Shield Ranch Master Plan
​The award-winning master plan for Shield Ranch reflects the Shield-Ayres-Bowen family’s enduring commitment to stewardship while setting a new benchmark for sustainable land development. Thoughtfully designed to balance programmatic needs, family interests, and long-term conservation goals, the plan ensures the continued care of this beloved landscape for generations to come.

A central priority of the plan was the protection of vital water resources, including several creeks and a significant portion of the Barton Creek watershed—one of the region’s most cherished natural areas. The master plan not only affirms the family’s legacy of land conservation and advocacy but also serves as a replicable model for the sustainable development of privately owned lands across Texas and the American Southwest.
As an integral member of the master planning team, led by Andropogon Associates, RED contributed to shaping a site-sensitive strategy that placed ecosystem protection—especially water quality and watershed integrity—at the heart of the planning process.
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The Shield-Ayres-Bowen family’s deep-rooted commitment to conservation spans more than 80 years. In 1998, they placed 95% of the 6,800-acre Shield Ranch under a conservation easement to permanently protect its water resources, sensitive habitats, and scenic character. This commitment evolved in 2018 through an innovative, technology-driven master planning process, designed to adapt the family’s long-term vision to the changing needs of future generations—ensuring the ranch remains a living example of regenerative land stewardship.

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​Location:  Bee Cave, Texas
Size:  6,800 Acres
Client:  Shield Ranch Foundation
Scope: Environmental Design
​Completion: 2018
Project team: Andropogon Associates, Biohabitats, Dr. Charles Woodruff (Geologist), Vermeulens, Dr. Michael Mandel (Sound Consultant), Shield-Ayres-Bowen Family
Awards:  2018 ASLA Professional Award