Landscape Architect Articles

Luxury Oasis Inspired by Historic Ranch08-05-21 | Feature

Luxury Oasis Inspired by Historic Ranch

San Antonio, Texas La Cantera Resort & Spa
by

Landscape Architects with Clark Condon worked with Patrinely Group and USAA to design a 7.9-acre outdoor space at La Cantera Resort & Spa in their hometown of San Antonio, Texas. The Corten steel fire and water sculpture is of an Agave Americana. The plant and representative icons are used to annotate entrances throughout the project. Seasonal color surrounds the feature.

At The Villas, the original rectangular pool and separate hot tub were redesigned and joined to make room for a patio bar designed by the Landscape Architects. The bar area is reminiscent of the main entrance porte-coch???(C)re; echoing the feel of that larger timber structure. The pavement in the bar area is porcelain. Glass tile serves as the pool tile and dresses up the vertical surface of the hot tub. A large, curved slab of granite with grooved channels serves as the weir. The pool surfacing/decking and coping are Frontera flagstone. Furniture includes chaise lounges that were custom designed. The fabric has a waterproof coating to resist staining.

This overhead structure parallels the wall and gate that face the parking area. The adjacent pond and fountain are a rectilinear shape, clad with limestone, a central feature for the spa entry courtyard, and the bottom of the fountain formed out of Mexican river rock. Native plants such as Agave century plant, whales tongue agave, prostrate rosemary, Mexican bush sage, fountain grass, purple trailing lantana is planted throughout the courtyard area. The pictured pathway is constructed of cut limestone. Overhead echoes the building architecture that has metal columns and timber siding. The trellis frames the entry from the street while providing shade to visitors as they walk from the hotel to the spa entry. The structure adds a pattern on the walk below with shadows during the day.

Pathways are connected with the upscale rustic theme of the main resort through native plantings like Mexican Mint Marigold, Zexmania, Bicolor Iris, and Canna and roundabout areas with central fire and/or water features. Here, the fountain (Campania International) serves as a bookend to the cross-spine of the site.

Fire Spike (Odontonema strictum) was added to the room entrance walkways to give height and mass under the existing live oak (Q. fusiforme) while seasonal color is added to separate each doorway.

The 8-foot-tall Corten steel sculpture, the center of a walkway roundabout, features cutouts of dwarf palmetto/sabal minor and ocotillo/Fouquieria splendens. The surfacing is tumbled red brick and lit with pathway bollards consistent throughout the project. The fountain sculpture (right picture) is constructed of ?,? 1/2 " diameter solid Corten Steel rods with a fire source rising from the bottom of the structure. Below the sculpture is new Gold Lantana plants to add a touch of color.

The Loma De Vida Spa overlooks the golf course and hillside. Native plants such as Agave century plant, whales tongue agave, prostrate rosemary, Mexican bush sage, fountain grass, purple trailing lantana are planted throughout.

Hidden away from the pool and common area, private cabanas are made of aluminum and western cedar.

1 / 10

2 / 10

3 / 10

4 / 10

5 / 10

6 / 10

7 / 10

8 / 10

9 / 10

10 / 10

In San Antonio, Texas, Landscape Architects with Clark Condon were tasked with the revitalization of the historic La Cantera Resort & Spa. The grand ranch styled resort first opened in 1999 on 550 acres overlooking
the Texas Hill Country, and was inspired
by the famous 850,000-acre King Ranch in South Texas.

The 2017 renovation, sprawled over 7.9 acres, consists of three projects including the 'The Villas', the 'Loma De Vida Spa', and the 'Signature' Restaurant. The projects are tied together with cohesive elements that were inspired by King Ranch along with rustic furnishings, directional icons, sculptures, hardscape materials and native plantings.

The Villas
The Villas project was a complete renovation and rebranding of an existing series of buildings previously referred to as The Casitas that was reminiscent of early guest buildings found at South Texas ranches.

The Landscape Architects reimagined the arrival sequence, the central pool and event area, the connective walkways, and the landscape throughout the property. At the arrival roundabout, guests are welcomed by an iconic custom-designed agave sculpture and water feature that acts as a focal point and sets the tone for each guest's stay. The roundabout is made of tumbled red brick and creates a practical pathway. The sculpture is built of Corten steel and depicts an Agave design that is used to symbolize main roadway entries throughout the La Cantera development. Below this sculpture are New Gold Lantana plantings.

Through the lobby and into the courtyard, the central pool at the villas is constructed of natural stone and glass tile to create a high-end oasis. The original pool was a traditional rectangular shape, while the hot tub was separate. The pool and hot tub were reconfigured to integrate the hot tub and create a waterfall effect, providing background ambiance to poolside guests and to the new bar complex. The pool and vertical portion of the hot tub were constructed of glass tiles while the surfacing and decking are Frontera flagstone. Clark Condon drew up the concept of the poolside bar, which was inspired by the main entrance porte-coch???(C)re.

Pathways to the numerous guest rooms are accented with water and fire features. Custom punched iron panels divide patios and are adorned with local plants including Mexican mint marigold and Canna. A new landscape of local plant material enhances the area as guests meander through the Villa complex.

Loma De Vida Spa
When arriving at the spa, guests are greeted by the soothing sound of running water, shade trellises, and a hill country landscape that is filled with varying colors and textures. A fountain, that is prior to the spa entry that goes under the hotel, is clad in local limestone and surrounded by native plantings of agave, opuntia, rosemary, lantana, Mexican bush sage, autumn sage, pride of Barbados, and other Hill Country favorite species. The main pool area features vistas of the golf course and surrounding countryside. Tucked away near the pool, guests can find a series of intimate cabanas that allow for the perfect atmosphere to enjoy drinks, a massage, or a soak in a tub under the stars. There are also a series of outdoor courtyards connected to indoor pools and treatment rooms. Each have different personalities that boast relaxing water features, cohesive decking, gravel, and a rich plant palette.
The Signature Restaurant
The third addition to the resort was a conversion from a former golf lesson facility into The Signature Restaurant for San Antonio's celebrated chef Andrew Weissman. The restaurant caters to hotel guests, residents, and the local community.

The site design included new parking, an arrival sequence, outdoor patios, shade structures, a fountain, site furniture, planters, and a hill country-style landscape with a kitchen garden. Clark Condon played an integral role in the hardscape and planting design of The Signature Restaurant.

Tumbled stone enriches the entry porte-coch????re where heavy wooden doors give a sense of what is to come. Architect and Interior Designer, Jill Giles, designed the interior to create an eclectic California-Southwestern atmosphere with native exterior plantings.

A series of patios feature large flagstone with joints that are filled with decomposed granite that lends a rustic, loose stone, California feel to the outdoor dining experience. Flagstone stepping pads connect patios and act as a cohesive path to the heart of the project. The timber trellis was reworked, expanded, and covered to add shade and another practical element to the space. Guests can dine while they listen to waterfalls from a reclaimed fountain nearby. A variety of plant species accent the patios and act as separation and privacy to the dining areas. A food garden is protected from the local deer by a high fence made of split cedar, wire, and food crops around the raised redwood planters.

Through the efforts of Clark Condon and others, La Cantera Resoprt & Spa has become one of the premier luxury resorts in San Antonio, with 496 rooms, 34 boutique-style Villas and two championship golf courses, all projecting the intimacy of a boutique resort with a peaceful Hill Country ambiance in every space.

Team List:
Clark Condon - Landscape Architecture
BrightView San Antonio Division - Landscape Contractor
Dado Group - Architect and Interior Design
Dick Cate - Architect - entry and bar - Houston
Fire Features/Colombo Construction Corporation - fountain design and manufacturing
Fountain Works - pool & fountain construction - San Antonio
Goetting TTG - MEP Engineering
Harvey-Cleary - General Contractor
HKS, Inc. - Architects
Jill Giles - Architect and Interior Design
Looney & Associates - Interior Design - Dallas
Mundo Verde - Landscape Contractor
Pape-Dawson - Engineering
Raba Kristner - Geotechnical Engineer

As seen in LASN magazine, August 2020.