Occupying a plot in a green and well-established neighborhood on the slopes above Marbella, this project was based on maximizing views of the sea and the surrounding mountains without surrendering privacy. It is able to do so by carefully working the topography to its advantage, with the house sunk below the level of building immediately above and protected by a wall, judiciously planted trees and by a game of inner and outer garden that frame the landscape and Mediterranean beyond.
 
Views range from open to intimate. Expansive sea views are available from the garden at the front of the house, while from the upper level, sightlines are carefully angled to admit mountain views but exclude neighbors. A large, livable inner courtyard, set between the two wings of the L-shaped home and protected both by the house and the stepped topography, functions simultaneously as a private and serene garden that is shielded from the wind and as a source of cross-ventilation.
 
Entertainment space, an indoor pool and staff quarters are sunk underground, leaving the ground level for public areas as well as an outdoor pool. Family quarters occupy the cantilevered upper level. This shades the lower level and screens bedrooms whilst preserving the view, creating an elevated and shaded gallery that faces the sea.

architecture: nabil gholam architects
3D images: nabil gholam architects