Guided by the UT Landscape Master Plan, the design reinterprets the courtyard as a series of connected outdoor rooms that enhance social interaction while strengthening ecological performance. The planning process also required coordination and approval through the Campus Master Plan Committee, ensuring alignment with broader campus development goals. Throughout, particular attention was given to the protection and integration of the site's mature heritage trees, which became a defining framework for shaping both circulation and spatial organization.

Existing conditions presented several significant challenges, including poor drainage, non-native plantings, competing tree canopies, eroding dirt pathways compacted by years of foot traffic across sensitive root zones, and very little usable space for students. Multiple landscape water features and an underground rainwater harvesting cistern were also no longer in service. The existing rainwater harvesting system had become nonfunctional due to limited cistern capacity and debris infiltration at the water features and stormwater inlets.

The renovation reclaims and harmonizes both human and ecological spaces. Organized circulation paths guide pedestrian movement while shaping distinct outdoor rooms for student use. Native plantings representing different microclimates create habitat, enhance sensory experiences, and support campus biodiversity. Together, these elements establish a revitalized microclimate and a renewed sense of place that balances student activity with environmental sustainability. The following highlights three design features shaping the courtyard’s renovation.

1. Tree Deck: One of the defining features of campus are the historic Live Oak trees, which frame views and provide ample shade. In Texas, shade can transform an unbearable space into a comfortable space. At the west end of the site, two large trees facing a major pedestrian thoroughfare were suffering from buried root flares, compacted soils, and erosion from undesirable drainage patterns. Working closely with the University’s Urban Forester, the design team formulated a strategy to improve the health of the trees while also creating spaces for students beneath their wide canopies. A raised wood deck was built in the shade of these two trees with tables and chairs for students to dine, study, and meet; the middle of the deck was left clear to accommodate the existing circulation paths observed beneath the trees. Removable decking panels were incorporated near the tree trunks to allow access for continued aeration, mulching, and watering.

2. Hammock Lounge: One of the courtyard’s defining ideas is the creation of outdoor rooms, small islands of activity shaped by natural circulation patterns and surrounded by generous plantings. Under the shade of the live oak trees on the east side of the site, we created a lounge area to feature the Nido Nest hammock, a UT student–designed project built to protect the campus’s trees while providing a relaxed place to gather. Its simple, nest-like structure fits naturally among the courtyard’s activity zones, while giving the space a strong sense of identity and belonging.

3. Fountain Promenade: The existing inoperable linear fountain structures were repurposed to support wood benches, steel planters, and a fireplace, reusing large chunks of concrete instead of sending them to the landfill. The abandoned stone-faced cistern was restored and modified to increase capacity and once again is used to capture rainwater and condensate for irrigation. The cistern’s fountain, as well as a new feature fountain, provide relief on hot days through evaporative cooling. The sound of flowing water also creates a calming, enjoyable background for study or conversation.