Cresta Fountain Courts Project in Texas.
GO Designs shaped this Mediterranean-inspired desert landscape as a serene prelude to evening, blending terraced cantera walls, emerald turf, and structured plantings like sotol, mesquite, and barberry. Cedar pergolas, water features, and low-voltage lighting create rhythm and ambiance, while drip irrigation and permeable paving ensure year-round comfort with minimal upkeep. The result is a timeless, functional outdoor retreat where shade, water, and native textures combine to frame both quiet mornings and relaxed evening gatherings.
Construction Year
2016
Services Provided
masonry, horticulture, lighting design, water features, pergolas, irrigation, hardscape installation, retaining walls
Location
West El Paso, Texas
GO Designs choreographed this Mediterranean-framed landscape as a quiet overture to desert evenings. Terraced cantera retaining walls lift a crescent of emerald sod above the curb, presenting ruby barberry, sotol spines, and feathery mesquite against sun-washed stucco. Hardscape installation continues beneath a cedar-topped pergola where stone columns cradle a circular water feature; four arcing jets strike the basin with a crisp, rhythmic hush that cools the air.
Nearby, a tiered cantera fountain murmurs through a sheltered entry court, its sandstone bowls catching glints of morning light. Low-voltage lighting design pours warm amber across masonry at dusk, while recessed LEDs graze leaf edges and pull comfortable shadows along the flagstone walk. Chihuahuan gravel hides drip-line irrigation, delivering measured moisture so turf stays springy to the touch without overspray. Masonry stair risers double as perch walls during neighborhood fiestas, and permeable joints between paving squares invite monsoon bursts to percolate rather than puddle.
Planting favors structure over fleeting bloom, guaranteeing year-round sculpture and aroma—creosote after rain, juniper on dry wind. Each surface survived a glare test proving patio tiles remain bare-foot friendly even in August. Subtle uplighting on sotol blades flickers like candlelight, and the soft splash of water masks street noise, inviting relaxed conversation. An outlier ocotillo rises at the corner, its green wands catching luminous beads after a summer storm.
Completed in 2016, the work illustrates how West El Paso landscaping can borrow Riviera warmth without wasting a drop. Today the interplay of shade lattice, water music, and breeze-shaken foliage still frames dawn cappuccinos and twilight conversations, its ochre tones mellowing with age. Integrated controls synchronize pumps, lights, and drip zones from one discreet location, so upkeep barely whispers. By distilling regional craft with forward-leaning systems, GO Designs shows desert modern design can look timeless and run effortlessly.
