Normandie Court is a large luxury residential complex which occupies an entire city block of the Upper East Side. Coinciding with the transformation of the 2nd Avenue corridor by the MTA subway expansion, the owners were inspired to redesign the exterior and landscape. They called on SWA/Balsley’s experience and vision to provide a complete redesign, which would attract the next generation of residents to the towers, but also provide an exciting refresh to the 1.5 acres of open space. Normandie Court will offer the public a large, redesigned street-level plaza and generous seating on custom seat wall planters, as well as a stunning 30-foot water feature. The arrangements of the planters invite both personal conversation and larger group social interaction, with many distinct areas to congregate and people-watch. The plaza will be “carpeted” in grey-toned linear pavers, which visually hold together the entire streetscape and upper residential terrace. Rather than separate the Privately Owned Public Space (POPS), the design incorporates that area, feathering the boundaries of public vs. private, and successfully blends the MTA structures into the ‘POPS’ plaza, offering an inviting pause from the surrounding city for commuters. The redesigned streetscape will provide an iconic cultural reference for this reinvigorated Upper East Side neighborhood.
Stanford Toyon Hall
Toyon Hall, a significant historic building originally designed by Bakewell and Brown Architects in 1922, is a three-story structure centered around a magnificent formal courtyard with arcades and arches. The purpose of the project was to preserve, maintain and enhance the building and site. Our scope of work included evaluation of existing site conditions and...
Vi Living (Formerly Classic Residence By Hyatt)
The Classic Residence by Hyatt in Palo Alto provides seniors with independent and assisted living facilities. The roughly 19-acre site is adjacent to the San Francisquito Creek, a shopping mall, Ronald McDonald House, and Stanford West Apartments. Hyatt has been working closely with us as well as the City of Palo Alto and Stanford University to develop the si...
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...
40 Mercer
The elements of landscape that Thomas Balsley Associates has designed for 40 Mercer is integral to the dynamic and successful environment created for the modern Manhattan lifestyle, in the trendy SoHo district. A private park at the ground floor connects the bustling activity of Broadway with the sophisticated serenity of the galleries and shops that line Merc...