Fort Worth Stockyards is a public/private partnership with the City to redevelop 70 acres of the historic destination where the visitors can experience an authentic glimpse into the American West. The longhorn cattle drives still take place twice daily for guests to enjoy.

One of the most popular attractions in Texas, the Stockyards includes 190,000 sf of historic horse and mule barns with existing brick facades, dramatic soaring interiors; carefully curated retail stores and restaurants, outdoor patios, and private dining rooms with sweeping views. BBQ joints, brewpubs, and live music venues. Mule Alley has been transformed into a vibrant entertainment district and streetscape unlike any other in the DFW market.

The “Legacy of Color” sculpture was refurbished and moved from American Paint Horse Assoc. headquarters to its new location, welcoming guests on Mule Alley.

Rustic paving of Thurber brick lies under the vehicular traffic, while pedestrian paving is custom patterns of brick and stone. Lush softscape materials comprise a dozen specimen Live Oak Trees and thirteen 25’ “Autumn Blaze” Maple Trees that line Mule Alley as well as Star Jasmine, variegated flax lily, Nellie R. Stevens holly, Breeze Dwarf Mat Rush, caramel coral bells, lime coral bells, and Furman’s red Texas sage.

At the end of Mule Alley is Hotel Drover Autograph Collection, celebrating the best of Texas hospitality.

At the south end of Mule Alley in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards lies the recently opened 200 room, 4-Star Hotel Drover. Majestic Realty Co. gave us the opportunity to create a labyrinth of outdoor spaces: a front courtyard for pre-dinner libations, an outdoor lawn venue that sits adjacent to a rustic event barn, and even a few spots to play cornhole under the well over 125 trees that were brought in from around the country.

The main hotel arrival has a ranch-style entry complete with cattleguard that creates a charming rumble when driven over. Directly outside the front doors, guests are greeted by a giant Antonio Munoz bronze Drover sculpture depicting a cowboy on a horse roping a young longhorn steer that was designed with input from Majestic Realty EVP Craig Cavileer. Keeping a connection with The Stockyards, brick paving spreads throughout the area for a rustic look, while cacti imported from CA flank the front doors.

At the entrance to the front courtyard, we designed a wall fountain complete with corten steel accents and custom-designed hand-painted Spanish tile from California Pottery and Tile. Within the courtyard, we transplanted two giant 40’ tall mature Red Oaks from a field near Houston to create a natural respite from the hot Texas sun. A custom-designed contemporary copper fountain designed in collaboration with Water Studio sits in the center of the courtyard.  Extra details, such as custom wood planters with the branded Hotel Drover logo, as well as a neon cowboy, also adorn the front space.

The expansive “Backyard,” bordering the banks of Marine Creek, features an area under string lights that includes three firepits with surrounding seating near a small stage for acoustic live music,  as well as an expansive lawn where guests can play various games, such as cornhole. Giant transplanted oak trees, agaves, and large cacti from Southern California accent the area.

Three relic fountains, procured from around the world, adorn the property. One was made from a 500-year old solid limestone water trough imported from a Belgium meadow, a 300-year old limestone fountain from Italy is nestled near the private chef’s table pavilion within the herb garden, and a 10’ tall fountain from France creates a soothing trickling sound near the outdoor dining terrace.

The centerpiece of the entire backyard and pool area is a pre-existing giant oak tree which is now adorned with a hanging pendant light. A wood deck built around the tree provides chaise space for people to relax in the shade. Extra special detail on the custom designed Spanish tile on the pool and spa water line incorporates the Fort Worth Longhorn silhouette. Accent lighting is used throughout, including Restoration Hardware crystal chandeliers in the pool cabanas.

Adjacent to a towering rustic event barn is the gorgeous exterior wedding/event lawn that can comfortably accommodate 380 guests enclosed by 25’ tall Loblolly pine trees along the perimeter, for a sense of exclusion.

Whether you’re a tourist or a local planning a staycation or event, Hotel Drover offers multiple experiences to accommodate even the most discerning guests.

The expansion to the existing Manhattan Village Mall sets the shopping environment in a garden-like setting with a sophisticated, contemporary, coastal feel.

The heart of the landscape design is the Plaza, or central park area, which acts as the main gathering point of the center, with easy connections to the city streets, parking garages, interior mall, and exterior shopping areas. The Plaza is designed on an inviting and intimate scale while featuring a composition of surrounding retail and restaurant buildings that feel more like a modern interpretation of a classic town square.

The level of detail and layering feels like a seaside residential garden, while coastal waters and the beach inspired the soft, curvilinear lines. Under a bed of artificial turf, sculpted raised ground represents beach sand dunes, softly creating different destinations and experiences. Flat expanses on these low dunes allow warm, sunny inclines for guests to rest on, or slightly elevated seating for seasonal events programmed to take place in the Plaza. Built-in wood benches incorporated into the turf dunes and planting areas create long runs of seating in a variety of areas in the Plaza.

The open, park-like environment doesn’t dictate a formal path where pedestrians should walk but rather allows them to move freely. The planting and water also form smaller seating destinations for multiple uses and seasons (including a fire table for cooler days/nights), that are intimately separate, and still allow for a comfortable, visually open space, with views of the retail shops. Scattered throughout is eclectic pottery in light beige, silver, ocean blues and greys in different textures and finishes, conveying the feeling of a home landscape, and pieces that were acquired and positioned over time.

The movement and visual qualities of water inspired the two fountain designs while creating a variety of highly interactive and sensory experiences for the guest. Both fountains are made from a dark grey, formed-in-place concrete and smooth grey river cobble that gives the water a rich, cool feeling, and lends itself to a reflection of the surroundings.

The brand-new Cedar Avenue, lined with beautiful Pink Lavender Trumpet Trees and 25’ Medjool date palms, borders one end of the Plaza, allowing convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation through the center, while offering a natural expansion of the Plaza on the weekends. The street can be closed for a variety of programming throughout the year, like farmer’s markets, car shows, and art festivals.

The paving for the exterior spaces creates a harmonious connection with the existing flooring inside the interior mall. Precast concrete linear and block pavers, in a striped grey and beige design, emanate from the mall entrances and flow into the streetscape and across to the Plaza. As the design enters the curving forms of the Plaza, the stripe motif weaves around the space, creating a processional that leads all the way to 33rd Street, further referencing the coast by evoking the idea of a cabana or beach towel stripe. Fields of gridded saw-cut grey and beige concrete complete the scene as the paving turns into the running streetscape along the storefronts.

A collection of modern luxury homes in a walkable, vibrant village, One Paseo features a mix of studio to 3-bedroom residemces. The landscape provides cohesiveness with the nearby retail area.

Courtyards, set on a roofdeck, are community hubs where residents and guests can spend time, lounge, relax, and mingle. The goal of the design was to create “backyards” for the residents to use and enjoy, forming several smaller, intimate spaces within the larger space. Large trees such as sycamores, oaks, London plane trees, Marina Strawberry trees, and California pepper trees are set among dense, layered planting in raised planters with bold patterns and massings of shrubs.

The pools at One Paseo were intended to be destinations within the project. The main resort-style, saltwater pool was designed to mirror the energy and fun of a summer party with BBQ cook centers, well-appointed cabanas, and a speakeasy fire pit. Open deck areas and artificial turf provide plenty of room for lounging, outdoor games, or community activities. The oasis pool is the perfect venue to get away from it all and relax; nestled among flowering trees and bamboo groves, the intimate setting allows for quiet conversation or inspired reflection. The raised spa overlook, with its gentle curves and lush planting, allows residents to shake off their worries and soak in tranquility.

Image #3 – Photo credit: V.I. Photography & Design

Central to Los Angeles’ South Bay, The Enclave is a 2.5-acre restaurant-retail center between two commercial towers with 500,000 sf of newly renovated A-class office space. The focus was on adding food, retail, and social offerings to the surrounding neighborhood.

The key to the design was creating functional outdoor spaces. The nearby office tower lobbies were renovated to provide access to the outdoors with retractable walls, allowing fresh air exposure and views of the garden, and in the retail center, restaurants spill out to patios for open-air dining.

Two organic orchards and herb gardens were also added alongside the office buildings, offering seating among citrus trees and herb planters. Tenants can enjoy a fresh orange on their lunch break and take in the sweet-smelling fragrance of the fruit trees.

We created “destinations within destinations” with a variety of options for guests and nearby employees to relax or work outside (made easier by available Wi-Fi and charging stations). Various ground covers throughout the property define spaces and make them feel separate and intimate. Seating has different perspectives, so some people can sit low in reclining chairs, while others can sit at café tables with a higher vantage point. The two fire pits surrounded by colorful, eclectic rocking chairs, bean bags, and Adirondack chairs offer guests an opportunity to enjoy the outdoor experience even on the chillier Southern California evenings.

Multi-functional, flex spaces provide eclectic and fun areas for socialization, games, and meetings. The many recreational activities throughout the property include ping-pong, four-in-a-row, cornhole, and stack and tumble towers. There is also a “conference table” in the plaza where employees can host gatherings.

The design was purposeful in that it wasn’t long and linear, but rather invites exploration. Creative traffic flow allows for nooks and new enticements around every corner.

Several eclectic water features zig-zag throughout the property: one such fountain features repurposed musical instruments as art, another is made from vibrant, colorful cylinders in varying heights, and a third features yellow spheres (reminiscent of The Enclave’s bright yellow logo). The commitment to art is seen all over the property from the colorful elephant wall mural that welcomes guests from the parking lot to an art installation reflecting the Southern California lifestyle (made of surfboards in an array of patterns and colors hanging on the wall near an entrance/exit point).

In addition, inspirational quotes carved into the pavement provide motivation and “Instagrammable moments” as you weave throughout the center.

Photo credit: Patrick Tang