Dwelling Well

Love Is the Answer

Sometimes spontaneity is the best way to begin writing, as time is seemingly more elusive than ever. Maybe that’s just me, although I don’t think it is. So many people can’t keep up with our daily to-do lists in this new world where rhetoric and technology take center stage. I was thinking about what I wanted to share in this note about our Dwellings & Architecture Issue on an overcast Monday morning while driving through Northwest Florida’s New Urbanism communities of Seaside and WaterColor along Scenic Highway 30-A near the Gulf. I saw several families riding their bikes with looks of peace and contentment on their faces. I must have passed ten different families, and it hit me that creating places, spaces, and beautiful communities for people to dwell in, whether year-round or just for a vacation, will create lifelong memories. This might be one of the best times of their lives together, connecting in the moment and sans mobile devices while enjoying nature. I have long held the opinion that a bike ride or long walk can solve almost anything that ails us, and we should promote doing more of both.

That said, living and working alongside Scenic Highway 30-A is a gift. We get to enjoy the natural beauty and what I like to describe as “architectural nirvana,” where the best architects in the world shine in their craft. In addition to some of the world’s prettiest beaches, rare coastal dune lakes, state parks and forests, and numerous bike paths and trails, the area also has some of the best restaurants and events in the country. We have master-planned New Urbanism communities that rival anywhere in the world. The master planners at DPZ CoDesign helped create Seaside, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach, and Khoury Vogt Architects has its fingerprint on most of the area’s planned communities, including the new kid on the block, Kaiya Beach Resort. The Town of Seaside is known as the birthplace of New Urbanism and for celebrating thoughtfully planned communities intended to bring people together while inspiring livable, welcoming communities with three core tenets: sustainability, connectivity, and adaptability. Learn more about the ethos and heart of Seaside while exploring the Seaside Institute and its mission at SeasideInstitute.org and become part of this global initiative to spread the news.

Photo by Aranka Israni

Building a community requires more than a bricks-and-mortar mindset. Churchill Oaks in South Walton, nestled on forty acres in the bend of Churchill Bayou and Hogtown Bayou in the Choctawhatchee Bay with over half a mile of waterfront, is an example of good stewardship and responsible development. Its visionary and developer, Roy Sembera, has a love and passion for the place he has created and tended to for nearly twenty years. Almost half the community is green space, preserving nature and centuries-old oak trees, so it lives up to its name. Read more about this hidden gem in our special luxury real estate section in “The Heart of Community,” written by Morgan Power.

Last but surely not least is our cover story showcasing the incredible work of architects and principal founders Darrell Russell and Jonathan Hampel of A BOHEME Design, located in Inlet Beach, Florida. They, too, have carved a niche in our area and the New Urbanism communities discussed, as well as Miami and Anguilla, to name a few. I consider them friends and cherish our relationship and partnership through the magazine over many years. They are considered A-list architects who are at the top of their game and have designed some of the most beautiful and coveted homes the world over. Read more in “A Milestone Moment: A BOHEME Design Celebrates Fifteen Years” by Jordan Staggs, and get ready to savor and enjoy our slice of heaven and beyond as you flip through this issue.

My message to readers is to understand that people are the most important part of development. I was reminded of this during a recent tour in Churchill Oaks when Roy Sembera shared this sentiment with our team while showing us his community. I also know that love and passion are the fuel that enables people to create something long-lasting and significant, and it’s essential to recognize and respect that. It takes everything you have to achieve what many people within these pages have done.

I’m beginning to understand that love is always the answer.

—To Life!

Lisa Marie Burwell

CEO/Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director

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