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.
Miraflores
Miraflores Park, crafted in the early 20th century by Dr. Aureliano Urrutia, a notable surgeon and Latino immigrant, stands as a vital historic landmark along the San Antonio River. Years of deterioration have obscured the park’s cultural significance, leading to its confusion with a cemetery and presenting financial and operational challenges to rehabilitatio...
Fort Wayne Riverfront
As a city that was built and thrived because of its location as a crossroads between wilderness and city, farm and market, the realities of infrastructure both natural and man-made are at the heart of Fort Wayne’s history. We consider waterways as an integral part of open spaces of the City, forming a series of infrastructural systems that affect the dynamics ...
Brackenridge Park
At the confluence of the San Antonio River lies Brackenridge Park, a once postcard-worthy destination with a rich heritage obscured by years of neglect.
Reimagining cultural landscapes requires balancing historic preservation, ecological health, and visitor experience. Rather than opting for piecemeal rehabilitation as originally proposed by the city, S...
The Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza
Harvey Milk Plaza is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro Neighborhood, and hosts one of the city’s busiest transit hubs. The plaza has been the site of countless gatherings and protests, including a candlelight vigil the night of Harvey’s untimely death and the White Night riots, which were sparked by the leniency of the sentence handed down to his ...