This month's award of the Houston National Cemetery Phase II project kicks off RVi's seventh large-scale cemetery design project in Texas. Principal Mark Smith heads up RVi's cemetery design team and will be speaking about cemetery design at the Texas Cemeteries Association spring conference later this month. In advance of his tour, though, he's giving us a preview of some of the current trends in cemetery design and the role that landscape architects play in one of the most reverent forms of land planning. Read more
Simmons Vedder Partners' 430 unit Mosaic opened this month to rave reviews. RVi had the honor of providing branding, marketing and environmental graphics for the first multi-family development to open at Mueller in Austin. The project included an in-depth wayfinding system for the five buildings and parking garage, requiring extensive programming to aid residents in navigating five exterior commons areas.
Glass mosaic tiles were incorporated into identity signs to support the project branding. In low light, the glass creates an optical illusion of three-dimensionality that makes the tiles appear to be floating above the sign surfaces. Along with the mosaic glass tile interior columns designed by Kathy Andrews Interiors, metallic glazed tiles were incorporated into the sign graphics. "We strove to achieve a sign system visual effect that would be highly compatible with the clean, contemporary feel of the interior design, yet retain the richness of character that comes from hand-made objects," explains RVi Director of Graphic Design, David MacDermott. "It's the juxtaposition of machine-made and hand-made materials that makes the design so interesting."
On April 5th, RVi held its annual spring picnic and community service project. After successfully completing the Vision Plan for the Trail at Lady Bird Lake last winter, we joined up with The Trail Foundation again to help plant 29 trees. New bald cypresses and escarpment live oaks will grow to provide shade along Austin's crown jewel, while Mexican buckeyes, desert willows, Anacacho orchid trees and Texas mountain laurels will add color and beauty to each jogger's journey. The day ended with barbecue and great conversation in nearby Zilker Park.
