Entries by Malia Williams

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AquaTerra Outdoors’ Helping Hands Project: Haven for a Hero

We’ve teamed up with the local nonprofit Spirit of a Hero to support wounded American veterans.  We’re channeling our passion for people and the outdoors to transform the backyard of war hero, Corporal Brian Aft, by building a safe, handicap-accessible space for Brian and his service dogs, Buckshot and Trigger, to enjoy. Please join us in […]

Award Winning Pools in North Texas and Beyond

It is just the beginning of 2014 and we are excited to announce that we can add 3 more award-winning pools to our growing list of awards.  We want to thank all the clients with whom we were able to work in 2013; without you giving us the freedom to design and install these wonderful […]

Designing Outdoor Shade Solutions

Beat the Texas heat with our favorite outdoor shade solutions! At AquaTerra, we’re always looking for ways to maximize beauty, utility, and comfort when designing your outdoor environments. Here in Texas, the summer sun is unforgiving, often lasting well beyond the season. Without adequate protection, what would be an otherwise perfect outdoor memory becomes downright […]

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February to March Landscaping Tips

As you know, the weather is very unpredictable. One moment it’s 80 degrees and sunny outside. The next day, 2 inches of rainfall, followed by freezing weather. As confusing as North Texas weather can be to us, it’s confusing to the plants too. When we have consistent warm temperatures for 2-3 weeks straight, warm-season plants […]

Fight the Summer Mosquitoes With These Tips

Summertime in Texas means school’s out, the sun’s out, and grilling season is in full swing. We love everything about summer… except for those pesky mosquitoes. With DFW reporting their first case of West Nile for the season, we’ve come together to share some tips on how to keep your backyard free and clear of […]

Creative Solutions & Backyard Fun in Richardson

Karen & Dan Doore had a great challenge for AquaTerra: They wanted to create a fun and functional backyard space for their children and grandchildren to use, despite some significant structural and configuration limitations. Structure and Permitting Challenges The main hurdle we faced was the 20’ gabion embankment that abuts the Doore’s yard.  The embankment […]

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Keeping Sustainability in Design

Everything comes in and out of trend; landscape design is no exception to this! Sustainability and low-maintenance design have been the trendiest pursuits for most businesses as of 2015. Sustainability is currently a hot topic in our industry and in everyday life, with ideas ranging from ways to catch solar energy, harvest rain water, or […]

Tal Thevenot and AJ Kumaran Q&A

Preston Hollow Paradise We recently wrapped up and photographed a new construction, master-planned design + build project in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. The initial concept was inspired by the home’s architecture and our client’s desire for a modern home that is not only comfortable to live in, but also to entertain. Front […]

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5 Reasons to Love a Small Backyard

Large estates and gardens can be stunning, and we all appreciate beautiful landscape design done on a large scale. However, when it comes to value, care and maintenance, and our community, large gardens and oversized lawns can have their drawbacks. Below are some benefits only small outdoor spaces can deliver. If you’re in the market […]

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Why You Shouldn’t Manage My Own Construction Process

Outdoor improvements add so much enjoyment to your property, but we know they are a big undertaking and investment! AquaTerra has dedicated our services to mitigating the homeowner workload during the construction process. Using our time and talents to manage your design all the way from the first vision you had to the first dinner […]

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Landscaping During the Texas Fall

The temperatures are finally cooling down enough for us to get outside and enjoy our patios and decks. The autumn weather is also perfect for sprucing up the landscape. Fall is the ideal time to plant trees in Texas. New trees do well when the soil temperature is above 40 degrees, which is year-round in much of the […]

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The Truth About Sustainable Landscaping

Sustainable landscapes don’t have to be ugly.  A common misnomer is that, in order to be sustainable, a landscape must be full of native plants, sticks, and weed-like wildflowers.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredible firms designing and installing beautiful sustainable landscapes, but I also see a lot of them in our area […]

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How to Select Outdoor Appliances

Information travels faster than ever, and at AquaTerra Outdoors, we believe this is one of the driving factors behind the growing trend of outdoor living environments, especially outdoor kitchens. We have access to more inspirational photos than we can absorb and as designers, we love it! This immediate access to inspirational photos from resorts, luxury homes, yachts, and […]

Tips, Tricks, & What to Expect When Signing Up for the L.A.R.E.

AquaTerra is committed to furthering the education of our employees and investing in the next generation of Landscape Architects. Recently, Kylee Sims, Designer and Assistant Project Manager, took the Landscape Architect Registration Exam (better known as the L.A.R.E.) and wanted to share what she learned about the test taking process. We are so proud of […]

AquaTerra Outdoors Award Winning Pool Renovation

Originally, this backyard was far from the tropical getaway that this client desired.  After extensive time spent in the Caribbean on their private yacht, they wanted to bring a sufficient amount of that lush tranquility to their backyard in Dallas, TX.  We took inspiration from a few of their images gathered while they were on […]

AquaTerra Outdoors Award-Winning Roman Bath House Pool Design

This remarkable Greek-inspired indoor Roman bathhouse facility has a blend of contemporary rectilinear components with Greek-Roman architectural elements and finishes. Features include the over-extending, ancient-style aqueduct that transitions from the spa into the pool and the hand-carved fire-water features at each end of the room.  The aqueduct is a key relevance to the style which […]

APSP International Awards of Excellence 2013 – Bronze Medal Winner

Our client asked for a modern, timeless, elegant, and fun pool environment.  We took advantage of every inch this backyard offered and created a minimalist zero edge artistic pool environment.  This environment includes a zero-edge pool and spa finished in glass tile, water lounge, multiple benches, ipe decks, automated linear fire feature, water feature wall, […]

APSP Region 3 Design Awards 2018 Concrete Spa

AquaTerra Outdoors is ecstatic to receive more recognition from the APSP Region 3 Design Awards. Amongst our recent awards, we’re taking home the Gold Award in the Concrete Spa category! Gold Award in Concrete Spa category — We are so excited to have received a Gold in the Concrete Spa category for one of our […]

New AquaTerra Office Headquarters

Last month, AquaTerra christened the location of our new office headquarters with a wonderful groundbreaking ceremony. The new location will house the entire team in one facility and that is certainly cause for celebration!  As we have grown over the years, the lack of space required our construction team to be located remotely.  The new […]

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