A dramatic planting design for the entrance to the Amarra neighborhood in the Barton Creek Community invites residents and guests in through ribbons of weathering steel and native grasses animated by the wind.
A stone and copper mail kiosk pavilion, by Sanders Architecture, grounds the entrance. The sculptural steel gates frame the scenic view of the Hill Country, the Barton Creek Preserve, and the downtown Austin skyline. At night, the steel ribbons are lit, creating a welcoming glow.
Amarra is one of twenty neighborhoods in The Barton Creek Community and is adjacent to the Barton Creek Preserve – a 4,000 acre preserve gifted to the Nature Conservancy by Stratus Properties in 1994. The Preserve enhances water quality and protects endangered species such as the Gold Cheeked Warbler. Given that, it was important to select native species that would not interfere with this sensitive habitat. New native trees are underplanted with large swaths of grasses and accented by structural desert plants, all selected for their ability withstand the harsh sun and wind at this exposed site.
