The University of Texas | East Mall

Austin, TX

Services Provided

Landscape Architecture, Park and Public Space Design, Construction Observation, SITES

Collaborators

MASS Design Group, Martinez Moore Engineers, Sunland Group

A prominent, inclusive, and commemorative proposal to celebrate The Precursors, Black History and a resilient University landscape.

The University of Texas at Austin East Mall Visioning report is framed around the commemoration of the first undergraduate class of African Americans at UT Austin, in 1956. The goal was to address the student-bodies demands for greater representation, through the initiation of “The Precursors - We are Texas East Mall project”. Intensive stakeholder engagment in collaboration with the Precursors, student body, CCI, and UT project management team, shaped the overall conceptual design. The structure of the report outlines the design process from community engagement, to site analysis, illustrating the key design elements of the overall plan, and finally estimating construction costs for planning the way forward. The East Mall can be defined by its significant topographical divide, emphasized by the prominent East mall fountain which sits as the historic backdrop to where many game day events take place. The divide clearly indicates two major site characteristics, including a long stretch of mature Live Oak canopy and an open space in a highly trafficked part of the campus. The proposed design aims to unify the East Mall landscape by highlight the site’s cultural history and local features, while providing a beautiful space for students to experience. Four primary spaces comprise the proposed design including: the Path, the Break, the Rooms and the Stories, each working to activate spaces for communal use and student programming. Following the submission of the Visioning Report to the University of Texas at Austin, the conceptual design will continue to be refined in schematic design - set to begin in 2024.