DETAILS
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 West Apartments
The landscape design for Stanford West Housing creates a lush and inviting place for residents, complete with recreation trails, parks and play areas, while also conserving the site’s environmentally sensitive characteristics. Special emphasis was placed on maintaining the riparian corridor with native planting and the site’s archaeologically sensitive areas w...
Vineyard Estate
Nestled against a natural rock outcropping, the estate and vineyard commands a panoramic view over the town of Sonoma with extended views to San Francisco. SWA developed a master plan that recommended relocating the house before its construction. This wine country residence features dominant roof forms and the tight integration of interior and exterior spaces ...
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...
Ray Residence
Perched on a promontory overlooking Gustavia’s harbor entrance, this home site is one of St. Bart’s most dramatic. It enjoys all of the qualities of the Caribbean lifestyle: sunset, ocean and harbor views, breezes, porches, gardens, lawns, courtyards, and an extraordinary swimming pool.
Beginning with an extensive analysis of the sloping rocky site, the...