Photographer: Holi | ArchDaily

The Chromatic Canvas: 10 Vibrant Courts Activating Community Space

Susanna Moreira — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Unlike most popular sports, the origin of basketball has a precise year and creator: it was invented in 1891 in the United States by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as an indoor sport for athletes at Springfield College during the winter, after the end of the football season. The sport quickly expanded beyond U.S. borders, being included in the Olympic Games in 1936 and achieving international popularity after the Second World War. As basketball became more widespread, it also left the controlled environment of gymnasiums and began occupying a wide range of locations: playgrounds, public plazas, school courtyards, driveways, and backyard patios became informal courts for play and community life, reinforcing the role of physical activity as a catalyst for social interaction and neighborhood regeneration.

Huachiao Vibrant Sports Park / SoBA

Andreas Luco — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Huachiao Vibrant Sports Park, located in Kunshan, Suzhou, opened in March 2024. Spanning 6,000 square meters along Greenbelt Avenue, its design draws inspiration from the flowing water sleeves of Kunqu opera, blending traditional Chinese culture with modern skateboarding. The park enhances both space and experience, making it a key cultural and sports hub for the community.

The Orchestra Park / SoBA

Hadir Al Koshta — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 02:00:00 +0000

The Orchestra Park in Kunshan's Huaqiao Economic Development Zone covers 8,500 square meters between two high-density residential areas and along the confluence of two rivers. With mature camphor and dawn redwood trees and nearby wetlands, the project faced the challenge of integrating a skateboarding area, preserving the natural woodland, and adding essential amenities like restrooms. The design prioritizes ecosystem preservation, creating a functional, modern park for all age groups while providing a green, natural retreat. This project transforms an urban vacant lot into a vibrant recreational space that serves the public and is beloved by the community. We aim to create a livable green space that meets residents' diverse needs while providing a rich natural experience—a green oasis and social hub in the neighborhood.

Waterline Park / Lab D+H

Pilar Caballero — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The challenge facing Waterline Park is its unappealing nature: a long narrow gutter surrounded by residential housing blocks. Despite its lack of visual appeal, it is still a precious public space available to residents. The landscape seeks to transform this uninviting space into an engaging public area for community use and gathering. The design approach focuses on activating the site by introducing water, creating a myriad of water features that change this site into an enjoyable public space for residents to engage in community activities. The goal is to bring new life and vitality to the area, strengthen social cohesion, and create an inclusive community space that fosters a sense of belonging for all residents.

What Does the Future Hold for Coastal Cities Following the Aftermaths of Climate Change?

Dima Stouhi — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Coastal cities have always been a point of attraction for residents, tourists, and businesses. Alongside the aesthetic features, their proximity to the sea has made these cities a focal point for maritime transportation with the construction of ports, as well as hotspots for recreational and aquacultural activities. However, the past decades saw these particular regions threatened with a shortened lifespan; rising water levels, floods, and recurring cyclones, along with other natural disasters, have endangered coastal communities, putting their population, ecosystem, and built environment at risk.

Urban Valley Commercial District / TROP : terrains + open space

Hana Abdel — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 22:00:00 +0000

This project has been positioned, upon entrustment, to create a public commercial district that is different from the traditional fully-enclosed community. As planned, the commercial district will connect the Jiangpu Park in the south and the riverside greenbelt in the east to create an urban valley with infinite possibilities for residents here and nearby to explore, with retreated boundary walls. The landscape design has inherited the design language that is consistent with the architectural design.

Shenzhen Bao'an Waterfront Cultural Park / SWA GROUP +AUBE CONCEPTION

Collin Chen — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 22:00:00 +0000

Since its opening in August last year, Shenzhen Bao'an Waterfront Cultural Park has become an Internet celebrity check-in place for Shenzhen citizens, with total visitor traffic reaching 199,000 people during the National Day Holiday this year. As the new generation of cultural tourism- a commercial complex project promoted by the OCT Group, the project is jointly designed by SWA Group, the lead designer and landscape architect of the park and Laguarda.Low Architects, the lead commercial architect in consortium with AUBE Conception. Located in the geographic center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area) and northwest of Shenzhen, Bao'an District has undergone a gradual transformation and upgrade process into a new center of the international metropolis from a traditional manufacturing area, which also acts as the core to both interlinks the east and west coasts of the Pearl River Estuary and enhances the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area. Sitting within the central green axis of central Bao'an where the urban bustle meets the bay's tranquility, Shenzhen Bao'an Waterfront Cultural Park (the Park) integrates coastal leisure, cultural tourism, artistic experiences, and ecological workplaces to address the creation of "new urban coordinates of an international coastal city and a world-class b ay-side destination".

Hamilton Primary School & Kindergarten / Fusion Architects

Collin Chen — Sat, 01 May 2021 21:00:00 +0000

In this project, primary school and kindergarten share a common plot of land. Although they are all educational facilities, there are obvious differences between the users of primary school and kindergarten, and the venue should accommodate 12 kindergarten classes and their playground facilities, 36 primary school classes, as well as an outdoor playground and one indoor stadium; in our design, we need have to find a reasonable method to balance and allocate resources for the two educational institutes.