ASPECT Studios has completed an ambitious landscape architecture project for Alibaba's corporate campus in Hangzhou, China, demonstrating how urban green spaces can thrive in dense metropolitan environments. The Alibaba Xixi Campus (Park C) represents a groundbreaking approach to workplace design, spanning 26 hectares entirely constructed on top of a multi-story podium structure.

The project serves as a workplace environment for approximately 30,000 employees, integrating complex natural systems into what would traditionally be a concrete urban setting. The innovative design prioritizes three key elements: ecological function, comprehensive water management, and enhanced user experience, creating a blueprint that could influence future campus and urban development projects facing similar spatial constraints.

Building an extensive landscape on an elevated structural platform presented unique engineering challenges that required specialized design strategies. The team developed engineered soil systems with carefully calculated depths to support diverse vegetation, implemented adaptive planting systems that can evolve over time, and created an integrated stormwater harvesting network that forms the backbone of the site's environmental infrastructure. These carefully planned interventions work together to create a resilient landscape capable of supporting a wide variety of plant life while maintaining optimal water management performance even as environmental conditions change.

The stormwater management system stands out as a particularly innovative feature, developed through sophisticated algorithmic hydrological analysis. Bio-swales and specially engineered channels function as visible surface-level infrastructure, strategically guiding rainwater across the entire site into a central lake that serves multiple purposes. This central water feature acts simultaneously as a striking visual focal point, a social gathering space for employees, an irrigation reservoir for the surrounding landscape, and a crucial tool for managing flood risk during heavy rainfall events.

A specially designed pavilion structure positioned at the lake's edge provides shaded terraces and comfortable public seating areas, effectively linking the water management infrastructure with recreational and community functions. This integration demonstrates how functional environmental systems can enhance rather than detract from the human experience of the space.

The spatial planning throughout the campus reflects a data-driven approach, incorporating detailed circulation analysis, comprehensive sun path studies, and extensive research into user movement patterns. The resulting network of pedestrian pathways and open spaces supports a diverse range of activities, from quiet individual reflection to large group gatherings and collaborative meetings.

Distributed strategically across the campus, a series of lightweight architectural elements called "halo canopies" provide both visual continuity and practical microclimatic benefits, including essential shade during hot weather and protection from rain. These structures help unify the visual identity of the site while serving important functional purposes.

The design methodology incorporates the BioHabiNet framework, an innovative approach developed by the ASPECT Studios team specifically to integrate biodiversity conservation, hydrological management, and public programming into a cohesive system. This framework organizes the campus landscape into a series of interconnected ecological zones, each responding to the site's specific microclimate conditions while actively promoting habitat creation for local wildlife.

The plant selection emphasizes native and climate-adapted species, which not only supports local biodiversity but also significantly reduces ongoing maintenance requirements and resource consumption. This approach ensures the landscape remains sustainable and cost-effective over the long term.

The campus landscape functions as more than just an attractive outdoor space; it serves as an active workplace environment designed to facilitate employee interaction, provide spaces for rest and relaxation, and encourage movement throughout the day. Open spaces are programmed with flexibility in mind, allowing employees and visitors to engage with the landscape in various ways depending on their needs and the time of day.

Human-centered design principles guide every aspect of the spatial layout, with particular attention paid to accessibility for all users, comfort in various weather conditions, and connectivity between different areas of the site. The design ensures that the landscape serves the diverse needs of Alibaba's large workforce while maintaining its ecological functions.

The Alibaba Xixi Campus (Park C) represents a significant example of a broader shift in urban development philosophy toward integrated natural systems within complex architectural frameworks. Through its successful combination of ecological function, infrastructural innovation, and thoughtful spatial programming, the project offers a replicable model for other high-density, podium-based developments seeking to achieve long-term environmental resilience and superior performance.

The project redefines what urban green space can be when elevated entirely on a multi-story podium, proving that substantial natural landscapes can thrive in challenging urban conditions. The sophisticated network of bioswales and channels that directs stormwater into the central lake demonstrates how infrastructure can be both functional and beautiful. The distinctive halo canopies provide essential shade while creating a unified visual identity throughout the site, and the carefully layered spatial zones successfully accommodate both quiet individual retreat and active group gatherings, making the space truly versatile for a large corporate community.