September eNewsletter

The Details are the Design

BY PATRICK SMITH

Charles and Ray Eames were the O.G. rock stars of design. Graphic design, architecture, fine art, film, industrial design – they did it all. If, by chance, you don’t recognize their names, I’m certain you will recognize some of their work – including their chairs, which have stood the test of time and are still found in many homes and offices. As it turns out, today we’re thinking about the many considerations that go into designing a great place to sit.

Here at RVi we are well-known for our understanding of the big picture. But as Charles Eames said, “The details are not the details. They are the design.” A lesser known fact is that we really enjoy getting into the details around here, too. A current example presented itself this past month, when the need for a new bus stop emerged within Headwaters, a master planned community we are proud to have been working on for the past five years. Two groups of school children, a little over a dozen per group, find themselves waiting to catch the bus every weekday morning. Tasked with creating a safe, comfortable place for them to wait for the bus, we began to think about the details.

Austin City Council Adopts RVi Master Plan to Expand Asian American Resource Center

Over the past year, RVi has been engaged with the City of Austin to develop a master plan for expansion and renovation of the Asian American Resource Center (AARC), located in northeast Austin. This facility is an epicenter of cultural activity for the local Asian community and hosts a wide range of services and events, from large festivals to educational sessions to services such as tax preparation. By its very nature, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is incredibly diverse and is the fastest growing ethnic group in Austin. The community outgrew its space long ago and is very excited to participate in the creation of an expanded space that will serve its current and future needs.

RVi Hires Russell Thomman to Lead Firm-Wide Digital Innovation

We are pleased to introduce our new Director of Digital Innovation, Russell Thomman. A licensed landscape architect with a background in planning and design, Russell has focused his professional career on the development of digital visualization solutions that improve project team communication and design decision-making. Russell is also a licensed drone pilot and an expert in 360° aerial photography, digital rendering, contextual modeling, 3D coordination, and virtual reality.

Russell’s role is to manage and oversee the integration of digital visualization services into RVi’s design practice with the goal of better serving our clients through more informed design, as well as increased efficiency, transparency, and quality control.

We are excited to begin offering these value-added services to our clients and integrating 3D visualization into our planning and design processes at RVi. Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, as we delve into more detail on this topic.

In Other News

Welcome to RVi!

Julie Mastervich has joined the Austin office as Marketing Manager.

We're Hiring!

Check out our Careers Page for more information on our open positions.