SWT Design

As summer comes to a close, we're wishing our interns, Sarah and Lucy, all the best as they head back to school to continue pursuing their degrees in Landscape Architecture. Sarah has spent the past year with SWT Design, while Lucy wrapped up her second summer with our team. Together, they brought curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm to projects ranging from bat caves and bike parks to greenways and master plans, making valuable contributions every step of the way.

Thank you both for your hard work, positive attitudes, and willingness to jump in wherever needed. We're grateful to have had you on our team and look forward to seeing all that you'll accomplish in the future.

We’re excited to announce our newest team member – Joie! She is returning to SWT Design to join us full time after being one of our amazing interns last summer.

Joie is from Washington, MO and has recently graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s in landscape architecture. She is the Dr. Charles Fountain Scholar of 2025, a national honor that is awarded to one undergraduate student of color in landscape architecture who demonstrates exceptional design talent and uses their voice to inspire change and lead with purpose.

Joie’s love for nature, art, and projects with a positive social impact shine through her approach to each detail. She’s especially excited to return to the St. Louis area and serve a community she deeply cares about.

Welcome back Joie!

Wehner Park Sport Courts opened last week in Shrewsbury, bringing a new tennis court and two pickleball courts to the community. From concrete pour to ribbon cutting to first serve, it's been a fun one to watch come together.

Thank you to Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation and Next Level Construction for working with us to bring this project to life.

River Forest Park has celebrated its grand opening, fulfilling a 40-year-old vision by the community to create a local park at this spot.

Combining natural beauty, green infrastructure, and play, River Forest Park has something for everyone.

It’s always fulfilling to see people enjoying our work.

Thank you to the partners that helped bring this vision to life: City of North Kansas City, Mega KC, Civil & Survey LLC, Stand Structural Engineering Inc, PKMR Engineers, Terracon, Great Southern Recreation, SiteOne Landscape Supply, and PermaTrak Concrete Boardwalk Systems.

Today we recognize Juneteenth and the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. We reflect on the enduring significance of freedom, justice, and equality and the role these ideals play in creating stronger communities.

If you're lucky enough to be at The Muny opening show tonight, you may notice something new in the Upper Plaza.

Six umbrellas, designed to resemble the flower of a morning glory, are the finishing touch to Kooyumjian Family Plaza. By day they provide shade before the show. At night, they colorfully glow to extend the theatrical mood of the space.

The plaza opened last season as part of a $5 million transformation where SWT Design served as lead designer, bringing a new box office, concession stand, additional restrooms, and a more formal entrance to the one-acre space above the Muny's 11,000 seats.

The National Memorial of Military Ascent was formally dedicated on Saturday, June 6, in Grafton, Illinois.

Designed as an immersive experience, the memorial commemorates the D-Day assault on Pointe Du Hoc through sculpture, stone, landscape, and narrative. Working alongside Henderson Associates Architects, SWT Design helped to shape a memorial where architecture, sculpture, and landscape become one, guiding visitors through a powerful journey of remembrance, reflection, and honor.

From the first approach to the final ascent, every material, texture, and view was carefully considered to create a meaningful connection to one of history’s most courageous acts.

We are honored to have contributed to a place that celebrates the sacrifice, service, and legacy of our nation’s veterans.

Thank you to our partners in the project: Henderson Associates Architects, Inc, Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab, Inc., Reed Burkett Lighting Design, Carolina Bronze Sculpture, Inc., and the City of Grafton, IL .

We're celebrating Scott Runde's tenth anniversary with SWT Design!

Scott is the kind of person who takes every detail of a project seriously. That attention to the full picture, the design, the process, and the people affected by it, is what makes him such a valued part of this team.

Here's to ten years, Scott, and everything still to come.

Today, SWT Design was proud to sponsor a table at the 35th Annual Forest Park Hat Luncheon, celebrating 150 years of the people's park and 40 years of Forest Park Forever.

Congratulations to the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation, & Forestry and Forest Park Forever on these milestones. Thank you to Tarlton Corporation for joining us in sponsoring a table, and to Forest Park Forever for all they do to keep this park #1 in the country.

Meet Llewellyn, our newest intern!

We're thrilled to welcome Llewellyn Bailes to the SWT Team! Studying for a Master's in Landscape Architecture at Washington University, Llewellyn brings an appreciation for the combination of art and design in the practice of Landscape Architecture.

Originally from Los Angeles, Llewellyn has always found inspiration and joy from nature. As an undergraduate, taking a green design elective started her path to Landscape Architecture.

Llewellyn is driven by the understanding that interaction with the natural world is necessary for human health and wellbeing. Her current passion in the field is to bridge creativity and aesthetic beauty with quantitative data. When she's not at the studio, you can find her drawing, powerlifting, and juggling.