BY MARK SMITH, PLA

If you spend any time at all reading about corporate culture in America, you’ve probably noticed an emerging trend in the design of the corporate campus: big tech firms are now developing campuses that provide incredible employee amenities, such as juice bars, massage tents, and staffed daycare centers, that would have been considered unthinkable a few years ago. Why are they doing this? Because corporations are recognizing that the needs and desires of today’s workforce are changing. With an increased focus on work/life balance and wellness, they are providing amenities designed specifically to keep their employees on-site, happy, and productive. While the employees love it, the cost of providing such amenities is not lost on those responsible for paying for them. Companies and their facilities managers, just as in the past, are still challenged with managing ever-increasing real estate and infrastructure development costs. Now, they must balance those costs with the added expense of offering competitive on-site amenities.

Read More & Comment via the RVi Blog ››

BY BARBARA AUSTIN, PLA

More than a decade after its inception, the Mueller master planned community in Austin is still earning top honors. Last month, the Austin Business Journal recognized Mueller as Community of the Year at the annual Residential Real Estate Awards luncheon. The 700-acre new urbanist development is located on the former site of Austin’s first airport. Approximately 20% of the community is dedicated to parks and open space, with many natural and built amenities that draw visitors from all over the city. This is only the latest in a long line of accolades for Mueller; the community also recently became the largest neighborhood in the world to achieve LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold Certification, and the first community in Texas to earn this distinction. RVi has played a vital role in Mueller’s development, providing landscape architectural services from its early planning stages through the present day, including design of the community’s greenway and trail system.

Comment on this article via the RVi Blog ››

Last year, ULI Austin began a new initiative called ULI NEXT. Aimed at engaging leaders in the 35-45 age range, the program seeks to provide educational and network-building opportunities for members as they rise to leadership positions within the industry. Each flight of participants includes 15-18 people working as a group to facilitate guest speakers, roundtable discussions, and other programs that promote candid discussion from multiple perspectives.

RVi’s Chip Mills served as Chair of Austin’s ULI NEXT council, and he and Seth Mearig with BGE Engineers were the first flight leaders in 2016. As the program has grown in popularity, new flights have been added. “Due to expressed interest in the Austin ULI community, two additional flights were launched in Spring 2017. These flights are proving to be a great benefit to the members of ULI,” Chip said.

RVi’s Dennis Tonsor is co-chairing one of the new 2017 flights along with fellow industry leader Janki DePalma of DCI Engineers. “ULI Next is a great opportunity to further develop working knowledge and relationships within the real estate community. I am looking forward to working with Janki and collaborating with our flight this year,” Dennis said.

Read More & Comment via the RVi Blog ››