T3's Historic Rio Grande House Receives High Honor

T3 (The Think Tank), an Austin-based integrated marketing solutions firm, recently received the prestigious "Merit Award," presented by the Heritage Society of Austin.

Each year, the Heritage Society of Austin honors individuals and institutions for their visionary approach to local preservation and commitment to maintaining Austin's architectural and cultural heritage. T3 was nominated by the Awards Committee as a Merit Award candidate for the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of the company's Rio Grande House.

"We are honored and pleased to receive such an esteemed award," states Gay Warren Gaddis, T3 President and Founder. "During our initial visit to the beautiful home at 1806 Rio Grande, we immediately realized the building's awesome potential, as both a historical presence and the future home of T3. The home's charm and mystique has helped create an ambiance that further reflects T3's 'think tank' work approach."

Gaddis has worked diligently with contractors and her internal facilities team to recapture the building's original stateliness. The Rio Grande House, also known as the John and Ruth Pope House, is a source of pride and inspiration for T3 employees. It is one of three adjacent historic homes owned by T3. Combined with a few other properties, these historic homes create a small campus setting. The majestic surroundings encourage the creative thought processes essential to a successful marketing firm like T3.

The home's Giant Order portico with veranda below is derived from the Connecticut Pavilion at the World's Colombian Exposition of 1893. The rich interiors with fine Peter Mansbendel woodcarving and ornamental plasterwork are among the finest of the early 20th century in Austin.

"Many properties in certain Austin neighborhoods were razed in the 1950s and 60s when they were unappreciated, but the Pope House and adjacent properties have remained anchors of the Judges Hill Neighborhood," says Peter Flagg Maxson, Heritage Society Awards Committee member and architectural historian.

"In a city of constant change, the John and Ruth Pope House is a property with true architectural and historical significance and retains its overall integrity to an unusual degree," notes Maxson.

About T3

T3, an agency with offices in Austin, New York and San Francisco, specializes in innovative marketing campaigns that cut across all media channels. As a collaborative think tank, T3 works with clients including ConocoPhillips Lubricants, Facebook, Intel, JCPenney, John Deere, JPMorgan Chase, Livescribe, Microsoft, Oriental Trading Company, Universal and UPS.

Founded by CEO Gay Gaddis in 1989, T3 is independent and the largest advertising agency wholly owned by a woman in the United States. T3 ranks among ADWEEK's Top 100 Agencies and Advertising Age's Top 100 U.S. Marketing Services Agencies lists.