Villa Las Nubes in Sotogrande Earns Global Recognition

The Malaga-based architecture studio Flow81 has won international awards for the design of two luxury villas. One is Las Nubes, located in woodland in the Sotogrande development in Andalucía's Cadiz province, and the other is Villa Waterfall or Casa Flotante ('the floating house') at the Marbella Club Golf resort in Benahavís on the Costa del Sol.

These projects have each received an accolade in the International Architecture Awards 2024, an annual award scheme granted by The Chicago Athenaeum in collaboration with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press.

This award scheme has run annually since 2004 and recognises the best and most significant new buildings, landscape architecture and planning projects designed or built by architects from all over the world.

Flow81, an architecture studio based in Málaga, has garnered international acclaim for its innovative designs of two opulent villas. The first, Las Nubes, is nestled within the tranquil woodlands of the Sotogrande development in Andalucía's Cádiz province. The second, known as Villa Waterfall or Casa Flotante ('the floating house'), graces the prestigious Marbella Club Golf resort in Benahavís on the Costa del Sol.

Submissions for this award were evaluated by an esteemed international jury, featuring Claudia Donà, a renowned journalist and design critic; Karen Karapetian, the founder, CEO, and principal architect at Alexander Tischler LLC; Luke Pearson, co-founder and director of the London-based design agency Pearson Lloyd; and Flavio Manzoni, senior vice-president of Ferrari Design. According to Flow81, the jury praised the projects' innovative designs, environmental consciousness, and seamless integration with their surroundings.

Earlier this year, Flow81 was also honoured as one of six Spanish studios in the 'Europe 40 under 40' competition, similarly organised by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies in collaboration with The Chicago Athenaeum, a private museum of architecture and design. This recognition places the Málaga-based studio among the 40 most promising architects and industrial designers in Europe under the age of 40.

Ignacio Merino, head of Flow81, expressed his amazement, saying, "It's almost unbelievable that two of our villas have been chosen as part of the 21 best in the world." He added, "Our approach to architecture has always been unique and has often defied conventional norms, but we have never deviated from our vision. These awards are a powerful affirmation for our entire team."

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