Studio Balcones: Growth Rooted in Community

Join us for Best Practice, a virtual fireside chat series dedicated to practice operations at architecture firms and beyond. From pain points to potential, hear how leaders in the architecture and engineering industry are innovating through new business models and managerial techniques. We’re chatting with Jennifer Orr, co-founder and principal of Studio Balcones on growth rooted in community.

Jennifer is a co-founder & principal of Studio Balcones. Her commitment to protecting and supporting healthy ecological systems sits at the center of her work.As a self-proclaimed “plant nerd,” Jennifer oversees all office planting design, and loves to insert whimsy and play into her projects. Her Belmont Parkway Residence won a 2021 Texas ASLA Merit Award and Home Slice North Loop won “Best Use of Hill Country” by the Austin Chronicle. Prior to founding Studio Balcones, Jennifer worked in Philadelphia designing award winning parks and civic spaces. She has a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs from Georgia Institute of Technology. Jennifer is a licensed landscape architect in Texas. Jennifer is a 4th generation Texan with deep affection for her hometown Austin and Texas landscapes. She is a mother of two and enjoys exploring the natural world with her children and husband. Jennifer gives back as a current board member and past president of the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy.

Tiffany Rasco is office manager at Studio Balcones. Making the most of her varied work experience: waiting tables, museum education and salon ownership, she assists wherever needed. Growing up in Austin and watching it evolve into a “grown-up” city, she finds it rewarding to work where nature, beauty and sustainability are still cultivated and created for everyone to enjoy.

Studio Balcones designs landscapes that inspire and create connections between people, nature and urban life. Based in Austin, Texas, they create outdoor environments that are context-sensitive and beautiful, with moments of the unexpected. They design for the 21st century, creating spaces that are flexible, adaptable and enduring. Their mediums include resilient plants and sustainable materials crafted with a modern, site-specific aesthetic. They work closely with their clients, listening and responding to their needs. To realize the highest quality product, they collaborate with expert team members including architects, artists, and engineers. Studio Balcones opened its doors in 2009 and provides landscape architectural services for a wide range of projects, working solo or as part of a team. They have twenty years of combined experience working in the residential, commercial, and public sector and are a certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) with the City of Austin and a certified Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) with the State of Texas.