Introduction to Mas Cadalt

In the heart of Canet d’Adri, Girona, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos breathes new life into an abandoned farmhouse, transforming it into Mas Cadalt, a contemporary rural dwelling where British designer Terence Woodgate and his partner Paula Woodgate continue their London-based work, surrounded by the Catalan countryside.

The Spanish farmhouse preserves the traditional construction system typical of the Empordà region, using irregular limestone masonry bonded with lime mortar, reinforced at the corners and openings with finely cut ashlar blocks. After repairing and reconstructing the original walls, the architects introduced a cork-based insulation layer for improved thermal performance. Inside, a new white skin enhances brightness and conceals mechanical and electrical systems, while limestone flooring creates a consistent material palette throughout the home.

all images by Fernando Guerra

Mas Cadalt is a Home and Studio for Terence Woodgate

The project questions whether a way of life can be restored with the same precision used to recover an ancient object. Fran Silvestre Arquitectos’ response begins with understanding the site’s essence, its materials, and the stories embedded in its walls. The Valencia-based architects maintain the original volume and typology of the farmhouse, while spatial transformations remain minimal and deliberate. Each existing space finds new life within a specific part of the updated program. The kitchen occupies the triple height of the old tower, the living room opens toward views of the Sierra de la Cadalt, and the lower level, once reserved for livestock, is reinterpreted as a flexible multipurpose area. An adjacent outbuilding, once used for farm tools, has been repurposed into a garage with an upper-floor studio, where Terence Woodgate designs his furniture and lighting collections.

Mas Cadalt is fully self-sufficient, equipped with photovoltaic panels, batteries, and an autonomous water system supplied by custom-designed cisterns, one of which has been transformed into a pool. The surrounding six hectares of land, partially cultivated, produce food for the inhabitants. The architects describe the renovation process as one shaped by patience and humility, restoring the damaged pieces and adding only what was missing.

Mas Cadalt’s restored limestone facades in Canet d’Adri, Girona

the house opens to views of the Sierra de la Cadalt

a repurposed water cistern now forms a compact pool framed by limestone paving

this cluster of stone volumes nestled in the Catalan countryside