Building Community: An Exclusive Interview with L35 Architects’ Tristán López-Chicheri and Borja Fernández del Vallado Fernández-Bravo on the Vision Behind Village Verde and their commitment to Sotogrande.
By Chris Chaplow
With over five decades of experience, L35 has built a reputation for delivering innovative and cutting-edge architectural solutions. The firm operates out of 10 offices, located in key cities around the world, including Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Miami, Mexico City, Bogotá, Santiago, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi. Continuing their expansion, L35 has opened their newest office in Sotogrande, further consolidating its influence in the architectural world.
The prestigious firm L35 Architects was commissioned in 2019 to design the Village Verde development of 124 apartments on six hectares of woodland with indigenous cork oak trees nestled within La Reserva area of Sotogrande. This project speaks for itself in terms of success, with Phase One of four blocks now completed and sold out and Phase Two of six blocks structurally complete and two-thirds sold.
Many readers may already be familiar with your other project in the city of Malaga, the much-acclaimed Muelle Uno. This development has transformed the old quayside into a vibrant shopping promenade, while the upper level features a new walkway that creates a striking visual landmark: The Cube, now home to the Centre Pompidou.
Less well known is L35’s elegant spacious contemporary design for Antequera’s Santa Ana AVE train station which opened in 2007, more recently the prestigious AVE de Vigo Vialia station and the future project for the Torre Sevilla shopping centre.
Football fans will also be familiar with your flagship project in Madrid; the transformation of the Real Madrid Bernabéu football stadium, with its futuristic look and numerous improvements to the facilities, including a main entrance for the first time. In September 2024, the World Football Summit, the leading platform for the global football industry, announced that the renovation work by L35 Architects, in collaboration with GMP Architekten and Ribas & Ribas, had won the prestigious Best Stadium Award for 2024.
Sotogrande Life: With such an impressive track record, of projects around the world, what attracted L35 to the Village Verde project here in Sotogrande?
Tristan: We believe that Sotogrande is a highly attractive destination in its own right. Furthermore, our client, La Reserva, has set the ambitious goal of achieving a ‘top-of-the-line’ project, which presents an exciting challenge.
S.L: Village Verde is a residential project set within a forested environment. Given that many of your previous works include iconic stadiums, shopping centers, and large-scale redevelopment projects in major cities worldwide, did any of the expertise or insights gained from those projects influence the development of Village Verde?
Tristan: All of the projects we do have an influence on the rest, probably in this case, some of the projects we have done in Mexico or Egypt have had a more direct influence given its exuberance and level of sophistication. Understanding the preferences of international buyers helps us align local trends with global market.
S.L: Borja was quoted in 2022 saying that “Village Verde was born as a project where country living would be transformed into community living”. There are certainly multiple communal features in the complex. Are you satisfied that you have achieved this?
Borja: Throughout the construction phase, we would visit every apartment to review certain details. No matter which one you stood in, the sensation of openness and connection with the surrounding landscape and environment was astonishing.
This aspiration was successfully addressed with the ample terrace design that would become an extension of the internal space. Windows ranging from floor to ceiling endorse this idea, not only when fully opened but also when closed. There’s a feeling of being grounded in the countryside whilst benefitting from the community in terms of amenities, social interaction and shared services, has been a key factor in its success.
S.L: The land where Village Verde is built was scattered with cork trees and in the same way as the world class golf course, Valderrama integrated the trees into the course, you have done the same. Can you share more about how you’ve seamlessly blended nature with architectural design in this project.
Tristan: When we first visited the plot, prior to the design phase, we were fully aware of its immense ecological value, and we wanted Village Verde to continue being defined by it.
Although not widely known, Sotogrande is in the foothills of the Sierra de Grazalema, the area with the highest rainfall in Spain. This results in the entire landscape being nourished by underground aquifers that enrich the soil and allow native species such as cork oaks, holm oaks, and centuries-old wild olives to grow to such majestic sizes and canopies.
From the very beginning, respecting and enhancing the value of these flora specimens has been a key focus for us.
During the early stages of the project, we conducted meticulous work to identify and categorize the individual specimens. The building footprint was rethought and adjusted to follow the natural contours of the land, preserving the original location of these trees, while the others were carefully transplanted on the site. Numerous adjustments were made to all elements of the development, particularly the ground floors, to accommodate the trees, roots, and ensure the trees’ safe surroundings. An example of this is the machine room for the sand pool and the adult pool in Phase I. We considered three different locations for this room and ultimately designed a complex layout (which would make any concrete contractor cringe) to preserve the largest cork oak specimens on the entire plot.
The current visual appeal and landscape of this area justifies all the efforts made to protect the existing trees.
S.L: The exteriors of the Village Verde apartments are almost as large as the interiors. Sotogrande has ideal climatological conditions for indoor-outdoor living, is this a global trend in the architectural world at the moment?
Tristán: Well, it really depends on the climate, but sure enough, it is a tendency to make a greater use of outdoor spaces. On the other hand, this creates a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors, effectively expanding the apartments, making better use of interior space, and providing additional areas for various users and activities.”
S.L: At Village Verde, cars are parked in the garage on arrival and as Tristán has said, “the cars don’t interfere with life in the community”. What was the thinking behind this design and how has this concept been received?
Tristan: Following the idea of living in natural surroundings, we wanted to make cars seem out of place in this natural setting. Even the access road could almost be mistaken for a pedestrian path when cars weren’t around. The garage functions as a lobby, well lit and the materials are atypical for a garage, additionally greenery and natural light are incorporated into the design.
S.L: One of the most striking features of the exterior of the Village Verde apartments is the undulating lines of the balustrades on the balconies, which follow different shapes on each of the three levels. This contrasts with the urban design of L35. What was your inspiration for this aesthetic?
Tristan: The materials are inspired by the local use of white walls and wood, creating a harmonious blend with the surrounding cork oak trees. The undulating façade enhances the sense of harmony between nature and architecture, while also creating visual interest and diversity in different areas of the building
S.L: Village Verde apartments are issued with a BREEAM certification. This is a “word” we are starting to hear more frequently nowadays. Can you briefly explain to our readers what it means?
Tristan: A BREEAM certificate indicates to the users that sustainability has been taken into consideration throughout construction process. This includes basic aspects such as insulation, orientation and ventilation as well as recycling of materials, energy and water consumption.
Additionally, there is something that sometimes goes unnoticed and that is the siting of the buildings. It was extremely well thought out to save as many trees as possible. This also helps to give an impression of mature grounds when construction is complete.
S.L: In phase two of Village Verde there are several Sky Villas. How would you describe this product?
Tristan: The Sky Villas are penthouses with an additional level: two floors of living areas plus the sundeck above, totalling three usable areas. This gives a greater flexibility in how these apartments can be personalised and laid out. They maintain a strong connection to all outdoor terrace spaces.
S.L: L35 has offices where you have projects in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Miami, Mexico City, Bogotá Santiago, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi. In July 2024 you added Sotogrande to this list. Why did you choose a new office in Sotogrande?
Tristan: We are very busy in Costa del Sol, from Malaga all the way to Cadiz, but the main motivator to have an office here is to be close to all our clients and be able to accompany them through the process of setting up a house or an apartment. The office showcases diverse selection of materials allowing you to touch and feel how the finished interiors and exteriors will look. We offer comprehensive project development from A to Z, from the building construction to the artwork hanging on walls, creating homes that are ready to be lived in.
S.L: Will the new office focus on the management of projects already under construction, or on the conceptual and creative design of new future projects?
Tristan: Both. We have been present in Sotogrande every week of the year even without an office, however the new office allows us to be here every single day, including weekends when required. Some of our clients come for the weekend and is more convenient for them if they can resolve issues in person rather than at a distance.
S.L: The new office in Sotogrande Marina, Ribera del Marlin is in collaboration with Matter: a high-end construction materials showroom. There have been many innovations in