Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Raise.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been drawn to outdoor spaces and what they do for the soul. My first job was at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens and throughout college in California, I worked in every garden I could find. I came back to Texas to get my Masters at University of Texas School of Architecture and have been in Austin ever since. During college and graduate school, I focused on the therapeutic effects of design- how spaces can help us heal and reconnect with ourselves, the environment, and others.
After graduate school, I was fortunate to work for two great firms, Studio Balcones and Pharis Design, before starting my own design studio. I worked on projects of all different scales- large ranches, intimate wedding venues, lush landscapes tucked into urban spaces, but pretty quickly, I realized I was most drawn to residential design. I loved getting to know the client and really working with them to create a space they would use and love. My studio, Raise Design, focuses on residential design and utilizes native plants and materials to help make outdoor dreams come to life. I work closely with every client to understand their needs and design a space that fits into their lifestyle while working in sync with the surrounding environment. It’s the best job in the world!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I knew I wanted to have my own residential design studio from pretty early on, so the biggest struggle was knowing when the time would be right. I mapped it out, made a plan, and then of course like everything else- life happened. My anticipated timeline and my realistic timeline weren’t aligned, but that little voice inside of me said it was time and I took a leap of faith. After officially launching, which was extremely nerve-wracking, I was overwhelmed by the response and the amount of clients I got from word of mouth alone. It felt like listening to that little voice really paid off.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a full-service landscape architecture studio mainly focused on residential design. Our designs tend to prioritize native plants and materials with an emphasis on planting for pollinators, food production, and sustainable landscapes. I love to design spaces where food and medicinal plants are integrated within the landscape rather than in a separate raised bed or planter. I think pushing the boundaries of what a garden is may be what sets us apart, and my dedication to bees and bee-loving plants. In terms of services, we offer design services for residential projects, big and small and for small-scale commercial projects as well. We work on every detail, from the plant and material choices to hardscape selections, structure designs, lighting and furnishings and work with a lot of great contractors who help to execute our designs.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I have been working on getting Austin to become a certified Bee City since 2018. It all started with a cold email to the COA Office of Sustainability and has now launched into a full-fledged organization of city employees, beekeepers, environmentalists, entomologists and citizens like me who love bees and want to advocate for them. Amazing what a cold email can do!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@raisedesign.studio
- Website: raisedesign.studio
- Instagram: Raisedesignstudio
Image Credits
Photos 1 and 2: Sister Wolf Studio Photos 3-5: Ben Tijerina
