It’s a third place, an eco-village, a citizen project, a collective habitat, it’s somewhat indefinable, because the intention is precisely to invent what does not exist, what may have never existed, trying not to fit into boxes.
In an old 12th-century monastery, purchased with a collective of citizens formed into a cooperative, the group launched a project dedicated to the social and solidarity economy, Le Hameau de Montrieux.
We find a social enterprise that operates a commercial activity, consisting of a hotel, a restaurant, and a training center, which organizes corporate seminars, weddings, and offers socio-cultural and event services.
In parallel, the collective runs an association that will be nourished by the surpluses from commercial activities, as well as donations and grants, and will offer activities aimed at those with limited means: solidarity holidays, respite stays, re-mobilization, artist residencies.
“The door is open to everyone and especially closed to no one,” explains David Rivoire. “We are trying to shift the lines in the vision of what shared governance and collective intelligence are, as necessary elements of a healthy society.”
