RALEIGH, N.C.—EDSA, the award-winning and highly influential planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm, is expanding its reach and presence along the East Coast with the opening of a new global office in Raleigh, N.C. The new location marks an expansion of EDSA’s U.S. operations as well as its team, with the appointment of Michael Batts, who rejoined the firm as a Principal earlier this year, and Courtney Moore, who started with EDSA in 2004 and was promoted to Principal in 2020, overseeing operations, building excitement and growing relationships in the region.
“Opportunities like this don’t come along often, and I am truly excited to be in position to reestablish EDSA in the region I know so well,” said Batts, who launched his career with the firm in 2002 and has been refining his leadership and design skills in and around Raleigh for 15 years. Both Moore and Batts were schooled in landscape architecture at North Carolina State University and have strong ties to the community.
The opening of the new Raleigh office marks the sixth global office for EDSA, joining other city-centered locations in North America including Baltimore, New York, Orlando, and the firm’s headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, as well as internationally in Shanghai. The expansion is in keeping with EDSA’s strategic plans to grow their talented team and embrace new lifestyle experiences in booming and up-and-coming markets alike.
Noticed for its growing international design firm appeal, EDSA is drawn to the magnet market and desires to be a part of the Raleigh-Durham scene. “The timing is right for EDSA to make a move into Raleigh with so much excitement about opportunities in the region,” said Scott LaMont, CEO of EDSA. “As always, we will support regional growth with our finest design work and experienced talent with a focus on building a stronger community fabric. Having Michael and Courtney leading a stellar team goes a long way toward establishing EDSA as a leader in the region.”
Significant Experience in the State
EDSA is no stranger to North Carolina and its surroundings, having previously engaged in numerous project endeavors in the region since the firm’s founding in 1960. Most notable was the firm’s 2008 to 2011 design work on more than 3,000 new homes for families of military personnel within the Marine Corps Base communities of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C. and original planning and design efforts for Haig Point, a 1,050-acre community on Daufuskie Island, S.C.
“I’m thrilled to be back in Raleigh after almost two decades away and to be working with Michael to build our local team and engage with leaders in the design and development industries,” said Moore, who is a registered Landscape Architect in North Carolina and a native of the state having grown up in Duplin County.
Since its founding by renowned landscape architect Edward Durell Stone Jr., EDSA has been instrumental in expanding and cementing the value of landscape architecture across a range of industries. While locations, scales, and scopes may differ, all EDSA projects share a sense of balance in stewardship, aesthetics, and depth of thought that have carved out their unique position in the marketplace. The company’s focus on environmentally based design centers on creating a narrative of place and prioritizes the human experience as a model for holistic development.
As contemporary issues such as climate change and the coronavirus pandemic inspire industries and communities to expand and rethink outdoor spaces, EDSA remains the go-to resource for landscape architecture, planning, and urban design.
For more information or to connect with EDSA, call (954) 524-3330, e-mail info@edsaplan.com, or visit www.edsaplan.com.
