Our planning charrette

Feb 6

I’m so fortunate to have so many talented friends, especially when it comes to all things Taliama. We gathered for a few days where we toured Taliama as a group, spent time sketching at the Unicoi Beach House and discussed what a Conceptual Master Plan might look like.

Two uber-talented planners, Lew Oliver and Andrew Cogar, led by putting pencil to paper once they learned all the dynamics and information about the land, the White County rulebook, the vision, the community aspirations and the desired lifestyle.

I am grateful to have numerous friends attend and participate - perhaps too many to mention by name - who each contributed their creativity, feedback and insights.

Taliama is 30 acres. I inherited a land plan that consisted of 13 entitled lots that were carved up by a real estate developer in 1984. For some reason, he developed 21 cabins on Eagles Nest Road, but stopped short of developing Taliama, which was the most attractive parcel because of the waterfalls. It was also the most difficult to develop because of the topography, the creeks, springs, rock outcroppings, and setbacks.

Taliama strives to help us all be better versions of ourselves. We are so disconnected from nature, our neighbors and ourselves. My hope and intention is that Taliama helps connect us all. Become healthy, more well, by spending time in nature and among loved ones. The built environment should support that vision - all the buildings and spaces should foster connection and community.

We had plenty of inspiration boards that helped illustrate our ideals. We arrived at four different districts of the property:

the private cabin community,
Basecamp for short-term rentals,
the Wellness Lodge, and
the northern parcel in conservation.

Many other factors figured into that planning. Where would folks park? How many folks would attend our largest events? Can we achieve net zero with the built environment? How can all the programming support and sustain our wellness vision? Who is Taliama for?