Located on the French Island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, the property held a small stucco living structure which resembled a chapel in character more than a house. The locals referred to it as the hut – “Le Hut”. In the hills above the city of Calvi, the structure had views out to the city and port on one side and to the Mediterranean Sea on the other. The Hut was just large enough to hold a kitchen and dining area and an existing terrace outside the kitchen was expanded for outdoor dining and entertaining with storage below. In the course of renovation, the stucco started to come off and revealed the original beautiful native stone. The balance of the stucco was removed and stone repaired as necessary, keeping the smooth stone corner quoins. A 2-story stucco house was built next door with a see-thru entry (Texas Dogtrot! ) gently connecting its living areas with the existing structure and expanded terrace. The San Antonio based husband and wife clients bought the property as it was adjacent to the wife’s sister’s house ( a retreat for her and her husband from Paris where they lived) and it was an opportunity to create a communal compound for the growing families to spend time together in the cool summer months.
