Theodolites on terracotta
Architecture
Recent advances in architectural and construction technology seem to send the drawing boards and ink pens of erstwhile revolutionary modernists like Frank Lloyd Wright tumbling back through an innocent time traveler’s tunnel. Even the phrase bricks and mortar sounds archaeological now. The block mechanics of Mies van der Rohe’s mid-century sheen seem rudimentary in the face of today’s flowing virtual designs.
Architects are visionaries. They have to be. Their imaginations shape the environments people live within. They advance the way we live and change the way we think. So it’s of particular interest to see what happens when the ultra-modern technologies that hum in today’s architectural studios are applied in rural locations where older traditions have long held sway. What happens when the crosshairs of laser theodolites are trained on a world of terra-cotta rooftops and decorative ceramic tiles? If you visit the Algarve, you’ll find out.
Look and livability
Commanding Portugal’s southern coastline, the Algarve region is famed for its sweeping Atlantic beaches and year-round temperatures averaging 16-33°C (54-75°F). For discerning property buyers, investment plays a role. But the main attraction the area holds is lifestyle. The Algarve offers vast panoramas of natural beauty and the Mediterranean’s famously relaxed way of life – including a seemingly infinite playground of golf courses, both championship and club.
Historically, the vernacular architecture here took its look and liveability from the climate and the landscape. Low, whitewashed, red-pantiled and small-windowed, domestic buildings were shaped and shaded against the summer heat. Decorative chimneys wait for winter.
Today, at least at the upper end of the private residential market, the language couldn’t be more different. It speaks airy open spaces, monolithic planes of brilliant white concrete, vast glazed panels, multi-level patios, pools and terraces for relaxing and entertaining. The use of natural, local materials within these modern accents prevails. Plots are generous, with only 20% of the spatial footprint permitted for building. Planting is lush.
Villatura: a modern take on how to integrate into the native Algarve landscape. (QDL Real Estate)
Clients and collaboration
As anyone commissioning a large residential renovation or new-build project would expect, the architectural practices in the Algarve put store into developing collaborative working relationships with each new client. Design concepts evolve from, and articulate, owners’ personal tastes and needs.
That means customizing the layout. Selecting the ultimate in premium materials and finishes. Integrating amenities such as home theaters, glass-walled wine cellars, spas and gyms. All this alongside an increasing desire to contribute meaningfully to the global sustainability agenda.
Multi-award-winning German architect Jutta Susanne Hoehn is a leading light among the practices burnishing the Golden Triangle of prestige villa properties here. And for Hoehn, nothing improves the collaborative process more than technology.
Her firm JSH Algarve Arquitectura uses software that lets clients visualize, during the design development stage, how different decorative and functional living options could operate in the finished home. “This instantly brings the project to life,” says Hoehn. As do, for even more assured decision-making, VR headsets that let clients view areas of the building under a variety of simulated weather and light conditions. Perhaps morning sunshine is preferred for a master suite, or a patio needs more shade at a particular time of day.
Checking the imagination works on the inside before constructing it on the outside. (Getty)
Eco and efficient
What Hoehn’s practice brings in addition is next-level creativity in advancing the increasingly vital green agenda. “As a studio, we’re always looking to minimize our environmental impact,” Hoehn is quoted in DesignCurial magazine. “On one recent large contemporary villa, the design intent was to incorporate eco-awareness without compromising the aesthetic. We concealed all the solar panels and energy-generating equipment, so while the home uses renewables it does so without damaging the look.”
Future-proofing comes via designed-in super-smart technology. Security systems include number-plate recognition at entrance gates and face recognition at external doors. Remote control of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning set the new conventions of standard.
Innovative high tech like this saw JSH pick up a Luxury Lifestyle Award in 2023 for Best Luxury Villa Architecture in Portugal. The firm’s design for Villatura, one of the most exclusive new-build properties in the exclusive Quinta do Lago resort, expresses Algarve architecture for the modern age. Here, the technical system is housed in a basement data center. Even the music speakers pulsing throughout the property in every ceiling are completely hidden from view.
Contemporary design and comforts with deep technologies hidden from view. (QDL Real Estate)
Meanwhile, from the top floor of polished patios and fire pits, the view that stretches from Villatura into the distance remains succulent with the deep green of ancient stone pines. They are so perfect they look like topiary, yet are as natural as the day is long. Dotted through this landscape, the squat forms of traditional Algarve houses sit, their red-tiled roofs also speaking and translating the technology of their own time.
Luxury and landscape connect at Villatura, Quinta do Lago, Algarve.(QDL Real Estate)
Villatura is currently on the market through Portugal Forbes Global Properties.
