June eNewsletter

Reimagining an Icon: The Backyard is BACK

BY CHRIS LALICH

Austin has always been known as a mecca for music, with musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Janis Joplin, and Iron and Wine all getting their start playing at the multitude of music venues located in and around the Live Music Capital of the World. Austin has seen phenomenal growth in the last several decades which has put pressure on the local establishments, but our honky tonks and music venues always seem to find a way to persist - even if it means in new incarnations. Austin establishments Antone’s and Emo’s are great examples of this - and now, we can add the Backyard to that list.

A legendary spot in the rolling hills of Bee Cave, the Backyard first opened in 1993, occupying its stage with greats like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and naturally…Willie Nelson. Development pressure originally closed the Backyard; but we’re happy to report that the Backyard is BACK, with a new location. RVi was selected to lead the landscape architectural design of the site through our relationship with local architecture firm Studio Steinbomer.

Harvest Queen Creek Wins Gold Nugget Award for Best Community Amenity

This month we’re celebrating Grange Park, the central amenity at the heart of Harvest Queen Creek! The park was honored with an Award of Merit for Best Community Amenity at the PCBC 2021 Gold Nugget Awards. Developed by TerraWest Communities in partnership with Brookfield Residential, Harvest was designed to embrace the agrarian heritage of Queen Creek, AZ as well as to appeal to the renewed interest in agriculture and urban farming. Situated alongside a large community lake, Grange Park features traditional amenities such as a lap pool, resort-style pool, farm-themed playground, a variety of shaded outdoor seating options, a modern barn style event pavilion, outdoor fireplace and gathering area, event lawn, and active play lawn. Grange Park serves as the central gathering place for the community, while other neighborhood pocket parks offer themed amenities such as raised bed garden plots, communal farm tables, and an interactive solstice park.

RVi provided Planning and Landscape Architecture services for Harvest Queen Creek. Key RVi team members included Dennis Tonsor, Brittany Geist, and Doug Craig. The community has been so successful that it sold out earlier this year, two years ahead of schedule. Congrats, team!

The Joy of Painting with Madison Dalke

BY MADISON DALKE

Throughout my life, I always enjoyed painting and art. My father and I would watch Bob Ross for hours - marveling at the masterpieces he would create. As a shy child, creating and painting helped me to express myself in a way that words could not. My imagination, thoughts, and feelings would spill out onto the paper, creating a wonderful world of abstract color, lines, and shapes. Today I still paint to express myself but am able to do so with a bit more direction and in a way that helps me professionally as a landscape designer.

In Other News

Welcome to RVi!

Conner Trent has joined the Austin office as Designer.
Jamie Van Ravensway has joined the Tempe office as Project Director.
Morgan Kollman has joined the Tempe office as Designer.
Cole Harley has joined the Orlando office as Designer.