SWT Design

10/12/2026

A new sculpture now stands proudly outside the historic Rolla Building at Missouri S&T, marking another milestone in the transformation of the university’s Arrival District.
As the oldest building on the S&T campus, the Rolla Building holds a special place in the university’s history. Its renovation and renewed presence within the Arrival District create an important connection between S&T’s past and its future, making it a defining element of the campus arrival experience.
The sculpture honors a prominent Missouri S&T donor whose generosity and leadership were instrumental in funding the Arrival District. Positioned alongside the renovated Rolla Building, it adds another layer of art, history, and meaning to this important campus gateway.
The result is an arrival experience that does more than welcome visitors, it tells a story about where Missouri S&T has been, where it is today, and where it is headed.
We’re proud to be part of bringing this vision to life and watching this significant piece of campus continue to take shape.

10/09/2026

We’re proud to share that our Jake Land was part of the team from Mississippi State University that won the National ASLA Student Honor Award for their design work on Sudduth Elementary School.

Their design work transformed several underutilized courtyards into a fun and functional space aligned with the goals of students, parents and teachers.

Based on engagement with the students and faculty at Sudduth Elementary, a design intent was established on creating a more aesthetic and environmentally productive 'outdoor classroom.' They then designed hardscape and softscape spaces both for play and STEM programming.

Individual Landscape Architecture student projects were designed and built in alignment with the overall plan. The students then built and installed their designs, learning valuable skills through hands-on work and coordination with the contractor.

"The process of crafting the benches and other elements was long and arduous, but the students persevered and, in the end, created a space that will be forever remembered by the young students who will now get to experience the space in their everyday school lives."

Jake considers himself proud and fortunate to have worked on this project from its inception, playing a role at every stage.

10/08/2026

Last week, our STL office celebrated during happy hour by decorating around the office for Halloween! It was a perfect way to welcome October and begin celebrating the upcoming holiday. Here's a look at some of our decorations! We hope you have a great start to the spooky season! 🎃

09/30/2026

Outdoor recreation has been a big part of our Kansas City studio’s work over the past 10 years. From neighborhood parks and playgrounds to trails, courts, bike parks, and larger recreation destinations, we’ve worked with communities to create places that support a wide range of interests, ages, and abilities. Each project brings its own opportunities, whether that means rethinking an existing park, introducing a new type of recreation, or connecting people to the outdoors in a different way.

We’ve enjoyed working alongside communities, clients, and partners across the region to bring these ideas to life and create places where people can get outside, be active, and spend time together. As we wrap up our 10-year look at the Kansas City studio, we’re grateful for the projects, partnerships, and people that have shaped the last decade. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together and excited to see where the next 10 years take us!

09/24/2026

Ten years ago, SWT Design opened the doors to our Kansas City studio. Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to work alongside communities, clients, and partners across the region to create places that bring people together. We’ve grown our team, taken on new challenges, and built relationships that have become an important part of who we are today.

Now, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate. Join us for our SWT Design Kansas City 10-Year Open House Celebration on Thursday, October 1 from 4–8 p.m. at our Kansas City studio. We’ll have food, drinks, and plenty of time to catch up with friends and colleagues.
We’d love to see you there as we celebrate 10 years in Kansas City and the people who have been part of the journey.

Thursday, October 1 | 4–8 p.m. | SWT Design Kansas City Studio
RSVP HERE! https://www.paperlesspost.com/go/ERE87aVhaVQRP84TmAdnLL

09/23/2026

For the past 10 years, our Kansas City studio has worked across the region to rethink how streets function as public spaces for the people who use them every day. Our streets are more than a way to get from one place to another. They connect neighborhoods, businesses, parks, trails, and public spaces, and the design of those connections can have a big impact on how people experience a community.

Our work has included streetscape improvements, corridor planning, greenways, and pedestrian connections. Each project brings different opportunities and challenges, from making a corridor more comfortable for pedestrians and cyclists to creating spaces that support local businesses and community activity. We hope to continue this momentum with streetscapes as public spaces for many more years to come!

09/17/2026

Public engagement has been an intrinsic part of our practice influencing how our Kansas City studio approaches design.

Over our ten years in KC, every project has brought a different group of people to the table. This engagement process helps us understand the priorities, experiences, and ideas that should inform the work. Sometimes that means a traditional community meeting. Other times, it looks like a workshop, an interactive activity, or conversations with residents and project stakeholders.

As part of our 10-year anniversary, we’re taking a look at some of the work and relationships that have shaped our Kansas City studio over the years. Public engagement is one part of that story, and it continues to be an important part of how we approach our work.

09/16/2026

We enjoyed connecting with communities from across the state at the Missouri Municipal League Annual Conference earlier this week!

Our team was part of the expo, and Jay Wohlschlaeger led a session on tools for public engagement, sharing approaches that help communities gather input and build stronger connections throughout the planning and design process.

We also had the opportunity to celebrate during the awards luncheon. Congratulations to the Joplin City Government and the City of Ozark, MO - Municipal Government on receiving Innovation Awards for projects that are making an impact in their communities. We were proud to be part of the team behind Joplin’s recognized project, MOmentum Park, and continue to work with the City of Ozark on their awarded project, the Chadwick Flyer Multi-modal Bridge, in our recently completed Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Thank you to MML for bringing municipal leaders and professionals together for another great conference!

09/10/2026

The Kansas City Studio is celebrating 10 years this year and we’re taking some time to reflect on the ideas that have shaped their work along the way.

Talk to anyone at our Kansas City Studio, and you’ll quickly see how much they care about the places they design and the environments they’re part of. Their work is rooted in creating spaces that are better than they found them. Whether that means restoring natural habitats, connecting people to the outdoors, or creating green infrastructure that works with natural systems instead of against them. The video below highlights some of that work, from the vision behind Makoce Food Hub, creating spaces for nature and play at Roanoke Park, to the completed playground at River Forest Park.

Creating places where people, plants, and wildlife can thrive together is at the heart of what we do. Ten years of doing that in Kansas City is something worth celebrating!

09/01/2026

SWT Design Founder, Ted Spaid, recently spoke with KMOV about how thoughtful landscape design can help our region prepare for a changing climate.

“What will this be like in 100 years?”

Parts of the story were filmed at our St. Louis office, which demonstrates sustainable strategies including a rain garden, permeable parking, rooftop gardens and solar panels.

Watch First Alert Forward: Preparing STL for Climate Resilience to hear more from Ted and learn how design can help build a more resilient St. Louis. Watch here:

Rising temperatures and heavier rainfall in St. Louis are prompting...