A revival of the classic, American hometown:
There was a time when neighbors knew and genuinely cared for one another. A time when homes defined streets, streets defined blocks, blocks defined neighborhoods and neighborhoods made up towns. All the ingredients of a town had a purpose and when blended, created a wonderful place that everyone was proud to call home.
Where are these places now?
Most are places that are traveled to by millions of tourists each year. People take vacation time and pilgrimages to visit such places as Beaufort, Charleston and Savannah and hundreds of other historic towns and districts throughout the U.S. It is these revered historic communities where the ingredients of the town are combined through thoughtful design creating a better whole.
What happened?
After WWII specialization and production became paramount over cohesiveness and craftsmanship. Society became fragmented, and designers began to break apart. The engineers primary concern was to move traffic. Architects' designs were based on individualism with little regard for the surrounding built environment. Land Planners became landscape architects and focused on filling the void between monumental architecture and infrastructure. Zoning became a primary tool to protect citizens from the built environment and individualism that blighted the landscape.
What we're doing...
At Habersham, we turned back the hands of time and incorporated a design technique that has not existed since WWII. By weaving the specialties of architecture, land planning and engineering, we have created a place built for the human scale. A place where all the parts add up to a better whole. We worked with environmental groups, real-estate agents, and governmental agencies to gather information to meet the needs of the market yet preserve the inherent beauty the land has to offer. With extensive tree surveys, wetland preservation and marsh buffers, we have created a place that is as sensitive to the environment as it is to the human scale. Our intent is to create a place of sustainable character and charm, a place that protects the present while preserving the values for future generations to come.
