The new headquarters for Samsung SSI, in San Jose, is a bold vision for a campus and a workplace that highlights interaction. The buildings encourage communication and interaction, leading to a synergistic working environment designed to further transform Samsung into a regional leader in Silicon Valley. To harmonize with the architectural expression, we created a band of landscape throughout the site. Inspired by the city’s symbolic Guadalupe River, the designers produced fields of hardscape, softscape, and water features which flow along the band, causing the character of outdoor space to morph from urban to naturalistic. Four main areas feature four distinct identities: Gateway Plaza, Courtyard, Campus Quad, and Samsung Gardens.
Work attributed to SWA/Balsley principal Gerdo Aquino and his team with SWA Group.
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...
Pacific Design Center
Once surrounded by barren plazas and impenetrable landscapes, the Pacific Design Center’s environment and image have been dramatically transformed by a complete redesign that includes parks, plazas, water features, cafes, lighting, and graphics. A two-acre open space area along San Vicente Boulevard has been transformed into a public park and gathering space,...
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...
Busan Lotte Tower
Busan Lotte World is an extraordinary mixed-use destination for residential, office, hotel, shopping, entertainment, and tourism and includes one of the tallest buildings in the world at 107 stories. The SOM designed tower is composed of four buildings that connect to each other internally via a covered arcade.
The landscape strikes a dramatic pose in t...