Originally built in the 1930s as an Air Force bombardment base, Hamilton Field was decommissioned and vacated in 1975. Today, the site has been revitalized as The Landing, where renovated hangars now house businesses alongside a shared space for both tenants and the public. Known as 8 Hamilton Landing, the one-acre public area occupies land that was once designated for a hangar that was never constructed.
Jackson Derler and Matt Aranda of siTe Landscape Architecture — the landscape design division of contractor TechCon — saw an opportunity to create amenities for both tenants and the broader Novato community in what turned out to be a surprisingly active area. While onsite early in the project, they observed many people passing through the site, discovering that The Landing sits next to a bay walk connected to the larger San Francisco Bay Trail. This insight led them to envision the plaza not just as a thoroughfare, but as a welcoming place where people could pause and relax.
Today, the space boasts a dog park, bocce ball and lawn sport courts, lounge seating, picnic area, and a corporate break area with shade structures and conference spaces for tenant meetings. Jackson Derler, Executive Vice President at Techcon & siTe Landscape Architecture, describes, “We wanted to create a balance between public use and the private tenant use to provide open space where the two could commingle.”
With safety, egress, and evening events in mind, lighting became an important element for the shared space. Derler and Aranda were immediately drawn to Landscape Forms’ Typology Stick Lights for an aesthetic that offered interesting ties to the history of The Landing. “We played off the historic significance of the space by placing the lights along the central walkway that became analogous to a runway, but instead of beacons guiding planes to the runway, 10-foot-tall Typology Stick Lights serve as beacons to guide people into the space. The lights have a contemporary take on the classic jet age design with their curved corners and vertical emission of light,” says Matt Aranda, Design and Construction Specialist at siTe Landscape Architecture.
“Loll Designs’ Lollygagger lounge chairs introduce a playful element to the space and provide nice pops of color,” continues Derler. “There isn’t a lot of color on the property now, and we didn’t incorporate flowering plants into our landscape, so Loll adds visual interest and breaks up a large space with small seating areas.”
Aranda has since visited the site on both weekdays and weekends. During the week, people casually eat lunch and make use of the dog park. On weekends, the space becomes even more active, with visitors accessing the Bay Trail, playing games, and relaxing on the lawn and lounge chairs. “We’ve made it inviting for people to stop here and hang out,” he says.
8 Hamilton Landing
Location: Novato, California, USA
Design Partners: siTe Landscape Architecture
Contractor: TechCon
Photography: Andrea Gafney, aeg7
Landscape Forms Elements: Typology Stick Lights, Loll Designs Lollygagger lounge chairs
Landscape Forms is a proud World Landscape Architecture sponsor.