Building with Authenticity

How do we create places that people fall in love with?

Not just developments. Not just destinations.

But places—like Tuscany, Provence, or the English countryside—where people feel deeply connected, inspired, and at home. Places that nourish the human soul and deliver value far beyond the spreadsheet.

This workshop introduces the transformational principles of Xsense Authentic Places, a methodology that integrates cultural anthropology, design thinking, and development strategy to help planners, architects, city officials, hospitality leaders, and developers build places of meaning—rooted in the soul of the local.

Rather than replicating styles from somewhere else, you’ll learn how to uncover what is authentic, abundant, and alive in your place—and how that becomes the foundation for real estate that performs financially and emotionally, for generations to come.

• Why most real estate feels “fake”—and how to avoid the trap 
• How to uncover the authentic DNA of a place (materials, stories, traditions, patterns) 
• How to build communities and destinations that evoke meaning, memory, and belonging 
• Tools for cultural research and placemaking from the Xsense methodology 
• How to align authenticity with sustainability, wellness, and ROI 
• Why building from the local up creates greater long-term value, joy, and economic performance
   

This workshop is ideal for:

• Community and city planners 
• Architects, designers, and landscape architects 
• Hotel, resort, and wellness destination developers 
• Real estate investors and landowners 
• Cultural institutions and tourism boards 
• Anyone who wants to leave behind copy/paste development and create real places for real people
   

• Available: In-person or virtual 
• Length: Half-day to multi-day formats available 
• Includes: Case studies, visual examples, strategic tools, and hands-on exercises tailored to your project or region 
• Optional: On-site immersion experiences and custom consulting engagements
   

Authenticity isn’t a design style.

It’s a way of seeing.

It’s the key to creating places that last—economically, socially, culturally, and ecologically.

And it’s the fastest-growing competitive advantage in today’s placemaking and real estate world.

This workshop is not just informative—it’s inspiring, transformational, and deeply practical. A wake-up call and a roadmap for anyone ready to stop building for the market and start building for meaning.

Uta Birkmayer is the founder of Xsense Authentic Places, a multidisciplinary framework for cultural, sustainable, and emotionally resonant development. With 30+ years in international hospitality, wellness, and development consulting, Uta brings an unmatched global perspective rooted in academic rigor and soulful, grounded pragmatism.

She has worked across Europe, Asia, and the Americas helping brands and communities rediscover their authentic identity—and design from the inside out. A Cornell University graduate and holistic strategist, Uta bridges anthropology, business, and beauty to help people create places worth belonging to.

Whether you’re planning a community, revitalizing a town, launching a wellness resort, or designing a legacy project—this workshop will show you how to start with what’s real, and create something extraordinary.

Contact Uta