Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2019 - 7

THE SERENBE MASTER
PLAN FOR THREE
COMMUNITIES PRESERVES
LAND AND REDUCES
INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS
meaning. I do think people move to Serenbe because of biophilia,
(yet many are unable to articulate or define the term) - it's the
feeling they get when they visit - a connection to the land, nature
and the people around them.
Our journey began as an effort to save the land but we
discovered the only way major land preservation could occur
was to connect preservation to development and to regulate that
balance. Ray Anderson introduced us to the Rocky Mountain
Institute and they convened 23 thought leaders of the day at
Serenbe in September 2000. We built Serenbe with nature in
mind, with a concern for the land, conserving the earth's natural
resources, building with nature rather than in opposition to it
and creating places throughout the community for people to be
awed by nature and beauty, natural and built. The love and respect
of all living things is a guiding principle on how we created
Serenbe and we work hard to implement that into everyday
life. As we developed the plans for Serenbe, we did not have a
biophilic checklist (it didn't exist) but once we reached some
success and people tried identifying or naming our approach, it
became obvious that the best description is Biophilic Design for
Community Planning. That is what makes Serenbe a biophilic
community. While the term is still growing, I think people
are catching on and we need to lead the way and build on the
biophilic movement. We have started the Biophilic Leadership
Summit to educate more people on biophilic design and
implementation.
SP: What special features about Serenbe make it a more biophilic
community, than say a traditional housing development in Georgia?
SN: We started with the intention of preserving land and then
built the community around biophilic principles. The land plan
LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM

"THE LAND PLAN CALLS FOR A
MINIMUM OF 70% OF ACREAGE
TO BE PRESERVED. THIS WAS
IMPLEMENTED NOT ONLY FOR
SERENBE LAND BUT AN ENTIRE
65,000 ACRE REGION."

- STEVE NYGREN

calls for a minimum of 70% of acreage to be preserved. This was
implemented not only on Serenbe land but an entire 65,000 acre
region. This concept sets the stage for residents to have a direct
connection and easy access to nature. How we build our homes,
from site planning to sustainable features, to the landscaping we
use to how we treat our wastewater. A few biophilic examples are:
Homes are clustered together for social connectivity rather than
isolated on large lots with huge yards. Porches also encourage
communication, as homes are pulled close to the street and sidewalks. The neighborhoods are designed in omega-shapes so you
can go out your front door to explore the community or go out
your back door into nature that includes lush forests, waterfalls,
miles of trails, and meadows. Edible landscaping such as blueberry
bushes, fig trees and herbs can be found at every cross walk.
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SUMMER 2019 / 7

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Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2019

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