Plum Village Buddhist Monastery in the Dordogne region of southern France has received approval for the first phase of a major redevelopment project to be carried out in collaboration with the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV. The redevelopment is aimed at enhancing Plum Village’s capacity to host practitioners, activists, and visitors while preserving the serenity and ecological sensitivity central to the community’s practice.
The construction approval marks a significant step in a multiyear effort to address growing logistical pressures at Europe’s largest Buddhist monastery while remaining aligned with the Plum Village tradition’s commitments to sustainability, simplicity, and engaged Buddhism.
MVRDV is reported to be working with Plum Village on a non-profit basis, employing what the firm describes as a collaborative and immersive design approach. Architects from MVRDV have stayed at the monastery on several occasions since 2023, participating in dialogue-based workshops with monastic residents to better understand the rhythms, values, and practical needs of monastic life.
Each year, Plum Village hosts retreats that draw participants from around the world. During peak periods, attendance can reach as many as 800 people. While the popularity of these retreats reflects the global resonance of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, it has also placed increasing strain on the monastery’s infrastructure. In recent years, monastics—particularly nuns—have slept in tents during summer retreats to free up indoor accommodation for guests, while congestion around entrances and service areas has disrupted the contemplative atmosphere.
The approved development is part of two broader masterplans for the Upper and Lower Hamlets. While tailored to the specific conditions of each site, both plans share common priorities: reorganizing arrivals to create calmer transitions, rerouting vehicles to establish largely car-free village spaces, and using nature-based solutions to address environmental challenges. These include habitat creation to reduce mosquito populations and designated areas for solar energy installation.
Among the approved projects is a new nunnery in the Lower Hamlet, which recently received construction authorization from the municipal council of Loubès-Bernac. The nunnery is the largest new structure proposed under the masterplans. Designed as a courtyard-style building on a sloping site, it will accommodate 76 monastics and aspirants from 12 nationalities. Facilities will include dormitories, a zendo, classrooms, a library, and communal spaces. The structure will be built using prefabricated wooden frames with straw insulation, reflecting Plum Village’s emphasis on low-carbon, bio-based materials.
MVRDV associate director Sanne van der Burgh, who leads the firm’s Climate Team, emphasized the unusual nature of the design process: “For this project we really had to un-learn what we learned as architects, engaging in the practice of deep listening and understanding the very unusual needs of our clients,” she said. “The lives they lead, their daily routines, are very different from the users we typically design for. Plum Village works as an organism that adjusts to the seasons, the weather, and most importantly the people.” (Arch Daily)
“To minimize the carbon emissions of its creation, the nunnery will be made using a prefabricated construction system of wood frames with straw insulation,” added van der Burgh. “Generous verandas encircle the courtyard to create connection between all of the living areas, supporting the communal spirit of the nuns.” (Dezeen)
Additional approved and proposed developments include four new guest houses in the Upper Hamlet and the renovation and expansion of the existing bookshop, housed in a historic stone barn. The guest houses, built with wood construction and simple layouts, are designed to support communal living and Dharma sharing while adapting to their specific surroundings.
The renovated bookshop is envisioned as a social hub, with expanded entrances, a covered terrace, and modular wooden shelving to better display Plum Village publications and calligraphy.
Plum Village was founded in 1982 by the late Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, widely known for popularizing mindfulness practices globally. Today, the monastery’s French campus comprises three main sites, including the Lower Hamlet, home to approximately half of Plum Village’s nuns, and the Upper Hamlet, which houses the monks and includes Dharma Cloud Temple, the root temple of the Plum Village tradition. The community emphasizes engaged Buddhism, applying Buddhist ethics to contemporary challenges such as climate change, social justice, and peacebuilding.
See more
MVRDV Receives Approval for Plum Village Buddhist Monastery Renovations in France (Arch Daily)
MVRDV unveils plans to revamp Buddhist monastery in France (Dezeen)
Plum Village Buddhist Monastery in Dordogne (E-architect)
Plum Village
Related news reports from BDG
Fire Destroys Historic Building at Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village Monastery in France
Harvard Launches Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health
Buddhist Retreat Center Arya Tara Plans Conference Honoring Thich Nhat Hanh in Madrid
1,000 Buddhist Monastics and Laypeople Gather in Hue to Commemorate the Passing of Thich Nhat Hanh
A Cloud Never Dies: Plum Village Releases Thich Nhat Hanh Documentary
Plum Village Announces the Passing of the Internationally Beloved Buddhist Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
Plum Village Offers a New Year Prayer to Mother Earth
