Urban Ecology Center

Trees Atlanta, founded in 1985 to protect and improve Atlanta's urban forest, recently expanded its mission and organization, necessitating a new, larger headquarters. In 2019, the organization purchased a 3-acre brownfield site in Southwest Atlanta along the BeltLine Westside Trail. Lord Aeck Sargent led the masterplanning and design of the new 22,000-square-foot facility, which includes two buildings integrated with regenerated ecological habitats like wet/dry meadows, wetlands, and native tree trails. The sustainable design features water reclamation and reuse, with rainwater managed through pervious pavers, bioretention cells, and cisterns for irrigation. Completed in 2023, the facility transformed a century-old industrial site into a celebration of Georgia trees while embodying Trees Atlanta's mission of environmental education and advocacy.