Evanston Ecology Center
Nurture designed the first comprehensive renovation of the City of Evanston’s Ecology Center since 1974 to better serve the community through a didactic approach to learning – allowing the building itself to become an environmental teaching tool as a companion to existing educational programs and services.
Located in the heart of the Ladd Arboretum, the Ecology Center renovation features a completely reimagined public entry sequence, where a welcome desk adorned with locally reclaimed lumber is complimented by a dynamic map of North Shore trails highlighting the Center’s interconnection with the region.
The project is one of the first to realize the City’s Climate Action Resilience Plan (CARP), by fully electrifying the building and targeting LEED Gold certification through the use of responsible materials, high efficiency heat pump systems, and a litany of other sustainable features, from water efficient plumbing to native site plantings.
The renovation focuses on a reimagined children’s classroom supporting classes and animal exhibits, a custom recycling area that works to foster community engagement in sustainable practices, and a beautiful open office design with plenty of storage to aid in programming for all staff.
The project was officially recognized as a “major historical and environmental achievement” on October 29, 2025, by Josina Morita of the Cook County Board of Commissioners who described it as “the heart of the environmental movement in the City of Evanston” and affirmed that the renovation “secures it as a premier center for environmental education in the wider Chicagoland area for years to come.”
