Benny L. Hawkins has always been active in the community and brings his ethic of service to everything we do at BLGY.  He is the reason we focus mainly on Public Works. Benny strives to make the world a better place by his actions both inside and outside the office.  Architecturally, that relates to focusing on public structures that touch the largest parts of our society.  From Schools and Libraries to City halls and Maintenance facilities, we strive to make the lives of those interacting with our projects better for having been there.

For several years now Benny has had a relationship with Healing with Horses Ranch  in Manor, Texas.

Healing with Horses mission: By creating space for healthy relationships between horses and humans, we help students learn transferable life skills in a safe, inclusive environment. We strive to promote resilience and independence in mind, body, and soul through the power of the horse.

What started as a call for help at the Manor Chamber of Commerce has become a decades long commitment to help.

The property contains numerous miles of trails that the horses and clients traverse in their recovery.

Besides the deer, squirrels, snakes and raccoons, Benny can be found on these trails with his chainsaw in hand throughout the year.

He has taken his Grandchildren out to help him at times but often he is a solitary man with his chainsaw.  At one with the world!

Since BLGY began Architectural Design with the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center, Benny has had a vision that these kids with boundless energy need a positive opportunity and could be a great service to the staff at Healing with Horses.

The connection between these institutions goes deeper than just cleaning up trails; they are also philosophically aligned.  The JJC has long fostered a trauma informed therapy like that of Healing with Horses.  BLGY’s primary focus of the JJC Expansion project is designing the buildings to align with their philosophy.

Last year Benny’s vision finally became reality.   He led two groups of young people out to assist in rounding up brush and clearing the trails to ensure the safety of the animals and clients.  This was a great match; the kids got a chance to get out in the woods and connect with nature while assisting the staff in doing service for others.  Everyone involved saw the smiles on the kids’ faces as they interacted with the animals, creating a win-win condition as Benny envisioned.

Benny has created a legacy with his core values and consideration for others. Connecting these two groups and leading them on their outings, the JJC and Healing with horses have reconnected and continued this partnership that Benny began.  The kids are now going out twice a year to continue the relationship.

Click here to see a video of Benny hard at work

Thank you, Benny.