International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the achievements, strength and resilience of women around the world. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the environments and support systems that allow women to rebuild confidence, develop new skills and shape new beginnings.
Last year, Hollaway Studio collaborated with The Glasshouse and garden designer Jo Thompson to create a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The project celebrated the work of The Glasshouse, a social enterprise that supports women leaving prison through horticultural training, employment and community. The programme has achieved a zero-reoffending rate, demonstrating the power of meaningful work and opportunity.
From the beginning, the pavilion designed for the Chelsea garden was intended to have a life beyond the show. It has since been relocated to HMP Downview, where it now forms part of a working garden supporting horticultural training for women in custody.
Its circular form removes hierarchy, there is no front or back, and no single point of entry. A continuous gravel surface extends through the pavilion, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside.
A series of pivoting screens allows the pavilion to adapt to different uses. Fully open, it becomes a light canopy for teaching and group activity. Closed, it offers a quieter, more intimate setting. The absence of thresholds, handles or locks reinforces a sense of openness and equality.
The screens are formed from mottled recycled acrylic, coloured to echo the surrounding planting. They filter daylight into the space, casting subtle patterns of colour and shadow.
The project reflects a belief that architecture can support positive change. Spaces that prioritise openness and connection to nature can create the conditions for people to rebuild confidence and move forward.
On International Women’s Day, it is a reminder that thoughtful design can play a quiet but meaningful role in empowering women and creating spaces where they can come together as a community.