Belterra

Near Austin, Texas, preserved land and a connected trail network link neighborhoods, amenities, and natural areas, creating a community centered on outdoor access and everyday connection.

GOALS

From RVi’s work in the early-stage master planning and entitlements with the City of Austin, to subsequent landscape architecture design projects, Belterra’s mantra of “Life Wide Open” was a guiding theme. With more than 600 acres of dedicated greenspace, we sought to enhance the open landscape while connecting each residential neighborhood with a vast trail system.

OUTCOMES

With inspiration from the unique desert landscape of Arizona, RVi is supporting Castle Hill Partners through sustainable landscape architecture services. The community is organized into 14 villages connected by over 60 miles of trails with gathering areas scattered throughout. By connecting the neighborhoods, parks, scenic overlooks, and natural preserves, the trails will weave the site together and instill a stronger sense of community connectedness. Centralized within the villages, the Base Camp Amenity Center offers a wide range of activities with the inclusion of a food truck court with seating, open lawn spaces, a resort style pool, splash pad, fire pit, grilling stations, active lifestyle trails, and more.

Throughout the community, our design works with the natural landscape, never against it, to create an exceptional desert-living experience. Thousands of plants, including centuries-old saguaros, palo verdes, and ironwoods, are carefully geotagged, relocated to an on-site nursery, and nurtured until they can be thoughtfully reintroduced throughout the community. Additionally, open space areas are preserved to keep areas untouched and to keep the effort’s environmental impact as small as possible. With Saddleback’s unique and intricate design, the desert feels like it is brought to life to mark a new chapter in desert living.