THE VISION

4 hours south of Paris, 3 hours west of the beautiful Dordogne region, in the rural and agricultural area of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, lays an old farm on 3.5 hectares of fertile land, surrounded by soft green hills, bucolic farms, winding narrow roads, valleys and old oak trees.

This farm is slowly being transformed into a retreat centre, called Le Compas; a place for creativity, meditation, yoga, movement, spirituality, communing with nature, stillness and healing.

Sjoerd, your host, found this farm 6 years ago. It had been abandoned. Sjoerd was immediately struck by the serene and beautiful environment and the soulful character of the property. He had been dreaming about starting a retreat centre for many years already, and has been driven by longing to create a place where people can come together to find peace within themselves, listen to “the quiet voice within” and explore their creativity.

Being at Le Compas has also brought about a profound personal transformation for Sjoerd. He describes now being able to access a feeling of inner serenity; something that he once was only able to access through meditation. “Here in the silence and peace of nature, I experience the all-encompassing peace in myself more deeply and everything becomes much simpler.”

He carries the longing and intention to one day be able to share this with others, especially those who may also still be healing from childhood institutional traumas, such as the ones he encountered at religious boarding schools.

The nature, the location, the pristine stillness of the land, the buildings on the property, as well as the shared inspirations and backgrounds of people involved, together hold the promise of Le Compas becoming a centre for a diversity of workshops, gatherings, and activities.

We will accommodate:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

So far Sjoerd has invested 380000 euro. With 6 years of dedication and hard work, he has completed:

Due to some unforeseen expenses, he has fallen a bit short, and now he is looking for 72000 euro for labour and materials to complete the following projects so that Le Compas is ready to receive the first group in the summer of 2026:

The interiors of the 4 apartments (rental units), need:

The workshop space/studio & the music/recording studio:

Once the business is up and running, we will gradually fund the further development of the property, including:

SJOERD BIO

Sjoerd first worked as an Expressive Arts Therapist when he was young. He then went into the field of landscape architecture and worked for 25 years as an entrepreneur who specialized in transforming urban areas into social and creative meeting hubs. He has also had a lifelong passion for music and meditation. Sjoerd has recorded 3 albums and accompanied many other musicians on studio recordings. He has been meditating for the past 40 years and a member of the Kriya Yoga community.

He feels inspired now to “give something back” and for the past 5 years he has been using his extensive building skills to transform the farm into his vision; Le Compas. Sjoerd is passionate about using natural, recycled and salvaged materials, like the 100 year old oak beams he found at the farm, the pure wool he uses for insulation, the clay plaster for the walls, or the solar-powered in-floor heating. With his keen eye for aesthetics and design, he is creating an environment that exudes a modern, comfortable, natural, warm, and grounded atmosphere.