Aquaterra

footprint. We’re currently looking at a project on the east coast for a client of ours that has a home here in Dallas, and a place in the Hamptons, too. “About 95 percent of our work is residential. But we do what I call,‘soft boutique commercial,’ for some clients we’ve worked with in a residential setting,who have a commercial business or are invested in apartment complexes.They are looking for the same high level of creativity and quality implementation from the construction that they re- ceived residentially.We don’t like to bid commercial projects; it’s not a good fit for our team. Inevitably, it becomes about the budget rather than creativity and quality. But the boutique commercial instances, where they’re willing to invest more for a high- er-end product,we’ve really enjoyed those projects.” BVM: Is most of your construction work done by sub-contractors? THEVENOT: “We have a hybrid; a lot of sub-con- tractors, and we have crews within,too.Our new corporate headquarters is under construction in Car- rollton,Texas,not far fromour present one in Plano. We’re building it sowe can developmore in-house teams.Currently,most of the landscapingwork is done internally,as is some of our masonry,and a lot of our HELPING OUR COMMUNITIES GROW Independent Bank provides capital and guidance to foster growth, bring new ideas to life, and energize local businesses. By developing strong relationships and a deep understanding of your industry, our team offers a personal perspective on business banking. RAISING STANDARDS TOGETHER Plano, TX | 972.312.9100 ibtx.com | | AQUATERRA OUTDOORS plumbing on swimming pools and drainage.Much of the other work is outsourced and sub-contracted. “Our mode of operation is, if we can’t have true artisans focused on one trade year-round, then we’re probably going to outsource it.We want to foster artisans that are true professionals at their trade, and deliver the best every time.” BVM: Do you work only on specific types of prop- erties? Thevenot: “It’s a blend of everything. Right now, there’s more new construction in Dallas than there has been for years, but we still have a lot of renova- tion projects, or situations where people bought a house where the backyard wasn’t finished.We come in and master plan the property; maybe renovate the front and then complete the backyard. “We’re a professional design/build firm, so we don’t engage creatively without a design contract in place.When we initiallymeet with the client, it’s a free consultation to sit down and talk about their project, their scope of work, their vision.We answer any questions they have about us and our process, and from there,we’re able to outline that scope in further detail and deliver a proposal for design services. If they engage us professionally,we work through a custom landscape architecture design process, and ultimately find the perfect solution that we can bring to fruition for them.” BVM: Is competition an issue? Thevenot: “Dallas-Fort Worth is a big city.There’s a lot of great talent, but only a few of us creating some of the best outdoor spaces in the world.There