A year of quiet: young architect's solo living in 12th-century home

Nestled in a serene valley, architect Marc Valero lives alone in a 12th-century watermill and farmhouse, a catalan masia immersed in the rhythms of nature and the slow quiet of a life shaped by the land’s enduring beauty.

The farmhouse, Can Capsec, embraces simplicity, a testament to the passage of time with its ivy-clad stone walls and expansive interior spaces, evoking nearly a millennium of stories.

Few know when they drive down the road that the place was preserved by an architectural studio known for its bold, modern buildings, Olot-based RCR. Recognizing the value of the old ways, they admit being humbled by the house, which didn’t need any radical “reinterpretation.” Sometimes, the architect’s task is knowing when to bow to tradition.

Once a home that welcomed large families and groups of friends, the six-bedroom farmhouse, with its cozy fireplace-adorned kitchen and sprawling living room, now serves as Marc’s deeply personal retreat. Nearby, the old watermill—once a bustling hub of rural industry—has been restored into a more intimate space. It sits beside a natural stone reservoir, seamlessly harmonizing with the surrounding landscape.

Marc’s connection to the property extends far beyond its walls. He swims in the natural ponds, but much of his day is devoted to embracing the quiet and listening to the sounds (ASMR) of the environment around him. Life here has slowed to a cadence that prioritizes the essentials, offering a stark contrast to the pace of the modern world.

Can Capsec had been owned by one family for generations until 2017, when the last owner, inspired by the work of RCR Architects, sold the property to them. Their vision was to preserve the farmhouse and mill as an open laboratory for transforming awareness and reshaping perceptions, maintaining its historical integrity while using it as a space for creativity and reflection.

Though the property is open for overnight rentals, Marc lives here alone during the off-season, embracing not luxury but the essentials of life. The slow rhythms of the art and nature in this dream geography invite a deeper connection to the world around him.

In this tranquil haven, we follow Marc through the farmhouse, the mill, and the surrounding ponds. Every detail—whether the timeless texture of stone or the reflective stillness of water—beckons one to step away from the haste of modernity and into a realm of quiet inspiration.

—Workshops at the farmhouse: https://www.rcrarquitectes.es/en/workshop/la-vila/
—RCR Arquitectes: https://www.rcrarquitectes.es/en/
—ASMR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASMR

On *faircompanies: https://faircompanies.com/videos/pritzker-starchitects-humbled-by-old-home-they-didnt-change-a-thing/