Helping Create Happy Habitats

When our team isn’t hard at work in the office or on project sites, we volunteer our time and knowledge to our local communities as much as possible. Recently, our Director of Design, Pete Choquette, and long-time partner and zoo exhibit design consultant, Nevin Lash of Ursa International, had the honor to present to a group of eager students at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Sandy Springs. The students were engaged in a project entitled “Happy Habitats” which required them to research an animal and design a safe and appropriate habitat for their assigned species.

Pete and Nevin were the perfect pair to speak to the students about creating enclosures that promote animal wellness in man-made habitats. Our Zoo Atlanta, Savanna Hall and Zambezi Elephant Center projects were the topics of discussion, as the team covered all that goes into designing healthy spaces where animals can thrive. The students took away useful advice for creating their habitats and were able to comment and give suggestions on what they would like to see at the new Zoo Atlanta developments. For our group, it was a rewarding experience to play a role in equipping the next generation with information about species wellness and the best ways to cater to animal needs in human-made environments.

About the Author

Bill D'Onofrio

Bill serves as a Principal and the Director of Operations for Epsten Group. Having devoted more than 25 years to a career in architecture, he has worked on numerous government, office, industrial, retail, and interior projects throughout the southeast. This perspective allows him to look at the business through a unique lens to provide meaningful oversight to our projects, mentorship to our expanding employee-base, spearheading strategic growth opportunities, and pinpointing valuable solutions for our clients. He oversees the firm's overall operations, including business development, marketing, accounting, and human resources.

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