The Serenbe development team and consultants

“Constructors”, Morgan & Bartos, LLC

Part construction engineers, part conductors, Dwight Morgan and Paul Bartos are more than builders; they’re “constructors”. With more than 55 years of combined experience in the construction industry, Dwight and Paul have extensive skills in general contracting, project management and engineering. Both bring a wealth of practical, hands-on experience to each project and find innovative solutions to complex construction challenges.

Dwight, a graduate of Auburn University, and Paul, a graduate of Brown University, originally met at Skanska USA Building, formerly Beers Construction, where Paul rose to executive vice president and Dwight to Georgia Division President.

Prior to Dwight’s and Paul’s tenure at Skanska, major construction companies like Centex-Hamby Construction, Toon Construction and Gilbane Building also benefited from one or the other’s unique abilities on projects throughout the Southeast.

With their impressive history of completing difficult, schedule-intensive projects involving coordination between multiple subcontractors, Dwight and Paul are the ideal choreographers for Serenbe’s unique construction.

Master Plan Architect, Phillip Tabb, Ph.D., NCARB

In this one man are the two specialties needed for the big picture planning at Serenbe. Dr. Tabb is a village-planning consultant who has studied extensively the English village system. He is also an architect who specializes in both sustainable community design and in sacred organizational structures.

A Professor in and Director of the Department of Architecture at Texas A&M University, Phillip Tabb received his Ph.D. from the Architectural Association in London, his Master of Architecture from the University of Colorado, and his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Cincinnati.

At Serenbe, Dr. Tabb’s ingenuity is responsible for the overall plan that is guiding our development.

Architectural Director, William Lewis Oliver, III

From the Greek Revival architecture in the rural countryside of his native southwest Georgia, Lew Oliver developed an early fascination for the Classical world. A graduate of the School of Architecture at The Georgia Institute of Technology, Lew now specializes in distinctive traditional designs for residential architecture in traditional neighborhood projects. Among these are The Town of Lost Rabbit in Mississippi, Vickery in North Atlanta, Clark’s Grove in Covington, Georgia, and The Greenbrier in West Virginia. Additionally, Lew’s architectural vision has contributed to the neo-traditional Florida towns of Rosemary Beach and Celebration.

For Serenbe, Lew has provided conceptual elevations for the prototypical Estate Home, Cottage, Townhouse and Live/Work unit, as well as for the commercial buildings. All are based on traditional 1920s architecture.

Contributing Town Architect, Randall C. Miller, AIA

Except for a brief, diversionary move to rural, southwest Colorado in 2001, Randy Miller, a 1986 Auburn University architecture grad, has spent his professional life in Atlanta. Working for several established firms with a focus on commercial architecture, Randy’s emphasis has been on hospitality and restaurant design, especially in mixed-use communities.

When his southern roots drew him back from Colorado this year, Randy planted himself and his family right here in the heart of pastoral Chattahoochee Hill Country where he now both lives and works.

Project Consultant, Ryan Gainey

Ryan Gainey barely needs introduction; his reputation extends far and wide. A renowned garden designer and owner of Ryan Gainey and Company, Ryan has designed many estate and cottage gardens both in the U.S. and abroad.

A member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Flower Show, Ryan Gainey has created a number of events for the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and the Atlanta History Center.

In his book, The Well-Placed Weed, Ryan Gainey describes his garden-centered lifestyle and shares how his southern roots inspire his work. His The Well-Set Table celebrates food, fetes and flowers.

Serenbe Center for Arts and Culture Architects, Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, Inc.

To accomplish the authentic look of a village built over time, Serenbe encourages architectural diversity. Often, building materials and architectural styles are inspired by local historic dwellings - sometimes realized with a contemporary approach. Such is the case with the Serenbe Center for Arts and Culture, designed by Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam.

Ever since joining forces in 2000, Mack and Merrill have been dazzling clients and winning awards, including the 2005 National AIA/ALA Award of Excellence for the Knowlton School of Architecture Library at Ohio State University and the 2004 Georgia AIA Design Award of Excellence for the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library at the University of California, Berkeley.

Mack and Merrill’s distinctive contemporary design style may also be seen in the Clark Atlanta University Art Gallery and the United States Courthouse in Austin, Texas.

At Serenbe, the Mack and Merrill architectural team will also collaborate with the landscape architect firm Reed Hilderbrand so the beauty of the building and grounds will match the creative endeavors that will be soon be pursued inside the Serenbe Center.

Serenbe Center for Arts and Culture Landscape Architects, Reed
Hilderbrand Associates, Inc.

The pairing of Harvard Design School Masters Program graduates, Douglas Reed and Gary Hilderbrand, was fortuitous for all who value the designed landscape as one of “the most potent and durable instruments of cultural expression.”

Their landscape architecture firm, Reed Hilderbrand, is imbued with Douglas and Gary’s belief that life offers its most ennobling experiences when we deepen our connection with our surroundings. With this belief and an incredible amount of talent, the Reed Hilderbrand firm has received several American Society of Landscape Architects awards, most notably for the Children's Therapeutic Garden in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Hither Lane in Easthampton, New York, and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Douglas and Gary commonly collaborate with other artists and professionals to achieve clarity of purpose in all aspects of design. That is precisely what they are doing at the Serenbe Center for Arts and Culture - with architects, Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam. In addition to the Center, Reed Hilderbrand is also landscaping the three main parks and the waste treatment facility.

Before the first actor speaks a line or the first artist displays a canvas, there is a kind of “choreography” going on behind the scenes that makes it all possible. That choreography is the job of the Tomlinson-Graham Group – a dynamic arts programming, development, and management team that assures the show will go on.

Together, Tom Tomlinson and John Graham have impacted the cultural lives of citizens from coast to coast – with projects such as the Seaside Institute, the Seaside Performing Arts Center, the Performing Arts Center of Greater Miami, the Rialto Square Theater in Chicago, Gorham's Bluff Institute, and the new Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert hall.   

At Serenbe, Tom and John are coordinating with architectural and design teams and a committed group of volunteers to create a vibrant arts and culture program to enhance the lives of both Serenbe residents and visitors.

Project Landscape Architect, Sean J. Murphy

You may have already seen the work of Sean Murphy in the pages of Coastal Living Magazine. Sean was selected recently to be the landscape architect for the “Coastal Living Idea House” in Apollo Beach, Florida.

A registered Georgia Landscape Architect and the founder of Amenity Architects, LLC, Sean has worked on projects including Disney's Grand Californian Lodge, the 1996 Olympic venues, and many Atlanta area office buildings, retail centers and residences. Known for his hardscape construction, Sean has extensive experience in creating ‘signature' amenity areas for larger projects.

At Serenbe, Sean is responsible for the implementation of landscape and hardscape features throughout the community.

Creative Director, Robert Rausch

Robert Rausch does many things and does them all well. He’s worked in media, photography, art direction, corporate identity development, video, print, product and packaging design. The founder of Stellar Advertising and the proprietor of a photographic studio in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Rausch’s work has received numerous accolades, including ADDY® Awards from the American Advertising Federation and a Clio Award, the world's most recognized international advertising award.

Interior Designer, Smith Hanes, Design for Beautiful Living

‘Interior designer’ is actually a very limited description of Smith Hanes. Yes, he has certainly created inspired interiors for numerous clients, including the welcoming interior of the Information Center at Serenbe and the inventive Blue-Eyed Daisy Bakeshop. Smith’s talents, however, extend to other fields as well, including specialty food product development, packaging design, and marketing.

He honed these latter talents when working as the creative director for Bella Cucina, a well-known manufacturer and retailer of Mediterranean-inspired specialty foods. For Bella Cucina, Mr. Hanes even designed the flagship retail store in Atlanta.

Having worked for 24 years with some of the finest in the fields of home furnishings and specialty foods, Smith Hanes now extends his talents and services to businesses of all types and to individual homeowners.

In Serenbe’s Information Center, Smith has truly captured the character of our community, employing natural materials and subtle color accents. For this design, he also captured the 2004 Atlanta Homer Builders Association Professionalism Award. For the modified flatiron building that houses the Blue-Eyed Daisy Bakeshop, Smith has used unexpected materials for traditional features - for example, a deep sheet of recycled metal for the front awning.

Paige Witherington, Serenbe Farms Organic Farm Manager

Nurturing Serenbe's 25 acres of organic fields is certainly labor, but, for Paige Witherington, manager of Serenbe's organic farm, it's a labor of love. To Serenbe Farms, Paige brings lessons learned from several different farms around the country. She first planted her hoe in the soil of the organic farm of Clemson University where she was studying Biosystems Engineering and Environmental Science. After graduation, Paige sought to expand her knowledge through more hands-on experience at a farm in the Hudson Valley. Here she spent several years, becoming manager in her last year.

At Serenbe, Paige's goal is to produce a bounty of quality nutrition for Serenbe residents and those people living nearby, but she is equally eager to foster quality relationships and provide a quality-learning environment.

John Graham, Director, Serenbe Institute

John E. Graham is a leading consultant to performing and visual arts organizations and projects. In his distinguished 30-year career, Graham has managed orchestras, development programs, and an arts administration program at a leading university. His consulting practice now involves museums, orchestras, local arts agencies, and cultural construction and fund raising initiatives. He brings valuable hands-on experience and a firm commitment to quality and public service to all his clients.

Graham started his career in 1971, serving for eight years as director of development for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra; he then became the executive director of the Oregon Symphony in Portland, where he led the symphony’s transition from part-time to full-time, started its endowment fund, and helped develop the orchestra’s new home—the Portland Center for the Arts/Arlene Schnizter Concert Hall.

Graham’s higher education experience stems from senior academic and management positions at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He served as director of the Center for Arts Administration — a graduate program training managers for arts and cultural organizations. He also served as associate vice president and director of development for the University, supervising a fund raising staff of over fifty professionals raising more than $20 million per year.

In 1991 Graham became executive director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the state’s largest arts organization. He has also served as vice president of C. W. Shaver & Company, a highly regarded fund raising consulting firm, and general manager of the Concert Association of Florida, a concert presenter in Miami. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Washington.

Equestrian & Residential Architect, Peter Block Architects

Serenbe’s new 20-stall public boarding stable may have horses stampeding to get in. Most certainly, it will appeal to their riders. Designed by Peter Block Architects, the stable will become a main feature of Serenbe Community’s Farming Village.

Established in 1995, Peter Block Architects specializes in equestrian, residential, and multi-family designs that have their roots in European and early American architecture. They are nationally recognized for their ability to merge time-proven sensibilities with 21st century needs to create highly personalized spaces for their clients.

Contributing Town Architect, Butler Architecture

David Butler was introduced to Serenbe while helping to design the home of Tom Swanston and Gail Foster, Serenbe artists and residents. Fortunately, with David’s focus on community-oriented commercial and residential projects of an urban nature, Serenbe is a perfect fit.

A Master of Architecture graduate of Georgia Tech, David now has over fifteen years of experience in architecture having started his career as an architectural illustrator and model builder.

David believes that architecture has the power to positively improve quality of life. Those living in his recent projects would likely agree. These include the Master Plan for Castleberry Hill, Atlanta's first loft neighborhood and best collection of early railroad buildings; Cottage and Shotgun Homes in the Cabbagetown Landmark District; and Reynoldstown Village, a mixed-use community near Downtown Atlanta.

At Serenbe, David has designed the StudioSwan Art Gallery building and also is the architect for three other homes in the community.