Dramatic Hillside Hotel and Offices
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"3000","speed":"300","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}

DETAILS

LocationMenlo Park, California, United States
ClientStanford Management Co.
Size21 acres/8.5 hectares

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-280. that runs from Crystal Springs to Los Gatos, it has become an extension of that very California hilltop landscape. The existing native mix of valley oaks, coast live oaks, madrones, redwoods and olive trees extend onto and around the site perimeters, visually connecting it with the adjacent environment. Canary Island palms mark the grand hotel drop-off, and site-wide plantings include bright swaths of lavender, sage, or flowering indigenous perennials, with usable grass provided in the larger courtyards for multi-purpose activities and events. A large, central swimming pool and terrace and several ornamental fountains are located among the hotel townhouse and office courtyards, providing the refreshing sound of water.

Work attributed to SWA/Balsley principal John Wong and his team with SWA Group.

Related Projects

Burj Khalifa

Playing on the theme of “A Tower in a Park,” this shaded landscape creates a compelling oasis of green, with distinct areas to serve the tower’s hotel, residential, spa and corporate office areas. The visitor begins at the main arrival court at the base of the tower, where the “prow” of the building intersects a grand circular court—a “water room” defined by f...

Brentwood Town Centre

The Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan will transform the existing suburban-style shopping mall into a mixed-use, transit-oriented community, reasserting itself as the nucleus of the Brentwood Town Centre area. The site will accommodate some 2,000-4,000 high, medium, and low-rise residential units. Its role as a shopping destination will be expanded into a...

One Uptown

Bringing a singular landscape design expression to a site featuring two buildings designed by different architects, the SWA/Balsley team worked to seamlessly integrate a variety of outdoor spaces to accommodate the mixed-use One Uptown. At the ground level, tree-lined streetscapes and bike lanes lead visitors to a coworking and dining courtyard along Burnet Ro...

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...

Osaka World Trade Center

The World Trade Center Building, also known as Cosmos Tower, is the centerpiece of Cosmos City, a mixed-use development along Osaka’s harborfront. The tower’s base is dedicated to public spaces, including a major retail center that, together with the adjoining Asian Trading Center, attracts visitors, office workers and shoppers. The public open spaces consist ...

Intercontinental Hotel

Located in the center of the vibrant Times Square district, this new four-star hotel (one of only three in New York City) serves as the base for well-traveled tourists, businessmen and dignitaries from around the world. As a unique product of the hotel’s branding and place-making strategy, the client asked that the courtyard make a memorable first impression o...

One Uptown

Bringing a singular landscape design expression to a site featuring two buildings designed by different architects, the SWA/Balsley team worked to seamlessly integrate a variety of outdoor spaces to accommodate the mixed-use One Uptown. At the ground level, tree-lined streetscapes and bike lanes lead visitors to a coworking and dining courtyard along Burnet Ro...

Nanchang Greenland Jiangxi Gaoxin

This urban open space within Nanchang’s new city center provides clear definition of building entries and functions while supporting outdoor gathering areas and circulation routes to enhance visibility, access, and full use of the project’s mixed-use program elements. The design of outdoor spaces and rooftops reflects the strong geometry of the signature tower...