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.
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...
Ballpark Village 200
SWA/Balsley has been contracted for full district-wide landscape services for this exciting new urban redevelopment, located directly across the street from Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.
This downtown revitalization effort includes creating an iconic, unified district identity, strengthening pedestrian connection to the d...
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...
Walmart Home Office Landscape Master Plan
What if the vast and varied landscapes of Northwest Arkansas surrounded and thrived all around the future Walmart Home Office Campus, reversing the typical expectations of a corporate headquarters campus? Walmart as a corporation has always celebrated its hometown heritage, and so their mandate for the 350-acre campus follows that same instinct: to preserve na...