Gwinnett County officials plan to build a treehouse-like structure that will allow people with disabilities to experience what it’s like to be in a canopy of trees.
On July 20, the Board of Commissioners agreed to spend $4.1 million to build the sensory treehouse at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center. The treehouse will be designed to accommodate all ages and abilities.
The structure will resemble a giant American chestnut tree, in which visitors will be immersed in an indoor sensory exhibit that uses video, audio and scents to mimic the feel of being in a traditional treehouse. Users will travel on an ADA-accessible boardwalk with self-directed learning stations to reach the structure.
The county expects to start building the treehouse in the fall and complete it a year later.
“The sensory treehouse will provide people the opportunity to connect with the ecosystem and challenge their senses,” said Commission Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson in a press release. “It will help children without disabilities perceive the world as experienced by children with disabilities and the other way around by immersing them in nature.”
