DETAILS
In the heart of Guizhou province lies China’s Forest City: Guiyang. Nestled on the banks of the Nanming River, today’s Guiyang is a vibrant metropolis poised to play a significant role in the rapid development of inland China. The Nanming Riverfront Cultural Central Business District Master Plan, led by SOM, leverages this potential and proposes Guiyang as the gateway to Western China.
The Nanming Cultural CBD open space will provide a state-of-the-art pedestrian experience marked by memorable spaces that celebrate Guiyang’s natural assets and historic heritage, and that captivate and congregate residents and tourist alike. A network of public spaces that range from urban to natural settings, will connect neighborhoods, foster vibrant communities, and provide a continuous yet diversified riverfront experience.
The Nanming CBD will address sustainability at every scale of development, from the street and building level to district and city-wide approaches. The new city center will continue to integrate the unique karst topographical features of the region and will activate them as recreational spaces for the city. The plan will also leverage from the topographic conditions the collect and treat rainwater runoff, using bio-filtration and infiltration strategies.
Away from industrial remains, the new CBD will be home to a new generation of Guiyang residents, and offering a healthy lifestyle with opportunities to live, work, and play. It will also attract young professionals and innovators interested in living in an environment with a creative mix of open space, commercial, and cultural amenities.
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. Now abandoned, the shipyard, along with Candlestick Point, will be combined into a new mixed use residential, retail and light industry development — the largest in San Francisco since WWII. Thomas Balsley Ass...
Downtown Flushing Framework
The development framework for Downtown Flushing seizes on the unique and significant attributes of the area and connects them into a cohesive whole, implementing improvements to the public realm and incentivizing high-quality private development. The framework builds upon the rich history and cultural diversity of Downtown Flushing; the study area currently e...
Riverside Park South Open Space Master Plan
As part of an urban design collaborative with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for this new 65 acre redevelopment, Thomas Balsley Associates led the design effort for the project’s centerpiece, a 26-acre waterfront park on the Hudson River. The effort involved urban design, environmental considerations and a highway relocation; and required a creative, yet pragmat...
Nanchang Xiangnan Urban Infill
Situated in the capital city of Jiangxi Province, which is known for its rich cultural and ecological resources, the Nanchang Urban Infill project strives to weave two new districts into the historical heart of the city. To the west, a tower and mall create a modern icon for Nanchang. Here, the landscape reinforces the architectural design through a fluid, con...