Asakura Robinson worked with the County to provide landscape architecture and tree preservation to this historic downtown Austin location.
The overall project upgraded the courthouse to become a high-performing building and is currently seeking LEED Gold certification. Owing to the fine work carried out by this project, the courthouse is once again a beacon of civic pride in the heart of downtown Austin.
One key principle of this project was to preserve the population of aging Southern Magnolia trees planted in the '40s. Asakura Robinson developed design concepts that protected critical root zones.
The Travis County Probate Court Building opened in 1936 as Austin’s Federal Courthouse. In 2015 the building was transferred to Travis County, which triggered the modernization and rehabilitation of the historic structure.
As landscape architect and consulting arborist for the project, Asakura Robinson’s responsibilities included conducting a thorough site analysis, researching the site’s original historic landscape at the Austin History Center, and writing a tree preservation plan for aging Southern Magnolia trees planted by judges in the 1940s.
Unique challenges for the urban site including balancing security needs with public access, and designing an innovative elevated egress route through protected Live Oak critical root zones.