Texan by Nature is excited to recognize Overland Partners as a 2024 TxN 20 honoree for their leadership in conservation and sustainability. Overland Partners’ commitment to conservation, their projects, programs, best practices, and lessons learned are an example and inspiration for us all.

Honoree Industry and Size: Architecture, Mid/Small

Company Overview:
Overland Partners was founded in 1987. A values-based firm, we hold to our purpose of unlocking the embedded potential in every project. Our designs reflect our deep commitment and care for the Earth, creating places where people and communities flourish. Our mission is to “positively influence the world through the practice of architecture, master planning, and urban design.” Over the past 37 years, Overland Partners has built a diverse, creative community of problem-solvers guided by our shared vision, vision, mission, and values in integrating technology, art, and craft to create world-class, innovative, and sustainable solutions for highly complex projects across Texas and around the world.

What is Overland Partners’ conservation and sustainability mission and why is it important to your culture?
We understand the direct impact our projects have on the natural environment and the health and well-being of people. Our commitment to regenerative design that promotes measurable human transformation led to the development of The Human Handprint™, our framework for design centered around five pillars: Aspiration, Inspiration, Relationships, Stewardship, and Well-Being. The Human Handprint™ is an expression and reflection of our core values in practice. The Human Handprint™ integrates best practices, fosters collaboration, and drives creative thinking while offering practical design solutions.

Overland Partners’ designs reflect their deep commitment and care for the Earth, creating places where people and communities flourish.

What steps is Overland Partners taking to address global natural resource challenges, and how are these efforts integrated into your overall business strategy?
As architects, interior designers, master planners, and urban designers, we invest an incredible amount of time and effort in the early design process, learning about our clients to better understand their needs, naturally leading to incredible design. We have tremendous respect for the sacredness of the site and invest time in analyzing and leveraging the natural conditions for the built environment. 

• In 2014, we pledged to the 2030 Commitment, based on The 2030 Challenge, which led to us establishing incremental goals to reduce carbon emissions and reduce our dependence on fossil fuel-based energy with a 100% reduction goal by 2030. 
• We developed a sustainable design framework, The Human Handprint™, which led to the Human Handprint App that provides sustainable design resources for our staff and allows the firm to track and evaluate our carbon, energy, water, and sustainability goals over time. We also developed The Human Handprint Dash, which provides our designers and leadership with automated data visualization 24/7, 365 days a year.

Who in Overland Partners is leading your conservation and sustainability efforts and what are some examples of employee engagement in conservation and sustainability at your company?
Everyone. At Overland Partners, our people are passionate about conservation and sustainability, from our principals to our interns. Everyone is committed to the cause. We are also fortunate to have amazing clients who share our ideology of being “good stewards of the Earth,” and it’s reflected by many of our projects across the U.S. this year.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, led by our Design Performance Director, John Byrd, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, LFA, recently opened in Sarasota, Florida. Selby Gardens took heavy inspiration from the site, and their love for the epiphyte was integrated in this Living Building Challenge and Living Community Challenge-certified biophilic-inspired design. Selby Botanical Gardens showcases the organization’s stunning plant collection and in-house research facility. Fresh, organic produce is grown onsite on a rooftop garden adjacent to Selby’s “The Green Orchid,” the world’s first net-positive restaurant. 

Selby Gardens features:

• Net-positive energy (+105% offset)
• 600 kW solar array 
• 100% irrigation offset
• 500,000 gallons onsite stormwater runoff
• 60-ton geothermal system 
• High-performance envelope
• Active Chilled Beams 
• Light Shelves & Solar Shading

Selby Gardens is a 15-acre botanical garden showcasing a stunning plant collection and in-house research facility.

The Binational River Conservation Project, led by founding partner Rick Archer, FAIA, LEED AP will strengthen the historic relationship between two nations, Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, connecting a 6.2-mile stretch of the Rio Grande River, in a project that champions river restoration, economy revitalization, while celebrating a shared heritage and culture. The first of its kind, the plan would become an international landmark.

The Binational River Conservation Project aims to:

• Remediate sewage to secure clean, safe drinking water for nearly six million people who depend on the Rio Grande as their primary water source.
• Improve habitats for native plants and animals, especially species of greatest conservation need, such as migrating butterflies, birds, and other wild pollinators. 
• Implement invasive species management, native species reforestation, and monarch butterfly waystations.
• Mitigate flooding and protect riverbank integrity through erosion control while reversing soil degradation.
• Enhance border security and advanced security measures in partnership with local and state law enforcement and national border security agencies. 
• Improve line-of-sight for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• Attract visitors through new recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities. 
• Promote artistic, historical, and social activities in a new greenspace 
• Create change that would serve as an economic catalyst for private investment, including entertainment, art, dining, and shopping.

The Binational River Conservation Project will connect Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico with a 6.2-mile stretch of the Rio Grande River.

Moonsprings Vineyard, led by founding partner Tim Blonkvist, FAIA, LEED AP, and owners The Gray family in Paso Robles, CA, reflects a deep commitment to “protecting and enhancing the environment.” The net-positive vineyard, which also opened this year, uses regenerative farming techniques, producing grapes in a way that improves the land for all creatures. Moonsprings Vineyard is a SIP “Sustainability in Practice” Certified winery that addresses the 3 P’s of sustainability – People, Planet, and Prosperity. 

Moonspring Vineyard’s sustainable practices include:

• Net-positive energy (+105% offset)
• Rainwater capture – multiple water wells and seven 10,000-gallon tanks across the 330+ acres of watershed
• “Dry farming” – to reduce water waste and minimize irrigation utilizing the latest computerized monitoring and management technologies and drip irrigation
• Non-chemical pest control –  to reduce pests using clove oil and hand-pulled weeds
• Natural soil additives – to improve soil conditions with compost and compost tea and fish emulsion
• Flowering cover crops – to attract pollinators 
• Goat herd grazing – to control underbrush management 
• “Sheep and lamb mowing” – to control cover between rows and fertilize the soil
• Approximately 200 beehives managed onsite

What conservation and sustainability programs and projects does Overland Partners lead and participate in?
We understand the direct impact our projects have on the natural environment and the health and well-being of the people that inhabit our spaces. As a firm and as architects, interior designers, and urban planners we are committed to being good stewards of the Earth, its resources, and its people. 

2030 Commitment
Overland Partners signed on to the American Institute of Architects 2030 Commitment which aims to reduce carbon emissions associated with buildings by 100% in 2030. Our Sustainability Action Plan has laid the foundation for our commitment as a firm to reduce carbon emissions associated with our built projects in addition to our in-house operations. We reevaluate our commitment to sustainability every three years and in the process reevaluate and retool our processes. Our new goals, strategies, and tactics are then rereleased to the public. In 2022, AIA National recognized Overland Partners as one of the top 2030 Commitment signatory firms advancing the profession towards carbon neutrality, publishing the following case study.

JUST Label
As part of our commitment to transparency, we completed our JUST label in 2022. JUST is a third-party certification program through the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) which requires organizations to disclose information on their organization surrounding: Diversity & Inclusion, Employee Health, Equity, Stewardship, Employee Health, and Purchasing & Supply Chain. JUST serves as a transparency platform for organizations to disclose how they address their operations, employees, and how they make financial and community investments. Embracing the JUST 2.0 label is Overland’s ongoing commitment to holding ourselves accountable for our practices of architecture and urban design for a more sustainable, equitable, and just world. Read more about Overland’s commitment to JUST here.

What strategies does Overland Partners use to educate and raise awareness among employees, customers, and stakeholders about the importance of conservation and sustainability?
The Academy
Overland Partners developed “The Academy”, in 2014. The Academy is our in-house continuing education and knowledge-sharing one-hour weekly recurring sessions led by internal and external subject matter experts on sustainable design, biophilia, stormwater management, construction detailing, software and simulation training, etc. “The Academy” provides our designers dedicated time to “sharpen-the-saw” and highlights best practices, design excellence, and knowledge-sharing within the office.

Sustainability Accreditations
Overland Partners requires all architects, architectural designers, interior designers, and urban planners to attain at least one sustainability accreditation within six months of their hire date and provides study materials for those accreditations, including LEED AP, WELL AP, and Living Future Accreditation (LFA). Sustainability accreditations empowers our designers with sustainable design knowledge and strategies leading to innovative projects.

Overland Partners requires all architects, architectural designers, interior designers, and urban planners to attain at least one sustainability accreditation within six months of their hire date.

Carbon Offset Program
We calculate our carbon footprint annually, including energy, water, travel (air and motor vehicle), and waste (office supplies, etc.). We use this carbon calculation to gauge how sustainable our operations are from year to year. We also use this data to inform our annual carbon offsets as part of our pursuit of carbon neutrality.

Recycling
Overland Partners was certified at the highest level, with a Gold certification for Reworks San Antonio. The ReworksSA program is a third-party certification program sponsored by The City of San Antonio that promotes improved recycling programs in the workplace. Our employees have access to small individual recycling and trash bins in all workspaces. We also have an annual material waste cleanup event in which we return material samples to product vendors. We also have an architectural materials upcycling program where we promote upcycling.

Composting
We recognize the negative global impacts food waste has on our planet in the form of methane gas. In response, we contracted Compost Queens in 2016 to provide composting services which through their innovative composting system allows us to compost nearly all our food waste, and paper plates, etc. 

Can you share specific examples of successful partnerships or innovative collaborations Overland Partners has formed with other organizations to enhance sustainability and conservation outcomes?
Overland Partners encourages active engagement with community organizations on a municipal and state level. Our people have informed the development of pro bono work, local policy, and educational outreach. 

Community Partnerships & Volunteerism
Overland Partners supports our employees’ volunteer efforts in giving their time, talents, and skills to community organizations and causes. Whether through mentorship programs, hands-on construction projects, or serving on boards and committees, Overland Partners employees have a heart for community.

Overland’s work with non-profits has contributed to large, transformational projects such as The Bridge Homeless Assistance Center in Dallas, Haven for Hope in San Antonio, and ChildSafe in San Antonio that address major societal issues of homelessness and child abuse. We also contribute to initiatives of all sizes to lift up and strengthen communities across Texas. Some examples include: 

• Development of policy by our involvement in the City of San Antonio’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) which was developed over a span of two years (2017-2019) by 78 experts from architects, engineers, planners, environmental groups to include two of our employees involved – including Design Performance Manager, Sandra Montalbo, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, LFA who served on the Energy & Buildings Technical Working Group 
• Development of equitable, accessible public green spaces like Hemisfair Park in San Antonio and the new Lubbock Civic Park, both currently under construction 
• Water conservation and management throughout Texas from the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo to the Texas Hill Country and north to the Metroplex
• Local programs focused on elevating the human experience in the communities where we live and work through support of nonprofits including UTSA Southwest School for the Arts, ProjectMEND, Snak Pak 4 Kids, ChildSafe, Landmarks Public Art Program, Fair Park First and the Rio Grande National Study Center
• Leadership within professional organizations such as AIA San Antonio, ULI, etc. Our professionals have strong reputations for creating positive change in the built environment. Currently, our designers, and architects are leading committees for the local Women in Architecture, Committee on the Environment, Emerging & Young Professionals, and Circular San Antonio to name a few.

Educational Outreach
Overland Partners is involved in educational outreach programs. Our architects, designers, and urban planners engage with students and young professionals in our local communities. We educate students about the field of architecture, sustainable design, and the importance of sustainable, community-oriented spaces. We host design workshops, participate in career days, and provide internships and mentorship opportunities with over a dozen architectural programs across the country. 

Within Texas, we are sharing knowledge and teaching future generations of architects and urban designers how to think differently and more sustainably about the built environment. Our partnerships with the University of Texas architecture programs at their Austin, Arlington, and San Antonio campuses have developed significantly, engaging socially and environmentally conscientious students eager to learn about sustainable, human-centered design through studio courses Overland Partners staff serve as adjunct professors at local universities and community colleges focusing coursework and studio designs on conservation and ecological sensitivity.

Philanthropic Initiatives
Overland Partners supports various charitable and philanthropic organizations through donations, sponsorships, and participation in fundraising events. We recognize the importance of contributing to causes that align with our core values and have a positive impact on the community such as Texan by Nature, the Rio Grande International Study Center, and Scenic Houston among other philanthropies.

How does Overland Partners quantify investment and return on conservation and sustainability?
In 2014, our firm invested in photovoltaics to offset the carbon emissions associated with our building’s energy consumption. Our initial investment produces 100,000 kWh per year, approximately $13,000/year. Our solar array has offset our energy consumption by approximately 52% in 2022. In 2024, we will have invested ~$11,000, offsetting 585,559 kg of CO2 for our organization’s operations.

Determining financial return on our conservation, sustainability, and environmental causes is challenging to assess within architecture firms as it is for many industries. Assigning economic valuation to natural resources in our modern economy is based on a profit-driven premise, as if natural resources are limitless and solely for human consumption. At Overland, we recognize that the exhaustion of finite and non-renewable resources can cause irreversible environmental damage.

“Over the past 30 years, Overland Partners has emerged as a global leader in both practice and advocacy for conservation and sustainable design. Our work combines concepts and strategies to create a series of virtuous transactions that are the hallmark of true sustainability and are the cornerstone of our vision for a shared abundant future. Texan by Nature brings a high level of visibility to these issues, which are essential to the future prosperity of our state. We are honored to be recognized for a third year as a leader in this space in the AEC industry.”

– JOHN BYRD, DESIGN PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR, AIA, LEED, AP, LFA, Overland Partners

How do you see the future of conservation and sustainability evolving, and what role will Overland Partners play in that progress?
Resilience is the future of conservation and sustainability. Overland Partners recognizes the role the building environment has had in accelerating climate change and consequentially, the threat to biodiversity.  We are committed to be part of the solution and have adopted internal policies and best climate action and adaptation strategies into our designs. Our designs must leverage natural resources to reduce carbon emissions, produce clean energy, and promote water, and material efficiency. 

What is the one lesson that Overland Partners has learned from your conservation and sustainability efforts that others can take back and think about applying within their own space?
There is ALWAYS an opportunity hidden in every project. We integrate sustainability aspirations with real-world practicality. The design decisions we make are weighted heavily in the context of social, economic, and environmental impact. We take our oath to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public seriously. We approach sustainability and conservation from a resilience perspective. How can our designs protect and preserve the people and the communities which they serve?

Why is Texas an important home or base of operations for Overland Partners?
Overland Partners was founded in the Lone Star State, and although we work on projects across the globe, we choose to call Texas our home with design practices in San Antonio, Dallas, and now Austin. Texas is a unique state. Geographically, we span multiple energy conservation code climate zones with radically different topography and ecosystems from mixed-dry to hot-dry and hot-humid, so establishing performance standards and reduction goals can be challenging. We also span ten ecoregions, including the Piney Woods, Gulf Prairies, and Marshes, the Post Oak Savannah, the Blackland Prairies, the Cross Timbers, the South Texas Plains, the Edwards Plateau, the Rolling Plains, the High Plains, and the Trans-Pecos which means we have a tremendous biodiversity range and a great responsibility to protect and preserve these ecosystems. Texas has the added challenge of being the #1 state with the most billion-dollar climate disasters, from freezes to wildfires, flooding, winter storms, droughts, heat waves, tropical cyclones, and severe storms. 

Texas also has a tremendous opportunity as a state in that we produce the most clean energy, with wind and solar power generation leading the way nationally. It’s been stated that if Texas were a country we’d be sixth in the world for wind capacity. We have a unique opportunity to take the values and lessons we learn here to others around the world and, reciprocally, can bring the very best we learn from others to influence and inspire our practice here. The diversity of people, landscapes, and communities present in this state is like no other and offers rich opportunities to make a powerful impact in our home state. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share that makes Overland Partners’ strategy and approach to conservation and environmental sustainability unique?
There is always an “embedded potential” in everything. Organizations can find opportunities to be more sustainable, whether by focusing on operations or, in the case of architecture, building design, and construction. In our case, we worked hard to define our vision, mission, goals, and strategies that align with our core values. 

Find out more about Overland Partners’ conservation and sustainability efforts here.

Glossary

FAIA – Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a global green building certification program.
WELL AP – Designation from the International WELL Building Institute indicating a mastery of the WELL Building Standard™, a vehicle for buildings and organizations to deliver more thoughtful and intentional spaces that enhance human health and well-being.