SWA and Thomas Balsley Associates have announced the formation of SWA/Balsley, a new company that will bring together in New York City both firms’ expertise in the field of landscape architecture. The new company will succeed Thomas Balsley Associates, while retaining Balsley as its lead principal and welcoming Gerdo Aquino and John L. Wong of SWA as new principals. Balsley will, in turn, join SWA as a principal. SWA/Balsley will begin operations on December 1, 2016 out of a New York City office, and is poised to continue its trajectory as a leader in urban place-making.
SWA/Balsley will build on the award-winning project portfolios of both SWA and Thomas Balsley Associates. Balsley is widely respected for his design sensitivity and responsiveness to the needs of a metropolitan environment as well as for his reputation for creating unique spaces that enrich urban living. His studio has designed more than 100 parks and plazas in New York City alone. Like SWA and Thomas Balsley Associates, SWA/Balsley is dedicated to smart, sustainable design. By drawing from the expertise of SWA and Thomas Balsley Associates, SWA/Balsley is poised to be at the forefront of innovative solutions to the complex issues relating to the environment and urbanism. Both SWA and Thomas Balsley Associates consistently create award-winning projects that advance progressive design for a wide spectrum of public and private clients. Recent examples include SWA’s Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston, and Thomas Balsley Associates’ Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park in Queens.
“We are excited to begin this new chapter with Thomas Balsley Associates, bringing together our deep, joint experience in the field,” said Gerdo P. Aquino, CEO of SWA and principal of SWA/Balsley in New York City. “Developing sustainable, creative solutions to today’s environmental and urban problems, all without compromising beautiful design, is at the very core of what both SWA and Thomas Balsley Associates do. Together, with our combined expertise, we will be able to develop ever more creative, innovative, and thoughtful solutions to urban design challenges.”
“SWA’s approach to design is complementary to the practice we’ve built at Thomas Balsley Associates,” said Thomas Balsley, principal of SWA/Balsley and SWA. “By creating SWA/Balsley, we are solidifying our position for the future, and ensuring that the quality of our work and dedication to our clients will continue unchanged.”
SWA/Balsley will retain all of the employees of Thomas Balsley Associates, with the addition of Aquino and Wong as principals. SWA/Balsley will amplify both companies’ commitment to creating resilient landscapes of enduring beauty, at varying scales, on multiple continents, for a diverse array of communities.
