Nature as Refuge: Hannah Broad’s Tranquil Artist Retreat in Fencott
Embracing the Landscape for Creative Wellbeing
In an era where architecture seeks to transcend mere utility and foster meaningful well-being, emerging designers are redefining how buildings interact with mind, body, and landscape. Among these promising talents is Hannah Broad, a Research and Design Technician at Knauf and a recent graduate of Oxford Brookes School of Architecture, where she completed her BA (Hons) with a commendable 2:1. Broad’s academic journey has culminated in a project that exemplifies the growing commitment within architectural circles to prioritise nature, wellness, and mental health as integral facets of design.
A Blueprint for Mindful Living
Set amidst the rolling greenery of rural Fencott, Hannah Broad’s artist retreat is more than just a haven for creators—it is a blueprint for mindful living. Her design is a meditative response to the increasingly urgent dialogue on mental health, drawing on the inherent therapeutic qualities of the English countryside. The retreat’s siting is a conscious act, with each building volume carefully embedded into the landscape, taking cues from existing topography and foliage, and minimising disruptions to both the site and its ecology.
Broad’s proposal explores how architecture can be a conduit between human experience and the restorative powers of nature. The retreat comprises a modest cluster of studios and living quarters, each sited to maximise privacy, daylight, and ochre views of the surrounding meadows. Every decision, from orientation to materials, is calibrated to encourage mindfulness and respite from the digital noise that frequently permeates creative practice.
Wellbeing Woven into Design
What differentiates Broad’s artist retreat is the centrality of wellbeing in every aspect of the scheme. The spatial layouts employ biophilic design principles, bringing the outside in; floor-to-ceiling windows open the interiors to sweeping rural vistas, while timber cladding and green roofs allow the buildings themselves to blend seamlessly into their backdrop. Walking paths meander through wildflower gardens, designed not just for their ecological value but as deliberate meditative routes—slow spaces that guide artists through cycles of contemplation and inspiration.
Communal facilities—a shared studio, kitchen, and mindfulness pavilion—are distributed so that social engagement is fostered without sacrificing solitude. Soundscapes are carefully considered: water features and dense plantings create ambient buffers, replacing urban cacophony with nature’s quiet symphony. At every scale, Broad’s sensitivity to site and soul affirms the power of thoughtful design to support vulnerable creative processes.
Material Choices Grounded in Care
Hannah Broad’s project demonstrates a sophisticated balance between sensitivity to the context and sustainable practicality. Locally sourced timber, lime renders, and reclaimed brick ensure the retreat’s environmental footprint remains light, in harmony with the tranquil ethos of the setting. The use of natural, tactile materials creates an immediate sensory connection to place—a reminder that care for one’s environment and for oneself are deeply intertwined.
Subtle interventions enhance accessibility—a feature often overlooked in rural architecture—ensuring that those with limited mobility can navigate studios and landscape walks alike. With sustainability at its core, the retreat incorporates rainwater harvesting and passive solar strategies, inviting inhabitants to consciously participate in sustainable living.
A Personal Reflection on Mental Health and Architecture
At the heart of this project is a narrative shaped by personal conviction. In her design statement, Broad reflects on her awareness of the mental health crisis affecting both students and professional creatives. She cites the value of immersion in nature, solitude, and gentle community as antidotes to burnout—insights that resonate through her spatial choices and environmental stewardship.
Her work invites us to consider architecture’s potential to heal—a theme with special urgency post-pandemic, as the value of tranquil, restorative spaces becomes ever more apparent. Broad’s retreat is not only a place for artistic creation but a sanctuary where visitors can reconnect with themselves and with the land.
Recognition and Next Steps
Though still early in her career, Hannah Broad’s approach has not gone unnoticed. Her retreat design has been commended by tutors for its integration of environmental responsibility and wellbeing, and it has sparked conversations among peers about the evolving responsibilities of young architects. Now as part of the team at Knauf, Broad continues to explore sustainable solutions and wellbeing-centred strategies within commercial design, bringing her academic ethos into professional practice.
Connect with Hannah Broad
For those interested in engaging further with Hannah Broad—whether to discuss her vision for integrating wellness and sustainability into rural architecture, or to explore potential collaborations—she welcomes conversations and connections. She can be reached via email at hannah.xiuni@icloud.com.
Hannah Broad’s artist retreat in Fencott is a testament to the transformative power of design when it is founded not just in technical skill but in empathy and personal conviction. As contemporary architecture pivots toward holistic human-centric environments, her mindful approach offers inspiration for students, professionals, and clients alike—reminding us all that sometimes, architecture’s greatest achievement is to simply provide spaces to breathe.
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