We collaborated with Morphosis Architects on a new ecological park and living laboratory for Giant Interactive Headquarters, a 45-acre corporate campus in Shanghai, China. The design concept blurs the distinction between the ground plane and the structure, weaving water and wetland habitats together with the folded green roof of the main building design. The site, divided between industrial uses, park systems and residences, presented a unique challenge that required the blending of building and landscape. Our focus on self-sustainability creates a site that incorporates both needs of the corporate environment and the local ecology, resulting in a cohesive corporate campus in a large urban environment.
Work attributed to SWA/Balsley principal Gerdo Aquino and his team with SWA Group.
Lite-On Headquarters
This major Taiwanese electronics company chose the “Electronics Center” of Taipei overlooking the Gee Long River for their new headquarters. The overall concept is of a 25-story slender tower rising above a sloped landscape podium that covers much of the site. Below-grade parking slopes toward the river on one side, with the urban center on the oth...
SIP Administrative Center
Located on the east bank of Jingji Lake and on the east-west axis of Suzhou city, the new Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Center (SIP) is the primary work area for government management departments in Suzhou, China. SWA’s landscape master plan and design create a strong identity for the civic campus, which is located in a setting that integrates traditio...
Marinaside Crescent
SWA provided urban design and overall conceptual landscape architectural design for this mixed-use project including condominium buildings with shops, restaurants and storefronts at street level, a waterfront promenade, a marina, parks and inner building courtyards, and pedestrian-oriented pathways linking the Marinaside Crescent Road and surrounding streets. ...
Lanchi Aqua Garden Hotel
Thomas Balsley Associates was invited to design one of six hotel villa sites near the ancient city of Xi’an. Collaborating with Joel Sanders Architect, the design draws inspiration from the lifestyle and design principles of traditional Chinese gardens. Like these ancient private retreats, this hotel site is also organized around a series of landscaped courtya...