Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Description of Business: Cousins Properties Incorporated (“Cousins”), a Georgia corporation, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Through December 31, 2014, Cousins Real Estate Corporation (“CREC”) was a taxable entity wholly-owned by and consolidated within Cousins. CREC owned, developed, and managed its own real estate portfolio and performed certain real estate related services for other parties. On December 31, 2014, CREC merged into Cousins and coincident with this merger, Cousins formed Cousins TRS Services LLC ("CTRS"), a new taxable entity wholly-owned by Cousins. Upon formation, CTRS received a capital contribution of some of the real estate assets and contracts that were previously owned by CREC. CTRS will own and manage its own real estate portfolio and perform certain real estate related services for other parties beginning in 2015. Cousins, CREC, CTRS and their subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) develop, acquire, lease, manage, and own primarily Class A office properties and opportunistic mixed-use developments in Sunbelt markets with a focus on Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s portfolio of real estate assets consisted of interests in 15.7 million square feet of office space, 80,000 square feet of retail space, and 404,000 square feet (443 units) of apartments. Basis of Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated partnerships and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company presents its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) as outlined in the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification” or “ASC”). The Codification is the single source of authoritative accounting principles applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP. For the three years ended December 31, 2014, there were no items of other comprehensive income. Therefore, no presentation of comprehensive income is required. The Company evaluates all partnerships, joint ventures and other arrangements with variable interests to determine if the entity or arrangement qualifies as a variable interest entity (“VIE”), as defined in the Codification. If the entity or arrangement qualifies as a VIE and the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary, the Company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the VIE. The Company has a joint venture with Callaway Gardens Resort, Inc. (“Callaway”) for the development of residential lots, which is anticipated to be funded fully through Company contributions. Callaway has the right to receive returns, but no obligation to fund any costs or absorb any losses. The Company is the sole decision maker for the venture and the development manager. The Company has determined that Callaway is a VIE, and the Company is the primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company consolidates this joint venture. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, Callaway had total assets of $2.1 million and $4.6 million, respectively, and no significant liabilities. In 2014, the Company acquired a building and transferred it to a special purpose entity to facilitate a potential Section 1031 exchange under the Internal Revenue Code. To realize the tax deferral available under the Section 1031 exchange, the Company must complete the Section 1031 exchange, and take title to the to-be-exchanged building within 180 days of the acquisition date. The Company has determined that this entity is a VIE, and the Company is the primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company consolidates this entity. As of December 31, 2014, this VIE had total assets of $353.2 million, no significant liabilities, and no significant cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Standards: In 2014, The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance related to the presentation of discontinued operations. Prior to this new guidance, the Company generally included activity for all assets held for sale and disposals in discontinued operations on the statements of operations. Under the new guidance, only assets held for sale and disposals representing a major strategic shift in operations, such as the disposal of a line of business, a significant geographical area, or a major equity investment, will be presented as discontinued operations. Additionally, the new guidance requires expanded disclosures about discontinued operations that will provide more information about their assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. The guidance is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued. The Company adopted this guidance in the second quarter of 2014. In 2014, the FASB issued new guidance related to the accounting for revenue from contracts with customers which requires a new five-step model to recognize revenue. Under the new guidance, companies will recognize revenue when the seller satisfies a performance obligation, which would be when the buyer takes control of the good or service. This new guidance could result in different amounts of revenue being recognized and could result in revenue being recognized in different reporting periods than it is under the current guidance. The new guidance specifically excludes revenue associated with lease contracts. The guidance is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is prohibited. Retrospective application will be required either to all periods presented or with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized in the period of adoption. The Company does not expect the adoption of this new guidance to have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Description of Business: Cousins Properties Incorporated (“Cousins”), a Georgia corporation, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Through December 31, 2014, Cousins Real Estate Corporation (“CREC”) was a taxable entity wholly-owned by and consolidated within Cousins. CREC owned, developed, and managed its own real estate portfolio and performed certain real estate related services for other parties. On December 31, 2014, CREC merged into Cousins and coincident with this merger, Cousins formed Cousins TRS Services LLC ("CTRS"), a new taxable entity wholly-owned by Cousins. Upon formation, CTRS received a capital contribution of some of the real estate assets and contracts that were previously owned by CREC. CTRS will own and manage its own real estate portfolio and perform certain real estate related services for other parties beginning in 2015.

Cousins, CREC, CTRS and their subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) develop, acquire, lease, manage, and own primarily Class A office properties and opportunistic mixed-use developments in Sunbelt markets with a focus on Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s portfolio of real estate assets consisted of interests in 15.7 million square feet of office space, 80,000 square feet of retail space, and 404,000 square feet (443 units) of apartments.

Basis of Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated partnerships and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company presents its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) as outlined in the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification” or “ASC”). The Codification is the single source of authoritative accounting principles applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP.

For the three years ended December 31, 2014, there were no items of other comprehensive income. Therefore, no presentation of comprehensive income is required.

The Company evaluates all partnerships, joint ventures and other arrangements with variable interests to determine if the entity or arrangement qualifies as a variable interest entity (“VIE”), as defined in the Codification. If the entity or arrangement qualifies as a VIE and the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary, the Company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the VIE.

The Company has a joint venture with Callaway Gardens Resort, Inc. (“Callaway”) for the development of residential lots, which is anticipated to be funded fully through Company contributions. Callaway has the right to receive returns, but no obligation to fund any costs or absorb any losses. The Company is the sole decision maker for the venture and the development manager. The Company has determined that Callaway is a VIE, and the Company is the primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company consolidates this joint venture. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, Callaway had total assets of $2.1 million and $4.6 million, respectively, and no significant liabilities.

In 2014, the Company acquired a building and transferred it to a special purpose entity to facilitate a potential Section 1031 exchange under the Internal Revenue Code. To realize the tax deferral available under the Section 1031 exchange, the Company must complete the Section 1031 exchange, and take title to the to-be-exchanged building within 180 days of the acquisition date. The Company has determined that this entity is a VIE, and the Company is the primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company consolidates this entity. As of December 31, 2014, this VIE had total assets of $353.2 million, no significant liabilities, and no significant cash flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards: In 2014, The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance related to the presentation of discontinued operations. Prior to this new guidance, the Company generally included activity for all assets held for sale and disposals in discontinued operations on the statements of operations. Under the new guidance, only assets held for sale and disposals representing a major strategic shift in operations, such as the disposal of a line of business, a significant geographical area, or a major equity investment, will be presented as discontinued operations. Additionally, the new guidance requires expanded disclosures about discontinued operations that will provide more information about their assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. The guidance is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued. The Company adopted this guidance in the second quarter of 2014.

In 2014, the FASB issued new guidance related to the accounting for revenue from contracts with customers which requires a new five-step model to recognize revenue. Under the new guidance, companies will recognize revenue when the seller satisfies a performance obligation, which would be when the buyer takes control of the good or service. This new guidance could result in different amounts of revenue being recognized and could result in revenue being recognized in different reporting periods than it is under the current guidance. The new guidance specifically excludes revenue associated with lease contracts. The guidance is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is prohibited. Retrospective application will be required either to all periods presented or with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized in the period of adoption. The Company does not expect the adoption of this new guidance to have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.