A Living Hamlet Rooted in Nature, Community, and Transformation
Get InvolvedThis wasn't about designing buildings. It was about designing life.
Most projects start with architects and digital renderings. At the Farmhouse, we chose a different path. Inspired by Christopher Alexander, we listened to the land and shaped a vision through clay models, hand sketches, and conversation.
We asked: Is this spot alive? Does this pathway breathe? Does this structure belong to the land? Each answer shaped what followed.
Become Part of the Vision
Set in Thenac in southwest rural France.
Our 8,000 m² site blends heritage buildings with new spaces for growth and connection. Ancient trees, surrounding fields, and the nearby Plum Village Monastery create an atmosphere that is contemplative and alive.
We let the land lead us: the fire circle where sunsets gather, the slope that carries energy, and the still corners that invite quiet.
Visit & Stay
The Farmhouse is a living hamlet, unfolding step by step. At its heart is a shared kitchen and dining hall where community gathers.
We build like nature grows: incrementally, adaptively, and with care. In a world built for speed and profit, the Farmhouse offers a return to human-scale living rooted in land, beauty, and community.
Apply for Residencies
A monastery for living, learning, and belonging.
Tucked among rolling fields and ancient trees, the Farmhouse rests in a landscape of stillness and vitality. Just 5 minutes from Plum Village Monastery and 20 minutes from the winding Dordogne River, it offers both retreat and connection.
Meals are a vibrant expression of community life: vegetarian, organic, mostly plant-based, seasonal, and locally sourced, often with produce from our own gardens or neighboring farms. Cooking together is part of the Farmhouse heartbeat.
Location information and directions.
103 Chemin BoisMartin, Thenac, 24240, France. Open map.
20 minutes from Bergerac and 1h40 from Bordeaux. 5 minutes by car or 25 minutes on foot from Plum Village Monastery.
Around 1h20 by bike from Bergerac and Sainte-Foy-la-Grande airport. See Freewheeling France.
Bus to Bordeaux Saint-Jean, then TER to Bergerac (about 1h15, hourly). Hub is about 20 minutes by taxi from Bergerac. Timetable: montrain.com.
Nestled in southwest France, Thenac is a village where nature, culture, and mindfulness meet. Surrounded by vineyards and forests, and shaped by nearby Plum Village, the region offers simplicity and depth.
The Land & Town: Rolling vineyards, wooded paths, and a contemplative spirit.
Sustainability: Practices of care, soil stewardship, and harmony with nature.
Connections: Markets, shared meals, mindful living, and creative collaboration.
Life moves with nature and community: shared practice, projects, creative work, meals, and fireside gatherings.
Yes. Friends and monastics sometimes join for meals, conversations, or events.
Mostly plant-based, seasonal, locally sourced meals, often with produce from our garden or nearby farms.
Yes. Every season brings a distinct atmosphere, from spring gardens to winter fireside stillness.
Absolutely. Guests and residents often bring skills in art, carpentry, gardening, teaching, and cooking.
