⟵ RIOS

RIOS is an award-winning global design collective driven by a pursuit of wonder within the built environment. Recognized with a Best of Practice Award from The Architect’s Newspaper for innovation in design, the firm is known for creating places that inspire and connect.

Founded in 1985, RIOS practices interconnected design across architecture, interiors, landscape architecture, master planning, and experience design. From private residences to civic and cultural landmarks, the firm delivers bold, contextually responsive solutions that celebrate both people and place. Each project is guided by biophilic principles and environmental comfort, strengthening the connection between communities and nature.

RIOS believes design is an act of optimism through which invention and ideas transform the world. The firm integrates wellness, movement, and social connection into every project, creating restorative environments where communities live, work, and thrive.

Texas Projects & Beyond
RIOS has made a significant impact on Texas’s cultural and urban landscape. In Austin, the firm delivered Powder Room, an internationally acclaimed speakeasy that immerses visitors in a sensory journey of light and sound. RIOS also designed Equipment Room, named one of Bon Appétit’s 11 Best New Bars in the U.S. and recognized with a Special Mention in the Architizer A+ Awards. The firm’s portfolio further includes the Vrbo Headquarters, a workplace envisioned as a “House of Science,” where data, technology, and ecology converge through a design process rooted in behavioral research.

Beyond hospitality and workplace, RIOS is leading the landscape design for the new Austin Light Rail, part of Project Connect, a transformative plan expanding sustainable mobility across Central Texas with stations inspired by the city’s ecology, culture, and community.

In Houston, Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts was honored in Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards for Urban Design. The project embodies RIOS’ commitment to accessible and inclusive public space, establishing the plaza as a gateway to the arts in the heart of the Theater District. Beyond Texas, the 1901 Project in Chicago—a $7 billion, 55-acre mixed‑use development and neighborhood around the United Center—earned the 2025 AIA California Urban Design Honor Award, exemplifying RIOS’ visionary approach to transforming cities into connected communities worldwide.

Learn more at rios.com and rioshome.com