Imagine a world where buildings and cities actively nurture our well-being, not just physically, but spiritually. There is a growing awareness of the need for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to wellness strategies in everyday life. This book explores spiritual wellness as a foundational attribute to urban planning and design. Chapters reflect the beginning of this evolving movement in home and community design that tackle our uniquely modern problems of sedentary lives, unhealthy diets, stress, social isolation, pollution, nature deprivation, and inaccessibility to spiritually nurturing places. The attributes of spiritual wellness are presented as defining characteristics informing design strategies. These specific planning and design strategies are presented through case studies from around the globe that highlight the importance of spiritual wellness considerations at all scales of the built environment from rooms to cities. This book is essential to help architects, planners, designers, engineers, healthcare providers, project stakeholders, and graduate students embrace and implement a successful wellness design approach.
1. Definitions and Overview 2. Place-Based Attributes of Spiritual Wellness 3. Experience-Based Attributes of Spiritual Wellness 4. Practice and Process-Based Attributes of Spiritual Wellness 5. Spiritual Wellness at the Personal Scale 6. Spiritual Wellness at the Architectural Scale 7. Spiritual Wellness at the Urban Design Scale 8. Narrative Vignette 1: The Significance of Solar Energy 9. Narrative Vignette 2: The Role of Sacred Geometry 10. Narrative Vignette 3: The Value of Mythic Landscapes 11. Narrative Vignette 4: The Importance of Pilgrimages 12. Spiritual Wellness Summary Glossary Suggested Reading
Biography
Phillip James Tabb is Emeritus Professor of Architecture at Texas A&M University and was the Liz and Nelson Mitchell Professor of Residential Design. Since 2001, Tabb has been the master plan architect for Serenbe Community – an award-winning sustainable, biophilic, and wellness community being realized near Atlanta, Georgia and the architect of his solar residence in Serenbe. He has been a design educator for 20 years, and practicing urban designer and licensed architect for 30 years.
"Phillip Tabb’s work on Spiritual Wellness and the Built Environment is deeply rooted in unity, sustainability, and transcendence. Driven by a keen sense of purpose, he shares insights into spiritual placemaking and well-being. Tabb outlines a path to holistic harmony, exploring how values and beliefs in designing with nature contribute to universal balance. His approach reveals the intricate relationship between humanity and the cosmos, emphasizing our connections to forces greater than ourselves. Tabb’s vision illustrates a wide range of liminal human experiences, from intimate spaces like a tea ceremony to grand awe-inspiring natural spaces. Tabb’s message subtly emphasizes that achieving true well-being requires heightened awareness and personal growth on all levels. His work not only guides but invites us to join him in exploring the profound connection between the built environment, spirituality and wellness. Through this journey, Tabb offers a unique perspective on our place in the universe and the role of mindful design enhancing our lives."
Nader Ardalan, Architect and Board of Directors, Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum
"There are so many aspects to Sacred Geometry. When I first learned of it in England in 1996, I was taken with using the relationship between Earth and the Heavens to design structures. So when we were creating Serenbe, we knew that sacred geometry must be included. And synchronistically, Phill Tabb appeared. What we didn’t know then but makes total sense now, is that when you work with sacred geometry, you are aligning all the energy points of the land and buildings, much like the meridian points in the body, to make a whole and balanced project. And when this is executed consciously, you are creating an environment of Well of Being where all can prosper. Dr. Tabb has expertly studied places that have done just that. And in so doing, he makes a great case for including sacred geometry in a multitude of designs."
Marie L. Nygren, Co-Founder, Serenbe Community, Georgia
