Serenbe broke ground on its first house in 2004, and today, the community is home to more than 400 people. Each of Serenbe’s four hamlets has a different centre focused on the elements of a well life: arts, agriculture, health and education.

“Wellness has so many components, and that’s what we’re trying to talk about and help people understand,” says founder Steve Nygren. “We want to bring wellness into a lifestyle that’s part of everyday life.”

The community features a strong connection to nature, with miles of trails connecting homes and restaurants with arts and businesses, an edible landscape, an on-site labyrinth and acres of preserved forests and meadows – all with homes specifically designed for community living.

“Serenbe reflects many traditional values and its character is southern vernacular, yet it expresses a progressive nature with its interactions with the landscape, health and wellness and sustainability,” says Dr Phillip Tabb, professor of architecture at Texas A&M and the development’s masterplanner. “It has an extraordinary sense of community, due in part to the founders’ vision, the masterplan and the residents’ style of living.”

Clustered housing preserves 70 per cent of the 65,000 acres that makes up the community. Edible landscapes dot the agriculture hamlet, while the art hamlet features a rich programme of art, theatre and film.

Nygren describes the wellbeing hamlet as “an entire village of vitality,” and plans are underway for a major destination spa of around 30,000sq ft (2,787sq m) with Scandinavian inspired design, alongside a new boutique hotel.

“What we’re doing is far more than a spa – we’re creating a village of wellness, and a spa will be a component of that,” says Nygren.

GOCO Hospitality is in the process of working on a GOCO Retreat across 750 acres (304 hectares) in the West Virginia countryside, not far from Washington, DC. The project focuses heavily on the area’s natural mineral springs, and will include both a 70-bedroom wellness hotel and 150 residences – all houses.

“Our GOCO Retreats not only offers guests extensive wellness programming and activities, but also provide them with a retreat from their everyday environment, allowing them to heal and reconnect with nature,” says Ingo Schweder, CEO.

A 4,000sq m (43,056sq ft) spa will include mineral springs bathing. Other wellness activities, including canoeing, hiking, biking, and horseback riding, will be incorporated in the retreat. Schweder said he is also in talks with a DC sustainable think tank to be anchored to the retreat, and that he expects the location to be a space for politicians to escape for off-site meetings.