Tony

Fretton
Architects Holton Lee Centre for
Disability in the Arts
Holton Lee Centre for Disability in the Arts
Poole, Dorset, UK
1999-2006

Holton Lee is a charitable trust for disabled people and those who
care for them, which works to empower them by art therapy, contact
with nature, personal counselling and spirituality.
Its activities take place at the extensive Holton Lee estate in Dorset
on the South coast of England, using the forest and agricultural land
there and its range of houses and buildings that include a guest house
for disabled people and their carers.

Holton Lee Trust commissioned a study from us for four new

buildings in which to develop their program: Faith House for
spirituality, gatherings of people and art exhibitions; a studio building
for artists, a small performing arts centre and an archive building
where artworks and publications made by disabled people could be
collected and studied.

We made a prelimnary design for each new building and a simple

master plan of where they could be situated to connect or intereact
with those already in use.

Provisions for accesibility across the land and in the bulidings by

people with physical disabilties, were designed so that they would
be inconspicuous and experienced simply as acts of generosity for
people of all abilities.

The masterplan requires that buildings are a single storey high,

inexpensive and of simple, low-maintenance construction. Each has
broad relationships to Holton Lee and the wider landscape, and more
detailed connections with the particular character of the ground
around it. As a whole the new buildings are intended to give meaning
and intelligiblity to the original ad-hoc arrangements.
FUNCTION:
Masterplan

CLIENT:
Holton Lee
Charitable Trust

CONTRACT
VALUE:
NA

AREA:
8 Hectares

Cost/m2:
NA
 55.77 55.65
55.27

52.95

52.20

51.69 51.69

50.90
D
49.89

W
W
D

46.00

Elevation 3

56.97
56.97

55.65 55.77

55.27

51.69

46.00

Elevation 1

56.97

55.27

52.95

52.20

50.90

49.89

46.00

Elevation 2

art
store

retractable partition

ramp to court entrance ramp

kitchenette
 garden
study centre
director

work area entrance way

meetings path to car park
and the artists studios

reception

Offices

car park

Farmhouse

Faith House

fields
 1

3
5 6

7 13

10

9 12

11

1. Farmhouse
2. Farmhouse garden
3. Porch
4. Lobby
N
5. Quiet room
6. Quiet garden
7. Assembly room
8. Sun porch 0 1 5 10m
9. Paved garden
10. Existing board walk across pond
11. Existing pond
12. Fence
13. Field
 ROOF PLAN

1 2 3 4

6 7 8

1. Studio 1
FLOOR PLAN 2. Studio 2
3. Studio 3
4. Office or Studio 4
N 5. Common room and exhibition space
6. Lobby
7. WC
8. Kitchen
0 1 5 10m

0 1 5 10m
Tony Fretton Architects Ltd
Highgate Studios
53-79 Highgate Road
London NW5 1TL
United Kingdom

T+44 (0)20 7284 2000

F+44 (0)20 3227 1055

www.tonyfretton.com
admin@tonyfretton.com