Metro Landing of Swansea

Swansea, IL

Multi-tasking design that leads a community toward a transit-oriented future

An award-winning example of affordable housing, Metro Landing of Swansea represents a community’s first step in realizing a future as a hub for connection to the urban lifestyle of the entire St. Louis metro region. The project not only puts housing within reach for independent seniors in the Swansea community, but brings opportunities for a convenient, connected lifestyle to residents’ doorstep through seamless access to public transportation. 

  • Metro Landing of Swansea is a three-story apartment building for independent seniors, consisting of 62 one and two-bedroom units.
  • The development's proximity to transit enables residents to have car-free transportation options via affordable transit throughout the entire region, granting convenient access to amenities such as health care, recreational and shopping locations, and easy access to the MetroBikeLink trail from the Swansea Station.
  • A wide range of common area facilities include a living room, community room, library, computer area, fitness room, laundry facilities, and ample apartments storage, providing a holistic environment for the residents.

Located immediately adjacent to the Swansea MetroLink Station, the project marks the community’s first step in a New Urbanist-style master plan that will ultimately result in a range of transit-oriented development, centered around the bus and rail access afforded by the transit hub. The building was carefully sited with facades close to both adjoining streets, creating the feel of an urban landscape in an area that is still mostly vacant, allowing its design to take in both the present and future, pointing the way for development that will follow.

The building’s rear facade was designed to create an alternate, equally welcoming “face” to the building, acknowledging that it will frequently be approached from the transit station side. An outdoor area with native plantings offers a view of the activity at the station, enhancing the sense of connectivity and helping to establish a visual sense of community for surrounding future development. A looped walking path connects to the nearby MetroBikeLink cycling trail, which is also connected to the transit station.  

  • The building includes a generous front entry porch and landscaped resident green space, with a looped walking path, benches, pergola, and raised planter beds for community gardening.
  • Additional phases of Transit Oriented Development with varying typologies are in planning stages for the surrounding area, owing to the successful implementation, and place-making of Metro Landing in the area.

Metro Landing creates an age-in-place living model for seniors, focused on accessibility, affordability, sustainability, and fostering a healthy living environment. Certified Bronze under the 2012 National Green Building Standard (NGBS), Metro Landing is designed to enhance durability and longevity, reducing waste and creating lasting value. 


Awarded the 2019 Wyvetter H. Younge Award and the Citizens for Modern Transit 2020 New Initiatives Award, Metro Landing provides not only a home for seniors but a community asset that fosters connectedness and sustainability through both conscious design and access to public transportation. Its success has made it a catalyst and anchor for future development, helping the community realize its long-term plan and serving as a major building block of transit-oriented development (TOD) for the village of Swansea.

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