In 2010 Allied Works, with partners Balmori, Buro Happold and Lawrence Barth, developed a comprehensive redevelopment vision for the Sungang / Qingshuihe District of Shenzhen, China, as part of an invited international competition. Covering 5.4 square kilometers near the commercial core of the city, Sungang /Qingshuihe is an underutilized logistics / light industrial zone whose land is capable of increased density and diversity of use. It is also an opportunity to offer a new vision in the design of economically and ecologically sustainable communities.
The redevelopment vision preserves existing historic and cultural resources, and utilizes the natural form of the landscape and water systems to create a network of pathways, parks and civic infrastructure. Like leaves on a green branch, these parks function as both places of shelter and as the respiratory system of the district. Residential and mixed-use towers along the perimeter are positioned to take maximum advantage of these resources. In addition, a meandering spine of high-density commercial and retail structures provide key destinations and economic development opportunities, and high-speed mobility systems to link into broader regional transit networks.