Paper Kites Studio

Dallas, TX 2021-2024

It’s always exciting to collaborate with clients who are passionate about celebrating their landscape. From the start, the clients shared a vision for an urban ranch tailored to their dogs and friends who visit.

This distinctive Texas home, designed by Architect Bentley Tibbs, responds thoughtfully to its site that is surrounded by mature trees. The design splits the house into two buildings to suit the land's topography. One structure serves as the main home, while the other is dedicated to a dog training and exercise facility. Both buildings are oriented to capture views of the expansive landscape. The clients envisioned spaces that cater to both dogs and people equally. The front landscape is a curated native woodland, with a steel wall creating a boundary that frames the autocourt and front entry. Walkways are created with repurposed stone from the previous home on site and surround both buildings, providing access to the rest of the property. Beyond the front woodland, several unique garden areas unfold, with the puppy garden at the rear of the property serving as the focal point. This space features a lawn plinth at its center, surrounded by native grasses and perennial plantings. This garden is situated beyond a steel picket fence with a large sliding gate that allows the dogs (and their humans) to run through the plantings and lawn with abandon. A fire garden is nestled within the native landscape, and concrete walls provide lounging areas for creatures great and small.

Concrete steps terrace the landscape and lead to the training facility and dog run. The dog run also includes a sliding gate with a loading ramp adjacent for easy access to the dog van. A careful approach to fencing allows the property to transition from smaller to larger spaces, controlling access for dogs of all sizes. This thoughtful design enables focused training for the dogs in dedicated areas. Large tables at either end of the property are positiioned in the landscape, giving the dogs great views of flora and fauna while being groomed.

None of the gardens are tidy. Backlighting, seasonal textures, colors, and dormancy are embraced creating an organic, ever-evolving landscape.

Architect: Bentley Tibbs

Interiors: Nancy Leib

Lighting: Steven Bryd

Photography: Robert Tsai Photography

Little Exuma, Bahamas - In Design

Architect: TRIM Studio, Eric Gonzales

3d Renderings: VER3d

2d Graphics: Paper Kites Studio

Ft Worth, TX 2018-2023

Project Statement. Spanning across 15 acres in Fort Worth's industrial district, this development was conceived as a unique district for light industrial tenants and includes ten new buildings along three avenues with a focus on sustainable landscape elements including native planting and materials. Sun Valley Industrial Park embodies a vision of thoughtful architecture and forward thinking landscape design committed to sustainability while evoking an affinity for nature.

The landscape creates rhythm, provides scale/density and a sense of place to each building. The planting approach is dedicated to honoring the region's natural character, reminiscent of the untouched prairie lands. The use of unmown lawn and native prairie grasses reflects the local ecosystem and the seasons while aiming to preserve and promote the beauty of the region. Canopy diversity throughout these properties is essential for improving the urban canopy resilience, health and longevity.

Ecology. The region is predominantly characterized by clay pan prairie in its soil and flora composition. The native grasses and wildflowers adorning the boundaries of each property not only reflect the origins of this prairie but also undergo a creative reimagining to craft a practical and aesthetically pleasing landscape. Renowned for its robust Texas wind gusts, this area features native grasses that, whether bathed in sunlight or nestled in shade, weave a harmonious tapestry of sound for both passersby and office occupants. This setting invites moments of exposure to these types of landscapes, contemplation and reverence.

Exposure and Education. This intentional landscaping has fostered an ecosystem that attracts a diverse array of bird species and pollinators, transforming this industrial landscape into a thriving habitat. It's a testament to the possibilities of blending an industrial setting with environmentally conscious landscaping that celebrates regional materials and educates communities on the importance of ecological sensitivity. People who work and live in the area are now exposed to a native landscape that offers contemplation and provides an intimate experience with these systems and all of the creatures that they encourage. The landscape architect and the client still meet regularly to discuss best maintenance practices, soil health and irrigation. Educating this client has benefited this region and all of the projects that they will embark on in the future.

Client: Empire Holdings

Architect: Official Design / Droese Raney

Contractor: The Construction Group

Photography: Empire / Paper Kites Studio

Dallas, TX On-going

2d Graphics: Paper Kites Studio

Texas 2014-2015

This project, a wonderful collaboration with the owners, architects, and interior designers, overlooks a large lake yet is protected from full view by a native Pecan grove. Perched above the landscape, glass connectors span from the original house to three new additions, allowing intimate views and access to the surrounding landscape which supports an herb and rose garden as well as native plantings in and around carefully crafted stone elements. Basalt steps, reminiscent of the interior flooring, descend from the glass entry into a courtyard created by the arrangement of buildings and a retaining wall. Functioning as both a sculpture and retaining wall, a native limestone wall, creates interest while providing a contrast to the lightness of the buildings. Rich greens, light pinks and blue hues take center stage creating contrast with the native limestones and architectural forms.

Architect: Frank Welch & Associates

Dallas, TX

Twelve Hills is a unique Blackland Prairie nature center amid homes and schools in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. It is maintained by volunteers in the community with a passion for this native habitat and wildlife. The center provides education opportunities to visitors of all ages and to nearby schools. Paper Kites Studio designed the secondary pedestrian entrance for the adjacent neighborhood. The pedestrian descends through an organized arrangement of native plantings to access the trails below and journey into a more naturalized setting.

Dallas, TX 2021-2022

This residence belongs to an energetic young family near White Rock Lake Park in Dallas. The family wanted a landscape that provided a pool for friends, space for entertaining all while accommodating children as they grow into different stages of outdoor play. The architect designed a modern outdoor pavilion for entertaining and the landscape takes its cues from the proportions and tone of this structure.

The screened pavilion opens out to the rear garden featuring an outdoor eating area, pool, and play area. Unmown lawn and native grasses create movement reminiscent of the prairie grasses in the park that are viewed from the front rooms of this house. A playful screen represents the music and movement of this creative family while still allowing for views of little feet playing and dancing beyond full view. The screen defines the pool area from a play area which will change and adapt in use as the children mature.

The spaces within this garden are meant to create unique memories with friends and loved ones as this young family continues to grow.

Architect: Tom Maganiello

Ft Worth, TX 2022-2023

Vesta Farley is an adaptive reuse project that transforms outdoor space with gabion walls, weathered steel, and steel mesh fencing, creating private outdoor areas for employees within a garden-like setting. The corner property features native grasses, perennials and shrubs, offering a vibrant contrast to the surrounding light industrial buildings. The landscape serves as both an inspiration and an educational display, showcasing how native plants can create a sense of place while evoking mood through light, texture, and movement.

Client: Empire Holdings

Architect: Droese Raney

Contractor: The Construction Group

Photography: Fredrik Broden Photography 

Dallas, TX 2019-2022

2023 Texas Merit Award

This .22-acre property sits in an urban neighborhood on an escarpment just south of downtown Dallas, Texas. A three-story building bifurcates the property into a south entry and north garden connected via a heavily vegetated eastern flank, while a natural woodland creek traverses the west. Glass lines most of the building’s northern facade, capitalizing on expansive garden spaces below.

The clients asked us to recreate a landscape reminiscent of their Midwestern roots, envisioning a space for wild respite, affinity for nature and modern simplicity.

An elevated entry drive separates natural woodland from unmown lawn, alternately delineating wild from domestic. Four garden spaces exist beyond the entry: a woodland creek inhabited by a wooden play structure; a play space on the northern lawn; a northern woodland area; and a fire garden.

The spaces within this garden are meant to create lasting memories for this young family. Experiences with the native landscape and habitat engage all of the senses creating lasting memories of growing up in this Texas landscape.

Architect: Bernbaum/Magadini Architects

Grapevine, Texas On-going

This large urban block contains 19 new homes complemented by a central communal area. Strategically placed furniture along the streets fosters community engagement and lush green spaces encourage residents and neighbors to gather and socialize.

Tree diversity in this urban streetscape improves resilience, provides visual distinction between streets and contributes to the architectural diversity in each building.

Plantings reflect the regional significance of native plants and grasses to root these buildings with a sense of place. Views from new homes should be verdant but contain urban context.

Architect: Nick Dean

Dallas, TX 2021

My Best Friend’s Park was originally located near the East Lawn of Klyde Warren Park. It was relocated to the southwest corner of Pearl Street and Woodall Rodgers Freeway to make way for the Pearl Street Water Fountain installed in the far east end of the park. The new dog park provides approximately 5,000 square feet of play area while mature Live Oaks provide ample shade and respite. Material re-use from the existing park was an important component of the design as well as providing observation areas for passers-by.

Community input for playing surface and seating, areas to watch dog play, and potential water features was received and integrated into the design.

Dallas, TX 2023-2024

Architect: Brad Bell

Dallas, TX 2017-2018

Situated on just under a ¼ acre, this home was sited for views of the park beyond. From the beginning, this project focused on a Texas landscape that would serve as a counterpoint to the minimalist architecture while providing a home for pollinators, opportunities for bird watching and protection of the old growth juniper on site. The hardscape materials are comprised of native limestone in a variety of forms and weathered steel. These rigid forms contrast the meadow and unmown lawn while their patination create harmony and softness. Elevated seating spaces contribute to a feeling of private sanctuary in an urban environment. Permeable crushed stone used as an architectural groundcover lends contrast to the wall’s edges, creating accessible outdoor rooms among nature. Limestone slabs terrace up to the building entry, allowing visitors to ascend through this lush landscape and experience its soft rhythmic presence.

Plant selections focused on the meadow surrounding the home with strategic planting to buffer views, creating public and private outdoor spaces. This controlled meadow provides an ever-changing experience, reflecting the cycles of nature. It is a reflection of all that has been endured throughout the year.

Awards: 2021 Texas Merit Award

Architecture: Joshua Rice Design Photography: Robert Tsai Photography

Dallas, TX 2020

Architect: Janson Luter Architects

Photography: Charles Davis Smith

Dallas, TX 2016-2017

Situated atop a cliff overlooking the Trinity River and downtown Dallas, this project emphasizes the connection between the architecture, built landscape and natural landscape. The architectural form and materials contrast dramatically beside the native landscape evoking a feeling of modern simplicity. The southern entry is supported by a soft meadow punctuated with wild flowers while the northern landscape falls away offering the architecture views in a setting overlooking an ecological backdrop of greenery. There is a highly unified dialog between the architecture and the adjoining landscape spaces to establish quiet transitions from inside to out.

Architect: Buchanan Architecture Photography: Charles Davis Smith

Dallas, TX 2022

This urban home is an exercise in a restrained palette that honors the materials of the architecture while creating spaces of light. Designed by Russell Buchanan Architects in 2007, this building has three distinct exterior spaces. The courtyard is the most visible and used space of the three. Its access to a pool and views from the living spaces to the landscape make it an important part of the architecture. A mature Live Oak is the center piece in this courtyard. Crushed stone creates an architectural groundcover allowing for planting, seating and a fire garden while creating a feeling of expanse.

Photography: Constantino Zapien Ramos/Lumacast, Inc.

Meridian, Texas 2021-2022

The design for the project's outdoor spaces draws inspiration from the vast grasslands of Meridian State Park, where the ranch is situated. This ranch required a master plan that melded the existing house with new architecture for additional living space with new outdoor spaces for entertaining. This young family has great respect for this landscape and aimed to create spaces for their children to explore and provide opportunities for friends and family to appreciate the local flora, fauna, and expansive views.

Limestone fieldstone walls, independent of the architecture serve as a protector to the homestead and mark the entrance into a crushed limestone courtyard. A cobblestone pathway leads to simple spaces around the main house and cabins. The sheltered entry courtyard, focuses on a concrete trough water feature surrounded by grasses and perennials, maintaining a minimalistic aesthetic with drought-tolerant plantings resilient to Texas summers. An outdoor dining area, featuring large limestone slabs, is nestled among existing oaks between the main house and cabins and showcases an original smoker from the main house.

To the north of the main house, a master deck provides a scenic spot for watching sunsets, overlooking an existing pool, and a new outdoor kitchen and fire garden area. Crushed stone areas on either side of the pool offer additional seating opportunities and space for planting. Concrete and limestone terraces step down to the lawn below, with limestone slabs at the fence line enabling residents to feed deer and other animals. Remnants of limestone from a local quarry were carefully chosen to construct the boulder wall for the fire garden, providing a suspended view of the property beyond. The materials used are both rich and rustic, embodying a simplicity that resonates throughout the interior rooms and architecture.

Architect: Marek Architecture

Dallas, TX 2022

Kennington Commercial sought to revitalize a series of recently acquired office buildings. To enhance these properties, Paper Kites was tasked with reimagining the communal courtyards. While retaining the existing pathways and gathering areas, the focus shifted to introducing a more untamed and tranquil ambiance through plant material. The planting infuses these spaces with a palette that’s more reflective of the native Texas landscape providing texture, contrast and movement that creates a refreshing respite within the courtyards.

Dallas, TX 2020-2021

The landscape of this urban residence is an exploration of meticulously crafted aesthetic simplicity, harmonizing with the client's requirements for diverse entertaining and dining areas. Employing a restrained materials palette of stone, concrete, and steel, the design maintains an understated elegance.

Evergreen hedge plants and rushes contribute to the garden's rhythm and movement, creating distinct zones for various purposes, from entertainment to play. Functionally, these elements delineate different spaces within the garden. Along the length of the home, yews form a lush foreground, surrounding the parking court. Additionally, a row of pleached trees provides privacy for the open-air terrace, enhancing the overall sense of tranquility and seclusion.

Dallas, TX 2021-2023

Architect: Shipley Architects

Texas 2017-2018

This architecturally significant home was built in 1956-57 by Arch Swank. It was purchased as a guest house to an existing estate that we were fortunate enough to collaborate on in 2015. The pink hued flagstone was salvaged on site and reused as a walking path and outdoor dining patio. A brick serpentine wall was refurbished and its sinuous geometry extended to enclose a fire pit and stair to allow access to an existing pecan grove. Boulders left on site as momentos from the previous owner’s travels across the United States were re-incorporated into the landscape as accent pieces.

Architect: Robert Davis Architecture

Pilot Point, TX 2017-2018

Photography: Ben Garrett, Christa McCall

Dallas, TX 2021

Situated in Dallas, this urban residence offers a haven of tranquility, embracing a minimalist aesthetic that complements its distinctive architecture. The unique architectural elements prompted a corresponding approach in the landscape design.

The entry and parking court is defined by the building and adorned with a native grass landscape. A patio and fire garden adjacent to the indoor living spaces is shielded from summer sun by an intricate wood screen that is repeated as a privacy screen near the street for passers by. Clever use of materials and space allow the patio area to serve several functions while providing curated views of the landscape.

Architect: Shipley Architects

Texas 2017-2019

Dallas, TX 2015

This garden renovation pays tribute to the home’s mid-century design by retaining the original front auto court —reimagined in crushed stone. Just off the primary living spaces, a main private garden surrounds a pool and outdoor pavilion. A native limestone retaining wall serves as a sculpture in the landscape, its position and rough texture creating a tension with the building and its materials. Rich greens and blue hues take center stage creating contrast with the native limestone and architectural concrete forms.

Architect: Marek Architecture