams work with the seasons to craft landscapes that evolve and maintain seasonal interest, creating layered palettes that draw visitors throughout the year. ?? Click through for some of our favorite landscapes that come alive in the fall.

Tune into the American Society of Landscape Architects's webinar series featuring SWA BIM Manager Radu Dicher. Today kicks off the first 45-minute session in the five-part program!

Reporting on a thriving post-pandemic trend of offices expanding workplaces into the outdoors, THE PLAN profiled SWA's work at 100 Altair—"not just an extension of the offices inside, but a genuine outdoor workspace." The HGA-designed office building in Sunnyvale, California, embraces the surrounding city through a reflective facade, curbless streetscape, and expansive rooftop with panoramic views. SWA chose a variety of plants in different heights and sizes that are well-suited for the Mediterranean climate and full sun exposure, drawing inspiration from the native landscape and distinctive character of the region. The roof deck functions as an outdoor workspace, sized for large team meetings and private one-on-one conversations, amidst a modern, high-design aesthetic.

Next month, SWA Dallas Co-Managing Principals Chuck McDaniel, FASLA, and Zane Busbee, and Climate and Sustainability Lead Sarah Fitzgerald will present at the Greater Dallas Planning Council Urban Task Force Meeting, where they will discuss the city's transformative public realm projects and the importance of resilient designs. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eSBnWJjA