Black + Vernooy renovated two early-20th-century warehouses and excavated the void between them to create a sunken courtyard. The complex is now home to the Cedar Street Bar, which occupies the courtyard and basement level of both buildings, and Malaga and Saba restaurants at “loading dock” level, four feet above the street. A large balcony and a raised platform at the back of the courtyard provide al fresco seating and allow Malaga patrons to enjoy the music at Cedar Street.

The Cedar Street Courtyard project received design awards from the Texas Society of Architects, the Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Heritage Society of Austin, and the Austin Community Foundation.