THE RAMBLE ~ BILTMORE FOREST                          

Asheville, NC

In all, Vanderbilt was to acquire 125,000 acres to pursue his interests in forestry, conservation and agriculture. On this land, the nation's first forestry school was founded. And the nucleus of what would someday become Pisgah National Forest preserved. Vanderbilt wished to create an escape from everyday life and envisioned an estate that was a self-sustaining community, surrounded by nature's beauty and framed by the Blue of Carolina Sky and the majesty and topography of the wonderfully forested Blue Ridge Mountains.

 the township of the Biltmore Forest, the vision of nature's importance and graceful architecture in restoring harmony and balance to modern life was fully and successfully exercised.

It's this harmonious love of landscape and Architecture, as well as a continuing deep regard for the preservation of Forestry Principles, the basic philosophy of which would become later encoded within the National Parks and Forestry Services, that animates The Ramble today.  It is possibly the most prestigious Secured and Gated Community in all of Western North Carolina, closely following the elegant precedent sustained and reflected by the Biltmore Estate and the township of Biltmore Forest.

The Ramble lies along the southern boundary of the historic Town of Biltmore Forest, just 15 minutes from downtown Asheville, North Carolina, and just a two-hour drive west of Charlotte, and three hours north of Atlanta.

Biltmore Forest's small, captivating town is regularly chosen as one of the best places in the country to live, by sources as respected yet diverse as Outside Magazine, Rand McNally and AARP Magazine, and The Ramble portends to be its newest treasure.

As can be experienced in the Biltmore Estate andThe Ramble is set on nearly 1,000 acres of land originally acquired for the estate. In fact, Vanderbilt walked daily from Biltmore House to North Ducker Mountain, where The Ramble is located.

From The Ramble's summit can be viewed Biltmore Estate, the French Broad River and Mount Pisgah, the area's highest elevation. The Ramble will be sculpted into the woodlands of Ducker Mountain, in an area encircled by a graceful bend of the French Broad River. The community's neighborhoods will nestle into the mountain's northern face, with streets winding from the valley below, along mountain streams and through tall woods, to emerge at the highest ridge line. Views from this ridge extend to Biltmore Estate, Mount Mitchell, Mount Pisgah and the French Broad River.

The Ramble is ideally situated within minutes of the Mission Health System, and convenient to south Asheville's abundant shopping and restaurants.  Fifteen minutes to the south lies the Asheville Regional Airport, and just minutes away to the north, Asheville's vibrant downtown. The Ramble will be accessible by Valley Springs Road, Schenck Parkway and Racquet Club Road.

THE DESIGN:

The Ramble will be composed into inviting neighborhoods, connected by a network of parks, playing fields and other public green spaces.

In his greatest designs, Olmsted designed green spaces that represented a variety of moods and uses. At Biltmore Estate, for example, the Italian Garden was envisioned as an outdoor "room" and used by the family for tennis and croquet, while the Estate's Ramble remained a place for solitary walks.

Inspired by Olmsted's example, The Ramble at Biltmore Forest will feature abundant public gardens, community parks and green spaces. As with Olmsted's plans, these are no ordinary parks, each a carbon copy of the next. Instead, residents will be treated to a rich variety.

An array of trails and walkways will allow residents to "ramble" the mountainside, either on foot or by bicycle. This trail system is extensive, allowing the walker to roam from stream sides and shady glens to open fields and mountain vistas.

ARCHITECTURE:

The remarkable homes at The Ramble will reflect that architecture is one of the community's cornerstones.  For the design of the homes, the pioneering work of William Morris in the British Arts & Crafts movement has been chosen as the ideal complement to the Olmsted-styled landscape. Graceful in line, the British Arts & Crafts style is a fitting match for The Ramble's curving streets and "wild garden" landscape, along with Biltmore Classical, Biltmore Colonial Revival, Biltmore Mountain Shingle and Biltmore European Romantic.

(Two alternative styles may also be considered for custom homesites in the community: Biltmore Transitional and Biltmore Timberframe.)

In each of the neighborhoods that comprise The Ramble, every home will be situated to take advantage of the community's vivid scenery and rolling terrain. Unique and distinctive homes will enliven the streets of The Ramble, creating a greater harmony between home, neighborhood and the mountains beyond.

The Ramble will have approximately 400 single-family lots available, composed into inviting neighborhoods.

• Terrace Lots: Designed for homes that are 2,000-3,000 square feet.
• Hamlet Lots: Occupy at least 1/2 of an acre in order to accommodate custom homes.
• Woodland Lots: At least 1 acre in size for custom estate homes.
• Mountain Lots: Are located along the mountain's ridge line, to take advantage of exceptional
  far-reaching views.