By Peter Dufrene, PLA

The practices of rainwater harvesting and conservation landscaping have been receiving an increasing amount of attention lately.  These practices are beneficial, and it is encouraging that they are receiving mainstream exposure.  But they are only part of the solution when it comes to dealing with our water challenges and conserving potable water.  The new reality for Central Texans is that water is becoming more scarce by the day, and we can only harvest rainfall if it rains.  Does that mean we should abandon water harvesting entirely? Of course not.  But water harvesting is only part of the solution.  There are other ways of reducing the use of potable water on ornamental landscapes that, when used in combination with water harvesting and conservation landscaping, have the potential to create a truly sustainable solution.

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Photo credit: Bart Cayusa

Last month, the Travisso team celebrated the grand opening of the community's Model Home Park, which features 10 model homes by Taylor Morrison, Toll Brothers, Drees Custom Homes, Grand Haven Homes, and Highland Homes. Located four miles west of 183 on 1431 in Leander, Travisso is being developed by Taylor Morrison and Toll Brothers, who purchased the property in 2012.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was well attended, including by Leander City Council members, Chamber of Commerce members, the City Manager, and real estate agents. The opening of the Model Home Park kicks off the first phase of sales for the community, which has an expected build out timeframe of 10 to 15 years. 

RVi is providing planning and landscape architecture services for Travisso, including the community master plan, lot layout, and streetscape and entry feature design. The vision for Travisso involves miles of trails, numerous neighborhood and pocket parks, and a larger regional park. The community aims to tread lightly on the land, taking advantage of the natural topography of the site and the abundant hill country views.

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Becky joined RVi in November 2013 and has quickly become an indispensable member of our team. This month, Becky’s colleagues nominated her as Employee of the Quarter in the Austin office, citing her creative ideas and positive attitude that make her fun to work with.

Becky has an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin.  During her time at RVi, she has worked on the Rancho Sienna, Teravista, and Wolf Ranch communities, as well as Blue Hole Park in Georgetown and West Guth Park in Corpus Christi.  She is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, and enjoys spending time with her Little Sister Alicia, who is 15 years old.  Becky is also currently running for ASLA Austin Section Secretary/Treasurer (she’s got our vote!).

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