MARBELLA’S first avant-garde luxury house that is designed and built under Passive House regulations and standards. This means it is environmentally friendly to an exceptionally high degree with a very low carbon footprint. Located just five minutes from the coast and ten minutes from Marbella, it is located in an exclusive gated community near La Zagaleta. It has breathtaking views that invite reflection and open spaces that make communication natural. Sustainability and sheer, unadulterated luxury are masterfully combined in this stunning villa in Marbella.
The exquisite design of the award-winning Marbella Villa is something to behold. Design is a concept, not a set of drawings. The true beauty of a design lies in how it works and feels, not just how it looks. It is all about ergonomic design. On top of that this lxury new villa has already won the 5-star award for Best in Spain, received the top award “Best Architecture Single Residence, Europe” from the International Property Awards.
The structure of the five bedroom, six bathroom villa does not detract in any way from the beauty of its natural surroundings, and it also allows its inhabitants to co-exist comfortably in areas designed for various activities, whether seeking solitude or quality time together. The villa takes advantage of the views down the valley towards the sea, especially the five principal living areas which directly face the coast. The high ceiling running into two floors, the lighting an imposing design element in itself and the large mural on the wall – it all adds to the splendour of this space. A perfectly symmetrical room with the ceiling lights redefining the sky and two warriors inviting us to look outwards – this is designer opulence at its best. The outside merges perfectly with the inside: the floor-to-ceiling window opens to provide direct access across a walkway to the vertical herb garden where, all year round, one can pick parsley, rosemary, mint, basil and other herbs, or in season, one can treat oneself to oranges and lemons in the mini orchard.
Energy efficiency is part of the essence of the Passive House concept, developed in the 1980’s in Germany in order to build houses with minimum energy consumption, and if at all possible, null consumption. The first Passive House was completed in 1991 in Darmstadt, Germany. Since then, the Passive House principle has proven itself many times over. Worldwide, there are now over 25,000 Passive Houses, 101 of which are in Spain, 6 in Andalucía and here is the one in Marbella. It is the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction.The Passive House Standard means quality, comfort and energy efficiency, guaranteeing more than 75% saving on energy costs compared to a standard build. Thanks to the quality insulation and an efficient ventilation system, Passive House buildings remain warm on cold days and cool on warmer days.
Passive House a combination of the best quality insulation, windows and doors as well as careful design both to control the ventilation of the house, heat transfer through the structure and windows and providing shade to the living areas in the hottest part of the day, the certification guarantees the highest levels of energy efficiency in heating and cooling the house, reducing the energy demands by up to 90% – to a maximum of 15kW/m2/year.
Passive House is a building standard that is truly energy efficient, comfortable and affordable at the same time. It is not a brand name, but a tried and true construction concept that can be applied by anyone, anywhere. Yet, a Passive House is more than just a low-energy building:
Passive Houses allow for space heating and cooling related energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical building stock and over 75% compared to average new builds. Passive Houses use less than 1.5 l of oil or 1.5 m3 of gas to heat one square meter of living space for a year – substantially less than common “low-energy” buildings. Vast energy savings have been demonstrated in warm climates where typical buildings also require active cooling.
Passive Houses make efficient use of the sun, internal heat sources and heat recovery, rendering conventional heating systems unnecessary throughout even the coldest of winters. During warmer months, Passive Houses make use of passive cooling techniques such as strategic shading to keep comfortably cool.
Passive Houses are praised for the high level of comfort they offer. Internal surface temperatures vary little from indoor air temperatures, even in the face of extreme outdoor temperatures. Special windows and a building envelope consisting of a highly insulated roof and floor slab as well as highly insulated exterior walls keep the desired warmth in the house – or undesirable heat out.
A ventilation system imperceptibly supplies constant fresh air, making for superior air quality without unpleasant draughts. This property can also be used as a venue for destination weddings in Spain. A highly efficient heat recovery unit allows for the heat contained in the exhaust air to be re-used.
For more information about this villa in Marbella or any other passive house/eco friendly houses on the Costa del Sol, please contact us.