The Nest

LOCATION : Benahavis, Malaga
DATE : 2026
TYPE : Tailored living

Key Points : Avant-garde pedigree with smart home features.
Challenges : Remote dwelling, steep terrain and unalterable specifications.
Time frame : T.B.C : Construction > 1 year, Interiors implementations 3 months (Start to finish).

Moodboard

Dining moodboard

Among the high end projects developed in the coveted Benahavis hills, demanding clients are often inflexible regarding their specifications, and often are not willing to make any compromise. What they want is what they should get. And that's what we are hired for. Find solutions, work them out, and hand in results.

Having never let anyone told her what should or should not be, and newly freed of commitment, our well read client deemed the time ripe to move to the South of Spain to start living out the dream she had worked so hard for.

Her ideas were precise, intangible. She did not want a show house or to feel like she lived in a furniture shop. As she put it "Others will get along with random and inclusive, I don't, I am exclusive". Say no more lady, we gotcha.

Through enriching discussions, digressions, and reflections we curated together a selection of miscellaneous pieces, elements & materials that would define the house. As a testimony of her travels, memories and reminiscent of the experiences she wanted to remember, it has to be more than just a house, her house.

Material narrative

Home automation

Here home automation is used to respond to the local climate, the orientation of the property and the extensive glazed areas typical of contemporary architecture.

Solar control is particularly important with large south and west facing windows.

During summer, blinds close progressively when solar exposure reaches a defined threshold, reducing heat gain and helping to lower the cooling load. In winter, the strategy is reversed, allowing sunlight to enter the property when it can contribute to passive heating and natural daylight.

Lighting can be coordinated with both occupancy and daylight levels. Presence sensors control secondary areas such as corridors, wardrobes and bathrooms, while larger spaces can use dimming and programmed scenes, according to the amount of natural light available.

HVAC is divided into independent zones according to the way the villa is occupied. Living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, offices and guest spaces do not need to operate at the same temperature or schedule.

During the day, occupied living spaces can remain at the desired setpoint while unused bedrooms move to an energy-saving mode.

At night, bedrooms follow individual sleeping temperatures while the rest of the property operates at a reduced level.

The different systems work together. For example, when strong afternoon solar radiation is detected on a west-facing façade, the blinds can close, the HVAC system can adjust its cooling demand and artificial lighting can remain at a lower level while sufficient daylight is available.

The result is a house that responds continuously to its environment and its occupants, using the technology to improve comfort, energy performance and ease of use without compromising the architectural character of the villa.

3D renders

The open living area allows smooth transitions and put in perspective the overall homogeneity of the space. Structural walls are kept sparse and functional, quietly blending in the atmosphere enhanced with simple but subtle layers of ornament. The master bedroom boast a custom made bed, displaying a crafted velvet jacquard inspired from Tibetan rugs.

The two other bedrooms, just as her 2 daughters, share the same aesthetical features, but express each other in their own words. Speaking the same language of the Berlin industrial modernism, (tampered glass, metals, orthogonal silhouette), both haver their own peculiar accent, vocabulary and imagination.

Phase III

3D Renders - Gallery

A discreet but various palette of picturesque colors is displayed throughout the house, accentuating the sophistication and layers of language of the house. The ground floor is a gentle introduction to the contemporary spirit of the premises : a melting pot of patterned textures, Millennial designs and modernist materials. A dark lacquered walnut parquet complements the muted wooden tones of the walls, with the subtle addition of art panels to reaffirm the cosmopolitan identity of the space.

The interiors stand out by their multi-dimensionality : Eager to epitomize a modernist attitude, proudly displaying magnificent tempered glass wall paneling, they boldly reflect their Bauhaus heritage.

With poise and confidence, without unnecessary excess and still fulfilling their purpose, the interiors embody the artistic flair and charismatic aura desired by the client, as a reflection of herself.

Next project

materials-durability-and-sustainability-article-by-karacter-design-studio

Insight

Materials & Construction

Materials : When durability rhymes with sustainability

Durable and sustainable design : A well-designed interior, is also about how materials perform together, how they affect the indoor environment, how long they remain functional and what is required to maintain them.

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