At present, the existing four-acre main quad is a huge, hot open space with very little delineation, encouraging students to pass swiftly around rather than to gather and linger. To rectify this existing condition, the landscape architect worked to arrange the space into precincts with new shade structures creating rooms including entry courts, event lawn, falcon gathering court, prairie court and games and BBQ court. A reconfigured entry court and drop off point pulls students to the new welcome center. The main quad paseo takes users over acequias, part of the new stormwater management system, and into Fiona’s Perch Court. (Fiona is the university’s mascot.) Fiona’s Perch is made from large limestone blocks found on site and surrounded by shaded flexible seating areas for students to gather throughout the day and a new, amazing falcon sculpture. A stage pavilion is centered to enframe Fiona and is placed between the event lawn and Fiona’s Court. Acequias with tiered steps around the event lawn allow people to immerse themselves in the plantings while functionally moving stormwater through the space. Pedestrian bridges lead to the next series of spaces, which include a BBQ Pavilion, Games court, and Prairie Garden, where native plants from West Texas will be on display. Bordering these rooms is additional outdoor dining for the student activity center.

While most of the surrounding buildings remained untouched, the formidable Mesa Building and deck is proposed to be retrofitted to reestablish its connection to the rest of the quad. Flanked by two new canopy structures, a portion of the deck is removed and replaced by a slimmer pedestrian bridge to allow light into the dark existing courtyard and for existing live oak tree canopies to sprawl.