ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo

Wellness

Room with a view

In the mountains of Tennessee, the owners of the celebrated Blackberry Farm have opened a new resort – their first new venture in more than 40 years. Jane Kitchen visits to learn more


One of the most highly anticipated resort openings in the US this year is located not in New York, Miami or Los Angeles, but in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee. A Relais & Châteaux resort – one of only four in the world to receive the designation before opening – Blackberry Mountain is a sister property to Blackberry Farm, a celebrated example of new Southern hospitality and elevated farm-to-table cuisine.

Wellness through nature
Nestled amid 5,200 acres of pristine mountain wilderness, Blackberry Mountain has been conceived specifically to blend in with the environment and leave the smallest possible footprint on the land. Billed as ‘your own private national park’, the resort has dedicated more than half of the land to preservation, and the focus is on wellness through nature – a pitch that’s hitting the right chord with today’s digitally obsessed, always-on consumer.

“We think wellness extends way beyond the walls of a studio and spa,” says Blackberry Mountain proprietor Mary Celeste Beall. “That’s why we incorporated so many special elements outside as well as in our facilities. You can find surprises all along our trail system, like a swing or a yoga platform, and we want you to take your practices to new places and be inspired to invigorate your daily work – find something completely new to explore. There are yoga studios in every town, but we often don’t get the chance to explore a winding trail or dive into nature. So that quiet reflection is becoming increasingly more important so that we can disconnect from the busyness of our lives and refocus our energy.”

Family tradition
Blackberry Farm was first opened in 1976 by Sandy and Kreis Beall – founders of the successful casual dining restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday – who grew the property from a six-bedroom inn to a 62-bedroom luxury resort. The Beall’s son Sam took over in the early 2000s, and was responsible for much of the resort’s elevation in terms of cuisine, programming and clientele. But Sam – an avid outdoorsman and adventurer – died in a freak skiing accident in 2016, aged 39. He left behind not just a business, but a wife and five young children, and plans for Blackberry Mountain. Mary Celeste – Sam’s widow – stepped in to run the business, and bringing Blackberry Mountain to fruition has been a mission of love for her.

“We still miss Sam every day,” she says. “Thankfully, there was this incredible team already in place at Blackberry who I had known and worked with in different ways over 15 years. That gave me the confidence to take on this new challenge. Sam was such a champion for the team, and my goal is simply to carry that same torch. Each day, 850 Blackberry team members work to make the experience special for our guests. From a beautiful room to guiding them through a wine list or a meditation, each interaction is thoughtful and purposeful.” 

Historical inspiration
The architecture of Blackberry Mountain is itself thoughtful and purposeful, with buildings created to fit seamlessly into the natural landscape. Beall worked with Atlanta-based architect Keith Summerour, who took inspiration from the US Civilian Conservation Corp, which built many of America’s state and national parks during the Great Depression. “Buildings were built mostly by hand labour, and needed to be fit into the existing topography and tenor of the land where these structures were conceived,” says Summerour. “We therefore designed our efforts towards low-profile, view-oriented structures. This approach leaves a small footprint on the land.”

At the top of the mountain, Summerour has transformed an old firetower into a restaurant by the same name, incorporating the structure – which guests can ascend to get even further views – into the design. A daily guided walk up the mountain to breakfast is offered, or guests can opt to be driven in one of the resort’s Lexuses, or take the golf cart they’re issued upon check-in. The flagship restaurant, Three Sisters, is located closer to the accommodations in the property’s Lodge, and boasts a screened porch with sweeping views of the Smoky Mountains, especially spectacular at sunset.

Mountain elements
An infinity edge pool also looks out across the mountains, and at The Hub, guests can take part in arts and crafts activities like pottery, play basketball, or take on the rock-climbing wall. The Hub is also where guests can sign up for the many outdoor offerings and activities, including creekside meditation, sound healing, forest bathing, endurance climbs, trail running, paddle boarding, bouldering and mountain biking.

Many of the 18 stone cottages feature earth-sheltered designs and green roofs, and building porches and roof overhangs on the southern slopes of the mountain were also integral to the design effort. The cottages offer sweeping views of the Great Smoky Mountains and feature stacked stone archways, iron windows, reclaimed oak floors, white walls, and lime-washed oak ceilings, as well as private outdoor patios, wood-burning fireplaces and soaking tubs. Six secluded Watchman Cottages are built in traditional log cabin style but with floor-to-ceiling windows, for a luxury rustic retreat.

“What a challenge it was to build something on the side of the mountain and to make it feel inviting yet inspiring,” says Beall. “I loved how much Keith [Summerour] used the elements of the mountain in building – with the stone and wood materials coming directly from the site. The structures are designed so that they blend into the natural slope of the land. We incorporated elements like green roofs on the cottages to continue blending natural elements into the design. It’s really a special space that pays tribute to the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains.”

Beall has a natural flair for design – her own home was featured in Elle Decor – and she worked with the Blackberry Farm design team to create the interiors for Blackberry Mountain, which feature natural tones and materials.

“I’m so proud of the design at Blackberry Mountain and the team behind it,” says Beall. “The Blackberry Farm design team, led by Jason Bell and Samantha Feuer, really delivered on so much of the vision in the interiors – which was to connect to the physical space, be inspiring, create a fresh, modern look that could be timeless, and to be thoughtful to the guest experience. Really every detail – the art, textures, visual and physical details – was a home run.”

Gallery
Click on an image to open the image gallery
company profile
Company profile: Art of Cryo
Art of Cryo is a new division of a renowned family business with 30 years’ experience in ultra-low temperature equipment. A 28-year old legacy of building the best quality solutions for whole-body cryotherapy is the foundation to offer our high performance cryo chambers - The Art of Cryo Vaultz®.
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
An infinity pool looks out across the lake, Italian Alps and small towns and the hotel also has a private beach.
Patricia Urquiola
"Il Sereno has obtained Climate House Certification, thanks to the materials and lighting"

Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola on why creating the first new hotel on Lake Como for years was a true labour of love 

Kéré’s design is inspired by a tree in his hometown of Gando, Burkina Faso
Kéré told CLAD that the value of great public spaces ‘cannot be measured by money’
"Well designed public spaces are the foundation of a healthy society"

How he designed this year's Serpentine Pavilion

Target Field in Minneapolis is located on a very tight urban site, surrounded by parking and mass transportation
Earl Santee
"I spend a tremendous amount of time in the towns and cities I work in. I try to experience them like the people who live there do"

A well-designed sports stadium can completely transform a community, but it’s vital to ensure it feels authentic, says Populous principal Earl Santee

Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
Extreme Climates: Into the wild
"Funding woes and murky timelines are common problems. It can be easier to make a difference one small project at a time"

From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates

The three cultural organisations are set around a flexible public space
Jakob Sand
"Maybe a project ends up looking like a BIG building, but there’s no blueprint. If you have a good idea, we will look at it, whether you’re an intern or a partner."

On BIG's French adventure

features
"Even brushing your teeth in the right space can elevate a daily routine into a ritual"

With a lap pool at the heart of the home, this property is a sanctuary for Rene Gonzalez

The running tracks in the airport are colour coded: red for arrivals and blue for departures. White stenciled symbols direct passengers to the correct part of the building
Naoko Ito Chief creative officer, Party
"I thought it would be interesting to capture the positive feeling that occurs when running"

On why he built a running track into his Tokyo airport redesign

cladkit product news
Siminetti unveils iridescent decorative panelling range inspired by plants
The Clematis design
Megan Whitby
The Botanicals is Siminetti’s newest Mother of Pearl decorative panelling collection, inspired by the distinctive patterns found in botany and ...
Mather & Co and ITV unite to create Coronation Street Experience
Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers
Magali Robathan
Experience designers, Mather & Co, have orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a ...
Eden project uses drones to spell out climate change warning
Magali Robathan
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change ...
cladkit product news
Alberto Apostoli and Newform collaborate to launch the A.Zeta showerhead
The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Megan Whitby
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta ...
Codelocks develops new glass door smart lock
The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Megan Whitby
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and ...
Alberto Apostoli designs tech-forward Wellness Therapy furniture collection for Varaschin
The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Megan Whitby
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto ...
cladkit product news
Jaffe Holden helps bring Academy Museum of Motion Pictures alive
Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics for the Academy Museum
Magali Robathan
Acoustical consulting firm Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics and audio/video design services for the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion ...
Koto Design introduces wood-fired hot tub
Koto is known for crafting modular, energy-neutral cabins and homes
Katie Barnes
A striking wood-fired hot tub has been unveiled by Koto, an architecture and design studio which has a passion for ...
Eco Resort Network conference to convene in Mauritius this May
The event will be hosted in the Mauritius in 2024
Megan Whitby
Hospitality industry event Eco Resort Network is set to take place at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Turtle Bay, Mauritius, from ...
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo