A Community Designed for Living Well.
The community offers a broad mix of housing types targeted toward a diverse range of future residents.
A hill town nestled into its natural context, Esencia embraces the arroyos and wilderness of its scenic setting.
Graceful terraced land forms, varying in width, maximize views and comprise the community framework.
Marrying open space and grading options helped balance cut and fill needs.
Planning area boundaries respond to intensive scientific and ecological studies.
A hilltop village road hugs the ridgeline and links neighborhood centers.
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}
The community offers a broad mix of housing types targeted toward a diverse range of future residents.
A hill town nestled into its natural context, Esencia embraces the arroyos and wilderness of its scenic setting.
Graceful terraced land forms, varying in width, maximize views and comprise the community framework.
Marrying open space and grading options helped balance cut and fill needs.
Planning area boundaries respond to intensive scientific and ecological studies.
A hilltop village road hugs the ridgeline and links neighborhood centers.
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}

DETAILS

LocationOrange County, California, United States
ClientRancho Mission Viejo, LLC
SERVICE:
Size865 acres

Esencia, a planned community in Rancho Mission Viejo, California, emphasizes health and well-being. This premium real estate development, which is integrated into a 17,000-acre open space preserve characterized by oak canyons, creeks and orchards, envisions wellness holistically. It offers residents extraordinary views, comprehensive access to nature, and a range of outdoor amenities including parks, a community farm, and a systems of trails and pathways.

Esencia attracts residents of all ages, resulting in a multi-generational community that provides wellness options for everyone. This unique hill town in Rancho Mission Viejo is integrated into its surrounding natural landforms, and reflects the area’s agricultural and ranching legacy. Couples, families, and adventurous empty-nesters coexist within a robust neighborhood connected by a network of ranch-themed social gathering spaces.

The recipient of PCBC’s “2018 Master Plan Community of the Year” and “Best Community Land Plan” Awards, Esencia offers all residents a sustainable, multi-layered vision of sustainable suburbs that offer a sense of truly sustainable community.

Related Projects

Woodson’s Reserve

This new master-planned community challenges conventional thinking by preserving wetland areas and open space while achieving an optimal mix of housing products and amenities. A robust local economy has elevated demand for both commercial space and single-family housing. The master plan for Woodson’s Reserve targets active families and those who enjoy outdoor ...

Dongguan Delta City

The Dongguan District is located at Binhai Bay in China’s Pearl River Delta, strategically situated between Shenzhen’s airport and the city of Guangzhou. An international competition asked for ways to capitalize on the heavy flow of traffic between them while also addressing extreme environmental risks: the World Bank ranks the Pearl River Delta at the top of ...

Riyadh East Sub-Center

SWA provided comprehensive planning for a new 300-hectare commercial, mixed-use center in northeast Riyadh abutting the KKI Airport. This area is part of an urban management framework being developed to guide the future growth of the city. SWA developed a plan and implementation strategy to establish an urban center comprising residential neighborhoods, corpor...

Cross Creek Ranch

As urban areas expand, degraded lands robbed of natural resilience and biodiversity often lie in development’s path—presenting both challenges and opportunities. The Flewellen Creek Restoration project transforms a derelict 130-acre ranching ditch into a vibrant 3-mile ecosystem, anchoring the new 3,200-acre Cross Creek Ranch community.

Rooted in ...

Cross Creek Ranch

As urban areas expand, degraded lands robbed of natural resilience and biodiversity often lie in development’s path—presenting both challenges and opportunities. The Flewellen Creek Restoration project transforms a derelict 130-acre ranching ditch into a vibrant 3-mile ecosystem, anchoring the new 3,200-acre Cross Creek Ranch community.

Rooted in ...

Hunter's Point Shipyard and Candlestick Point

Perched on the edge of San Francisco Bay, the Hunters Point Shipyard was an important naval manufacturing center for the WWI and WWII war efforts. The abandoned shipyard and Candlestick Point were combined into a new, mixed-use residential, retail and light industry development—the largest in San Francisco since WWII. Thomas Balsley Associates collaborated wit...

Woodson’s Reserve

This new master-planned community challenges conventional thinking by preserving wetland areas and open space while achieving an optimal mix of housing products and amenities. A robust local economy has elevated demand for both commercial space and single-family housing. The master plan for Woodson’s Reserve targets active families and those who enjoy outdoor ...

Woodbury

SWA provided planning services related to entitlement and land use for 1,400 acres of land in the City of Irvine, representing the last “flat land” development within the Irvine Ranch. Fundamental to the planning of Woodbury was the concept of a village “commons” with a mix of retail, residential, and office uses, which also includes a recreation c...