Arboretum San Antonio Honored with American Society of Landscape Architecture Colorado’s President’s Award of Excellence

Article republished from Sasaki

Every year, the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) Colorado/Wyoming chapter recognizes professionals in their pursuit to lead, educate, and participate in the stewardship, planning, and design of our cultural and natural environment. For the 2025 awards program, Sasaki’s Arboretum San Antonio Master Plan received the President’s Award of Excellence in the Analysis and Planning category.

The San Antonio Arboretum Master Plan envisions a 200-acre living museum of trees rooted in the ecology, culture, and heritage of South Texas. Located on San Antonio’s Southeast Side, the Arboretum transforms a former private golf course into a free and immersive, restored landscape that reconnects people to stories and benefits of trees.

The design restores 13 native habitat types, enhances the Salado Creek corridor, and proposes climate-resilient planting strategies. The Arboretum includes botanical collections, education spaces, contemplative trails, and culturally responsive programming, serving as a public amenity and platform for environmental equity. The planning process integrated rigorous site analysis, Indigenous and cultural research, and multilingual community engagement to inform a multi-pronged Master Plan. It includes a strategic plan, business plan, site design, ecological management plan, and operations and maintenance plan, setting the stage for holistic implementation.

The park’s design is shaped by the site’s unique location, sitting at the intersection of multiple ecoregions, making it a prime location to showcase Texas’s ecological diversity. Culminating into a living museum of trees, the arboretum will showcase over 150 native and adapted tree and shrub species that make up San Antonio’s diverse urban forest. A long-term goal is to achieve Level III Arboretum Certification, requiring documentation of over 500 species.

This project was recognized for its equity-driven approach to landscape planning, deep response to site and region, and innovative model of community-centered design.