Larchmont Yacht Club is the second-oldest yacht club in the United States. Conceived in 1880 on the cleft rocks of Larchmont Manor, the club has grown to a membership in excess of 600, with a continued mission to instill and enhance an interest in yachting and the spirit of sportsmanship in members and their families. Set within a mature forest of deciduous trees, the club is home to one of the largest competition and recreational swimming pools in the Northeast – more than 1.6 million gallons – captured by a seawall in what was once a natural cove. Unfortunately, this iconic pool fell victim to its own success, and could not be retrofitted to comply with current health codes.
SWA/Balsley was commissioned to envision a master plan that would improve the club’s operational capacity, allow for an expansion of its membership, and increase its revenues. The plan renews focus on the breathtaking views to the Horseshoe Harbor and Long Island Sound, raising the existing elevation more than seven feet. More than doubling the pool area’s capacity, the design also provides an expanded bi-level bar and grill; separate adult, child, and recreational facilities; and a waterfront promenade that encourages views out from the pool decks above. Circulation improvements and grade manipulation improve the property’s resilience in the face of sea level rise and storm surges, while reconstruction of the pool prevents harmful chemicals from leaching into the waters of the Long Island Sound.
Riverside Park South
On the West Side of Manhattan, on the scenic Hudson River shoreline, Riverside Park South is a massive, multi-phase project of sweeping ambition and historic scope. Combining new greenspace, new infrastructure, and the renovation of landmark industrial buildings, the plan—originally devised by Thomas Balsley Associates in 1991—is an extension of Frederick Law ...
Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel
SWA provided full landscape architectural services for this mixed-use development, which includes a 120-room luxury hotel, five villa residences, a supporting office complex, fitness center, spa and multi-use space. The Sand Hill Hotel and associated offices are nestled onto a dramatic hillside that slopes toward the Santa Cruz Mountains immediately beyond I-2...
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina
The design team’s challenge was to re-envision the existing hotel as a premier luxury destination that employs aspects of local culture and heritage to create a unique sense of place. An existing pool and water features were renovated, two new pools added, and restaurants enhanced. The resulting Four Seasons Hotel redevelopment and new residences by partner To...
Giant Interactive Headquarters
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 s...