SWT Design

06/19/2026

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.

06/15/2026

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.

06/11/2026

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 .

06/05/2026

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.

06/04/2026

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.

06/03/2026

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.

06/02/2026

Our KC team had some fun inspecting and testing River Forest Park's Natural Playground before opening day.

The central slide tower is over 20 feet tall, with ropes, a slide, and a 360-cantilever swing designed for multiple kids at once. The nearby creek and trails give children room to explore nature beyond the playground itself.

The community has been waiting for this one. We're glad to have been part of bringing it to life alongside our partners: 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.

05/28/2026

Our St. Louis office roof garden is in full bloom.

What looks like a rooftop retreat is also a working test bed. We use this space to trial different soil depths, plant species, and tray systems for less intensive green roof installations, so we can bring that hands-on knowledge to future projects.

Prickly pear, fame flower, and lead plant are among the species currently thriving up here, supporting pollinators, slowing stormwater, and making it a pretty great place to take a lunch break.

05/21/2026

Ted Spaid, SWT Founding Partner, still feels the loss from trees destroyed in last year's tornado. So do a lot of St. Louisans. In a new piece for the St. Louis Business Journal, he makes the case that what we lost wasn't just beautiful. It was infrastructure.

Ted is calling for a regional Urban Forestry Alliance, modeled on Great Rivers Greenway, with a goal of 40% tree canopy coverage across the St. Louis region by 2040.

Read the full piece at the link below. (St. Louis Business Journal subscription required.)

The proposal comes a year after a tornado reshaped neighborhoods and created voids where mature trees once stood. Research shows trees return $1.89 for every $1 invested.

05/19/2026

This morning, SWT Design hosted a ULI St. Louis 60 Minute Mentorship conversation with Managing Partners Ted Spaid and Bonnie Roy. They shared their career journeys, lessons learned, and perspectives on leadership and collaboration with a small group of professionals and emerging talent.

Mentorship goes both ways. Glad we could open our doors for that conversation.