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.
Suzhou Center
The Suzhou Center is a landmark urban space within the Suzhou Central Business District that embodies the spirit of the city of Suzhou as a gateway for intersecting old and new cultural and historic heritage. The successful combination of high density development and ecological conservation will allow for Suzhou to transition to a garden city where the state-o...
Brentwood Town Centre
Following SWA’s development of a 2013 master plan for a new town center adjacent to the existing Brentwood Shopping Mall, the firm was enlisted to design the project’s public realm and expand its role as an integrated, sustainable, urban community. With key connectivity to main vehicular arteries and a high-speed train line, the new development functions as a ...
Ambleside Mixed-Use Development
Landscape improvements for this new mixed-use development integrate and enhance the streetscape improvement measures the city of West Vancouver is currently implementing, providing a vibrant and pedestrian friendly landscape along the entire perimeter of the site. The landscape design for the 1300 Block, Marine Drive South at Ambleside Village Centre contribut...
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...