Submitted by Coleman & Associates
The inspiration for the landscape experience at Texas A&M's RELLIS Academic Complex (RAC) was born out of a collaborative study by A&M's School of Psychology and the School of Landscape Architecture that examined the positive effects of outdoor study environments on student mental health. Upon completion of the RELLIS Complex, Coleman & Associates was brought in to create a distinctive setting that would foster academic and personal well-being and be appropriately scaled to the new building. The resulting design is characterized by tall trees, open lawns, and multiple seating areas. Specific features include a beautified building entry, flexible seating options on a large, sweeping patio, seating nodes with hammock stands, and intimate study/gathering spaces nestled within the natural areas that surround the building.