PETERSEN STUDIO

The Austin Federal Courthouse, designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, occupies a full city block adjacent to historic Republic Square Park in downtown Austin.  The courthouse landscape engages the surrounding city with a series of gardens, stairs, terraces, plazas, and streetscapes.  Jacob Petersen, Principal-in-Charge of the Hargreaves Associates landscape design team, coordinated with the city to close San Antonio Street to vehicular traffic, transforming the right-of-way into a tree-shaded event plaza linking courthouse to park in a unified pedestrian environment.  Grand courthouse stairs facing the plaza welcome employees and visitors.  The striated grain of the landscape reinforces the bold courthouse massing.  The LEED-certified project was awarded a 2014 GSA Honor Award in recognition of overall design excellence. 

Photo: Casey Dunn

The Austin Federal Courthouse, designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, occupies a full city block adjacent to historic Republic Square Park in downtown Austin.  The courthouse landscape engages the surrounding city with a series of gardens, stairs, terraces, plazas, and streetscapes.  Jacob Petersen, Principal-in-Charge of the Hargreaves Associates landscape design team, coordinated with the city to close San Antonio Street to vehicular traffic, transforming the right-of-way into a tree-shaded event plaza linking courthouse to park in a unified pedestrian environment.  Grand courthouse stairs facing the plaza welcome employees and visitors.  The striated grain of the landscape reinforces the bold courthouse massing.  The LEED-certified project was awarded a 2014 GSA Honor Award in recognition of overall design excellence. 

Photo: Casey Dunn

The Austin Federal Courthouse, designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, occupies a full city block adjacent to historic Republic Square Park in downtown Austin.  The courthouse landscape engages the surrounding city with a series of gardens, stairs, terraces, plazas, and streetscapes.  Jacob Petersen, Principal-in-Charge of the Hargreaves Associates landscape design team, coordinated with the city to close San Antonio Street to vehicular traffic, transforming the right-of-way into a tree-shaded event plaza linking courthouse to park in a unified pedestrian environment.  Grand courthouse stairs facing the plaza welcome employees and visitors.  The striated grain of the landscape reinforces the bold courthouse massing.  The LEED-certified project was awarded a 2014 GSA Honor Award in recognition of overall design excellence. 

Photo: Casey Dunn

Grand courthouse stairs connect the courthouse podium to San Antonio Plaza and the park, providing ample informal seating overlooking plaza and park activities.  Terraces at one end form a small amphitheater for which the plaza becomes a stage for small performances.  Paving tonality relates to the variations in the buff-colored regional limestone used to clad to the building.  Plantings reinforce this grain while framing discrete gardens and seating areas.

A private outdoor Jury Garden accommodates secure outdoor deliberations in a garden environment, while the semi-private West Terrace provides an outdoor space for courthouse employees within the building’s security zone.  The design satisfies stringent federal security requirements while creating a series of inviting outdoor spaces. 

Photo: Bee Creek Photography

Grand courthouse stairs connect the courthouse podium to San Antonio Plaza and the park, providing ample informal seating overlooking plaza and park activities.  Terraces at one end form a small amphitheater for which the plaza becomes a stage for small performances.  Paving tonality relates to the variations in the buff-colored regional limestone used to clad to the building.  Plantings reinforce this grain while framing discrete gardens and seating areas.

Photo: Maggie Morrow

Grand courthouse stairs connect the courthouse podium to San Antonio Plaza and the park, providing ample informal seating overlooking plaza and park activities.  Terraces at one end form a small amphitheater for which the plaza becomes a stage for small performances.  Paving tonality relates to the variations in the buff-colored regional limestone used to clad to the building.  Plantings reinforce this grain while framing discrete gardens and seating areas.

A private outdoor Jury Garden accommodates secure outdoor deliberations in a garden environment, while the semi-private West Terrace provides an outdoor space for courthouse employees within the building’s security zone.  The design satisfies stringent federal security requirements while creating a series of inviting outdoor spaces. 

Photo: Maggie Morrow

Grand courthouse stairs connect the courthouse podium to San Antonio Plaza and the park, providing ample informal seating overlooking plaza and park activities.  Terraces at one end form a small amphitheater for which the plaza becomes a stage for small performances.  Paving tonality relates to the variations in the buff-colored regional limestone used to clad to the building.  Plantings reinforce this grain while framing discrete gardens and seating areas.

Photo: Maggie Morrow

Grand courthouse stairs connect the courthouse podium to San Antonio Plaza and the park, providing ample informal seating overlooking plaza and park activities.  Terraces at one end form a small amphitheater for which the plaza becomes a stage for small performances.  Paving tonality relates to the variations in the buff-colored regional limestone used to clad to the building.  Plantings reinforce this grain while framing discrete gardens and seating areas.

Photo: Maggie Morrow

Grand courthouse stairs connect the courthouse podium to San Antonio Plaza and the park, providing ample informal seating overlooking plaza and park activities.  Terraces at one end form a small amphitheater for which the plaza becomes a stage for small performances.  Paving tonality relates to the variations in the buff-colored regional limestone used to clad to the building.  Plantings reinforce this grain while framing discrete gardens and seating areas.

Photo: Maggie Morrow

Plantings reinforce the linear striations of paving and building cladding while framing discrete seating areas.

Photo: Maggie Morrow