Serenbe Stories

Latest Episodes:

Introducing Season 3 of Serenbe Stories Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

In seasons 1 & 2, we heard from Steve Nygren and his personal journey of creating Serenbe, his vision for the future of community and we spoke to many of the people integral to Serenbe's success.
Our next season, kicks off Monday, April 27, with an entire new set of guests and stories. We will move beyond Steve's story to talk with people who have experienced Serenbe - people who have visited, reported on or have deep relationships over the years with us. Our guests are journalists, influencers and entrepreneurs and all believe in a more hopeful future with nature at its core.
Months ago when we started planning this season, we had no idea what the future held and that we would be in lock down together. We believe there's never been a better time to talk about living a well life connected to the natural world and our guests all agree.
So tune in to hear their stories and perspective on Serenbe starting Monday, April 27 and enjoy the 3rd season of Serenbe Stories.

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Mayor Tom Reed, Start-ups, & The City of Chatt Hills Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Tom Reed considers himself a "start-up guy" not a politician, in fact he's been on the Inc. 500/5000 List 3x for different startups, but moving to Serenbe offered a unique opportunity to lead "start-up city" of Chattahoochee Hills as mayor. Ask yourself, How do you thrive financially while mindfully preserving? How many developers live in the city they've built? Imagine creating such an amazing quality of life that you're willing to stay, and your children and grandchildren live there too. That's the message Tom has taken forward in developing Chattahoochee Hills, and working with other mayors to revitalize and preserve the beauty of south-Metro Atlanta.
People + Organizations Mentioned
The Blue Eyed Daisy
The Inn at Serenbe
Capri Blue Candles
Inc 500/5000
John Graham
Congress for the New Urbanism
Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance
City of Palmetto
Bob Simpson
CH2M Hill
Bouckaert Farm
Aerotropolis Alliance
Deana Holiday Ingraham
MARTA

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

7 Generations of Peeks: How Chatt Hills Neighbors Make Community Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

Ned and Janice Peek were the first people Steve Nygren met when he moved to Chattahoochee Hills, and their table was the first he went to when he needed help protecting their shared rural paradise. Rodney Peek, their son, was on the first City Council after Chattahoochee Hills was incorporated, and his children are the 7th generation in their family to be born and raised in Chattahoochee Hills. The Peeks and Steve look back at a time when the Nygrens were the "city folk" moving next door, and tell stories about life in the country.

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

How Serenbe Inspired Artist Tom Swanston Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest, artist Tom Swanston, is regarded as Serenbe's first artist-in-residence, though he was a Serenbe resident before there was an official program. In fact, Tom was an integral figure in creating AIR Serenbe, which is the artist residency division of the Serenbe Institute.
In this episode, Tom regales us with stories about finding his own farm south of Atlanta, what it was like to find his calling in the arts, and how Serenbe has inspired him to be the artist he is today.

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Chad Epple on Engineering Serenbe Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

Chad Epple says he's been a civil engineer since he started building tree houses as a kid. As the VP of Southeastern Engineering, he brought a creativity and willingness to join Steve in changing the rules to design Serenbe the way neighborhoods were built 75 years ago. In this episode, Chad and Steve look back at a time when Serenbe was only woods and remember what it was like to work with the land to maintain Serenbe's natural beauty while adding in modern infrastructure.

People & Organizations Mentioned
Biomimicry - The design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.

Bouckaert Farms

Boulder Creek

Chattahoochee RiverLands Project

Flight Path: The River Beneath the World’s Busiest Airport

Gabion Bridge - Gabions are wire mesh baskets/boxes compactly filled with rocks or soils. ... These rock-filled baskets are often used as retaining walls for highly erosive materials, bridge abutments and outlet aprons.

The Hill Restaurant

Mado Hillside

Old 4th Ward Park

Photogrammetry - The science of making measurements from photographs.

Proctor Creek

Professional Engineering Licensing

Smith Hanes Studio

Southeastern Engineering

Dr. Phillip James Tabb

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) - A drone is an unmanned aircraft or ship that is guided remotely or autonomously. UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, something that can fly without a pilot onboard.

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Creating Art Out of The Ordinary with Robert Rausch Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Serenbe Stories we talk with Robert Rausch, the man who created the works of art that are Serenbe's street lamps, sidewalk benches, bike racks, and even trash cans. We talk about Robert, Steve Nygren, and famed landscape architect Ryan Gainey collaborating to create Serenbe's original branding, and how Robert and Steve have continued finding ways to bring art and creativity to community, turning the ordinary to extraordinary.

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Southface Co-Founder Dennis Creech's Influence on National Sustainability Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

When Dennis Creech started Southface, energy wasn't even a part of the environmental conversation. He knew it would be one of the most significant issues our society would face, and in this episode he talks about the positive effects of green building and how Atlanta is leading the nation in reducing energy and water demand. Dennis also tells us about the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design on Georgia Tech's campus, and how it's changing the global conversation on conservation.

Definitions, People + Organizations Mentioned

Green Prints

Ray C. Anderson

Rocky Mountain Institute

1996 Summer Olympics

Energy Star Certification

EarthCraft

LEED
Homebuilders Association

Howie Frumpkin

Bosch NetZero House

Agnes Scott College

Emory University
GA Tech

U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge

Split Incentive- Split incentives are a barrier to the deployment of energy efficiency measures in buildings. Split incentives occur when those responsible for paying energy bills (the tenant) are not the same entity as those making the capital investment decisions (the landlord or building owner).
Living Building- A living building generates all of its own energy, captures and treats its water, and operates cleanly and efficiently in harmony with nature.
Net Positive- A business standard aiming to provide restorative and positive impacts on people, planet, and society.
Equity in Building Design- Diversity in design and consideration in public spaces including restrooms, private activity spaces for nursing mothers and safe public spaces for school-aged children.
Kendeda Fund

Kendeda Building

Southface

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

How The Serenbe Institute Drew John Graham In Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

We are so glad that the Nygrens incorporated art into Serenbe, and today's guest was a major part of making that possible. Today we talk with John Graham, the founding executive director of the Serenbe Institute is engaging the metro Atlanta area, and the future of art and culture in this community.
Definitions, People + Organizations Mentioned

Daren Wang Decatur Book Festival

Phyllis Bleiweis

Mark Mykleby

Biophilic Institute

Acton Academy at Serenbe

Chattahoochee Hills Charter School

South Fulton Area Initiative

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Tomlinson Graham Group

Seattle Symphony Orchestra

Oregon Symphony Orchestra

Dallas

Blue Eyed Daisy

Shelton Stanfill

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Tom Tomlinson

Woodruff Arts Center Symphony Hall

Atlanta Ballet

Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre

Kennesaw State University

AIR Serenbe

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Alfie Vick Eats Plants (And Talks Environmental Ethics) Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

In today's episode, we talk with UGA professor Alfie Vick about eating plants, taking biophilic principals to all communities, environmental ethics and his deep understanding of the Southern Native American tribes. He talks about how their history, culture, and practices are an example in living a balanced life in-tune with nature. Alfie also talks about the thousands of native plant species in Georgia and designing natural spaces such as the Children's Garden at the State Botanical Gardens in Athens, Georgia and Serenbe's own medicinal garden and he's also working on a future Serenbe neighborhood.
Definitions, People + Organizations Mentioned

Auburn University Rural Studio

Koons Environmental Design

Richard Louv

Smithsonian Institute

Bob Quinn

UGA Office of Global Engagement

Woodland Era

Nature Deficit Disorder

U.S. Research Geological Survey

Mado

University of Georgia College of Environment & Design

Georgia Botanical Garden

Fulton County Economic Development

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Col. Mark Mykleby: How Sustainable Solutions Drive Economic Growth Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

You might not see the connection between biophilic design and national security, but today's guest outlines how communities like Serenbe are imperative in our global defense strategy. We're excited for you to hear Monica Olsen and Steve Nygren's conversation with Colonel Mark "Puck" Mykleby.
Puck talks about meeting Phyllis Bleiweis and coming to Serenbe, where he bonded with Steve Nygren over biophilia and pushed for the establishment of the Biophilic Institute. Puck also talks about the economics of sustainability and how his company, Long Haul Capital Group, is putting dollars toward propelling walkable communities. As he says, our smart growth at home can become our smart power abroad.
Definitions, People + Organizations Mentioned

Serenbe Fellows

Phyllis Bleiweis

Congress for New Urbanism

Special Operations Command at the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Admiral Michael Glenn Mullen

Captain Wayne Porter - The National Strategic Narrative

Congresswoman Jane Harman

National Security Act of 1947

Department of Defense

Central Intelligence Agency

George Frost Kennan

Biophilic Institute

Alexis de Tocqueville

The New Grand Strategy

Charles Darwin's Survival of the Fittess

The New America Foundation

Case Western Reserve University

The New Grand Strategy

Adam Smith

Long Haul Capital Group

Oregon Museum of Science & Industry

Water in Flint, Michigan

Rodale Institute's SE Research Center

Children & Nature Network

David W. Orr

Mayor Bill Peduto

Greta Thunberg TIME's Person of the Year 2019

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

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