Reinhabiting the Farmhouse: Fran Silvestre Arquitectos’ Minimal Intervention at Mas Cadalt

Mateo VargasINTERIOR3 months ago3.7K ViewsShort URL

Mas Cadalt is a minimalist residence in Canet d’Adri, Spain, designed by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos through the careful restoration of an abandoned rural farmhouse in Girona’s Serrat de la Cadalt. The project demonstrates how vernacular agricultural architecture can be adapted to contemporary living without erasing its original character, relying on selective intervention that preserves the existing volume and typology while transforming only what is necessary.

Rather than approaching the building as a blank canvas, the architects began with a process of reading and understanding. The commission came from a British couple relocating from London, seeking a new chapter of life immersed in trees, calm, and light, while continuing their professional activities in an exceptional natural setting. This dual ambition shaped a project that balances domestic intimacy with working space, continuity with change.

SPATIAL REORGANIZATION AND DAILY LIFE

The entrance level is organized around the former tower, where the kitchen now occupies a triple-height space, emphasizing the verticality inherent in the original structure. The living room opens toward expansive views of the Sierra de la Cadalt, reinforcing a strong visual and emotional connection to the surrounding landscape. On the upper floor, two bedrooms are arranged with a sense of restraint, while the lower level transforms what was once an animal shelter into a flexible multipurpose room, reinterpreting the agricultural past through contemporary use.

An adjacent volume, historically dedicated to farming equipment, has been repurposed as a garage with a studio above. This upper-floor workspace is now used by industrial designer Terence Woodgate, allowing professional activity to coexist naturally with domestic life. Together, these interventions form a comprehensive reuse strategy in which secondary agricultural structures are given new relevance, aligned with creative and professional practices rather than erased or marginalized.

CONSTRUCTION, MATERIALITY, AND VERNACULAR INTELLIGENCE

The original farmhouse follows a construction system typical of Girona and the wider Empordà region. Load-bearing walls are built from irregular limestone masonry bonded with lime mortar, while corners, lintels, and jambs are articulated with finely cut ashlar blocks that provide both precision and structural stability. Interior surfaces were traditionally finished with lime and sand plaster, topped with a layer of slaked lime. This treatment improved brightness, facilitated cleaning, and responded to functional needs through material intelligence rather than mechanical means.

In the current intervention, the limestone bearing walls were carefully repaired and consolidated, then supplemented with a cork-based thermal insulation layer to improve energy performance. Inside, a secondary skin increases brightness, enhances durability, and discreetly integrates contemporary systems required for modern living. Limestone flooring is used consistently throughout the project, maintaining material continuity and reinforcing the dialogue between old and new.

BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND PRODUCT DESIGN

The interior is conceived as a space suspended between architecture and product design. Electrical outlets are flush with the walls, construction elements meet at singular, precise points, and every detail is resolved with clarity. Rather than attempting to blur the distinction between historic fabric and contemporary intervention, the project embraces temporal layering. Each addition is honest to its time, establishing a clear yet respectful dialogue with the existing structure.

Mas Cadalt stands as an example of how rural architectural heritage can be reactivated through precision, restraint, and care. By improving thermal performance, adapting spaces for contemporary life, and preserving the legibility of historical layers, the project proposes a model for farmhouse renovation that is both culturally grounded and forward-looking, rooted in place while open to new ways of living and working.