The new the Hangzhou Alipay Headquarters is located between the Xi Xi wetlands and downtown Hangzhou, a city renowned for its rich culture and beautiful landscapes. Hills and small mountains surround the headquarters building in three directions, and in the fourth lies downtown Hangzhou. Three landscape “movements” derived from openings in the building direct people to the central open space area, where they converge. Using traditional Chinese garden principles, plants on the site are arranged according to landforms, with locally sourced stone pavers giving way to soft planting areas with an emphasis on central gateways. Both active and passive water features enliven the site, creating opportunities for interaction or tranquil enjoyment of the mountain views. Whether viewed from outside the building or experienced within it, the landscape integrates the richness of its natural surroundings into its open spaces.
100 Altair
As an office infill project in San Francisco’s South Bay region, 100 Altair reflects the shift in framing workplace landscapes. The roof deck functions primarily as outdoor workspaces, sized for large team meetings and private one-on-one conversations, amidst a modern, high-design aesthetic. The project design aims to reach out into its surrounding context, wh...
East Evelyn Avenue
301-381 East Evelyn Avenue is home to a uniquely preserved architectural example of 1980s office park design. The aim of this project is to retrofit this suburban office campus into a diverse, connected, and urban environment. SWA approached the site from the same perspective as that taken for successful urban neighborhoods. A hierarchy of outdoor realms organ...
Poly International Plaza
Poly International Plaza is an innovative office, retail, and exhibition center development located in the Guangzhou trade district. Sited along the Pearl River and adjacent to historic Pazhou Temple Park, the project presents a precedent toward integrating development with its site and context, embracing the place of garden and sustainability in the society’s...
Poly Future City
As the first phase of a large development along a new subway line in Beijing, Poly Future City suggests what’s to come. A sleek sales center features an interactive landscape with water features punctuating its pavilions, which boast WiFi, heated seating, and power outlets, all solar-powered. For this temporary building and landscape, SWA took care to invest i...