SWA partnered with the City of Burlingame to transform a surface parking lot into “The Grove,” a vibrant 1-acre community gathering space envisioned as downtown Burlingame’s outdoor living room. Blending urban functionality with engaging public amenities, the design features a grid of deciduous trees, a central glass-clad fountain with a cascading waterfall, communal dining areas, spaces for outdoor games, and a flexible zone for markets, festivals, and performances.
Central to the project is the thoughtful integration of the square on two parcels—one city-owned and one privately developed—into a cohesive hub that reflects Burlingame Avenue’s charm and warmth. At the project’s inception, SWA and Urban Field Studio led an inclusive and thorough community engagement process to ensure alignment with broader downtown revitalization goals, collaborating with the city, local stakeholders, and adjacent property owners.
The design emphasizes the pedestrian experience by expanding walkable areas and creating abundant opportunities for connection and activity. Imaginative features include a nighttime art projection that simulates a creek, paying homage to Burlingame Creek flowing beneath the square. Public restrooms within the cast glass fountain add an artistic and sensory element to the square.
Walmart Home Office
As Walmart evolves in response to a changing workforce and focus on sustainability, the company’s new Home Office campus in Bentonville captures these values over 350 acres—both a blueprint for ecologically sensitive campus design and a renewed anchor at its origin in the Ozarks. More than a headquarters, the campus is a major regional investment for Northwest...
Uptown ATX Master Plan
Previously a single-use, auto-centric office complex, Uptown ATX is a 66-acre transformation resulting in a transit-oriented, mixed-use neighborhood that further bolsters the burgeoning technology hub of Northwest Austin. Situated between the Charles Schwab campus and The Domain, the Uptown ATX master plan features 3.2 million square feet of workspace, 2.9 mil...
Peanut Plaza
One of the most dangerous intersections at the gateway into downtown Washington DC was targeted for significant improvement. Prompted by the demolition of a Wendy’s restaurant and new road alignments to ease traffic congestion, SWA/Balsley was hired to create a memorable new gateway experience and usable, inviting parks in the newly acquired public land. The t...
Houston Green Loop
With the coming expansion and realignment of the highways around Downtown Houston, SWA identified the opportunity to enact a bold vision: a multi-use branded connectivity system that will leverage the immense reconstruction investment. SWA’s concept creates a continuous pedestrian loop over, under, and around the downtown highway system, thus redirecting the u...