Thoughts About the Creation and Vision of Saluda River Club
Saluda River Club: The River is Calling You Home, a perfect description of the 235 acres of rolling terrain with winding streets, mini-parks and stands of hardwoods that shares a mile of shoreline along the gently flowing Saluda River.
Landscape Concept and Design
"Responding to the topography and capturing the rolling terrain in a classically simple design is what makes Saluda River Club come to life," says Erin Salzer Hanna, MLA, landscape designer for Saluda River Club. "Everything we've done here speaks of the river -- the terraced entrance with stacked-stone serpentine walls that mimic the gentle rapids, the sloping natural amphitheater, the numerous gathering areas punctuated by natural elements and fire pits and the paths, bridges and trails that wind throughout. Expansive sweeps of plantings, both native and hybrid, reflect depth and texture at every turn. Capturing the peacefulness of the surroundings while creating places for neighbors to gather is the ultimate complement to the blend of nature and community."
Inside Saluda River Club
"Like the type of community you'd see along the coast, the Village District features winding streets, wide sidewalks and homes with inviting front porches," says Jessica Reitz, ASID who designed elements of The Village District and the interiors of the Village Clubhouse and Chickawa at Saluda River Club. "Where chicken wings meet the Yale City Club describes the vision for the Village Clubhouse -- comfortable and inviting yet sophisticated. Leather furnishings with transitional lines, stacked-stone and reclaimed wood contrast the dark-wood bar downstairs. The sleek mirrored ultra-modern fitness center overlooks the swimming pool and ample deck."
The Village District
Designers of the stunning Village Clubhouse and homes throughout Saluda River Club, award-winning Allison Ramsey Architects are under the guidance of partners Bill Allison, AIA and Wayne "Cooter" Ramsey, AIA. Founded in 1992 in Beaufort, SC, the firm recently expanded its practices, opening up a sister office in Asheville, NC in 2004. Lead by a desire to provide outstanding customer service and a team approach to designing, Allison Ramsey Architects worked with Saluda River Club to develop the Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) layout of the community. Sought out by developers all over the country to provide designs for TND neighborhoods, Allison Ramsey Architects are known for their excellence and creativity in creating such designs.
Allison Ramsey Architects are heavily influenced by the principles of The New Urbanism movement, a movement being spearheaded by architects, planners and developers that are looking to redefine the way in which neighborhoods and towns are developed. They have been recognized as one of the leading New Urbanist architectural firms focusing on single family residential home design.
The principles of TND include a broad-based mix of home styles and price ranges that create a blending of generations around a central theme. Looking to be the first hybrid TND in Lexington, Saluda River Club developers called on Allison Ramsey Architects to design an innovative community centered on the stunning Saluda River and two shared amenity centers, the Chickawa Outdoor Center and the Village Clubhouse.
Serving as the Town Architect for Saluda River Club, Allison Ramsey Architects have been an essential part in planning and envisioning the current and future direction of Lexington's most innovative community.
The River District
"Bringing together distinctive neighborhoods with varying styles of homes, is furthered by the blend of architectural styles in the River District," says Tim Hance, whose job as consulting architect is to assure that The Village District and the River District complement each other in styling and design. "All along the vision has been in the details, reflecting back to the 1930s and '40s when homes earned their uniqueness by replicating the various period architecture. In the River District, there's a blend of Mediterranean, Federal and Georgian detailing with porches, columns, overhangs and dormers that maintains the scale of each style so that they look as though you're in an established well-thought-out neighborhood. It's the small details that make the architecture authentic, no matter what the style and at Saluda River Club, the vision is coming to life."
Immersed in Tradition, Nature
"Designing a retreat that existed in the treetops and celebrated the richness of the Saluda River was the motivation and vision behind the Chickawa Outdoor Center," says Meredith Drakeford with Drakeford Architects of Sumter, SC, who brought to life the concept of the expansive yet inviting family amenity. "The choice of materials, from patina reclaimed wood inside and out, to stacked stone, we were able to give the Chickawa Outdoor Center the felling that it had been on the property for years and that the community was built around it, embracing the traditions of outdoor spaces you'd find in a river environment, trout club or hunting lodge. The Chickawa Outdoor Center speaks to a diverse group of people who all enjoy the universal sense of nature - wood, stone, fire pits, water and the nearby river. From certain locations within the infinity pool the edge of the water visually merges with the Saluda River several hundred yards away. The covered fire pit has its own sensory and visual appeal, creating the warmth of the hearth and the experience of fellowship."
