SABAL (Sabal Landscape Design LLC) is a Brownsville landscape architecture and urban design firm built around ecological sensitivity and sustainable design — landscape design, green infrastructure, geospatial analysis, and habitat restoration work meant to reconnect South Texas communities with their native environment. The firm was part of the Quality of Life Ventures cohort of Startup Texas, the accelerator and pitch competition sponsored by the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) in partnership with UTRGV’s Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center (ECC) and taught at the eBridge Center.
Founder Hunter Lohse is a South Texas native who returned to Brownsville in spring 2023 to launch SABAL after earning a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science in Textiles & Apparel Design from the University of Texas at Austin. Before starting the firm, he worked on park renovation projects across Tucson with Norris Design, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, and picked up LEED and SITES sustainability accreditations along the way — credentials the firm says make him the only landscape design professional in the Rio Grande Valley to hold both. When SABAL applied to Startup Texas in 2024, it described itself as the only licensed landscape architecture firm in Cameron County, focused on public and private clients including municipalities, developers, and homeowners.
At a glance
- Founder: Hunter Lohse
- Startup Texas program: 2024 Startup Texas Accelerator, Quality of Life Ventures cohort
- Pitched at: Startup Texas Quality of Life Ventures 2024
- Website: sabal.design
- LinkedIn (company): linkedin.com/company/sabaldesign
- Address: 222 N Expressway, Ste 198, Brownsville, TX 78520