INVESTOR
Steve & Marie Nygren In the US, where sprawling suburbs are king, Steve and Marie Nygren decided to create an
alternative. As work starts on a new wellness hamlet as part of eco village Serenbe, Mia Kyricos and Magali Robathan find out how the founders are using architecture to foster a sense of community
T
“The vision was to create a community that feels as
though it’s always been there” 114
CLADGLOBAL.COM
he idea for ‘anti suburbia’ eco community Serenbe was born in 2000, when founders Marie and Steve Nygren spotted a bull- dozer clearing trees on a neighbouring property.
“It ignited in us a real fear of sprawl, a need
to protect our land and a desire for change,” says Steve Nygren. “In many ways, that moment turned us into accidental developers by default with a new sense of consciousness.” The Nygrens had bought their 60 acre farm deep in the Georgia countryside in 1991, as a weekend retreat for their young family. Three years later, they gave up their lives in Atlanta, retired from their jobs running restaurant busi- ness Pleasant Peasant, and moved to the farm full time, converting the stables next to their home into a bed and breakfast. The family saw how living closer to nature positively impacted their lives, and they developed a growing desire to protect the land around their farm. Soon after their ‘bulldozer moment’, the
Nygrens bought a further 1,000 acres of land surrounding their 60 acre farm, and set about creating Serenbe – so called because they wanted it to be a serene place to be. The vision was for a high density community promoting walkability, community living and self sufficiency built on 30 per cent of the land, with the remaining 70 per cent left as undeveloped green space. The masterplan – designed by professor
of architecture at Texas A&M University Dr Phillip Tabb – comprises four omega-shaped hamlets, each with a different theme. Today, more than 400 people – including 100 children – live in 180 homes in Serenbe. Two of the four hamlets are complete: Selborne, which focuses on arts and culture, and features art galleries, two restaurants and a range of
CLAD mag 2015 ISSUE 1
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