Bespoke, luxury, eco-friendly homes – Native Life are property developers with a seriously unique twist. Like many other companies they offer clients a chance to create their dream home with a complete service – from plot selection right through to the construction phase. With every project carried out to meet the specific requirements of the individual client. But what Native Life do which sets them apart from any other developer in Spain, and perhaps the wider Mediterranean area, is focus on the creation of eco-friendly properties with sustainability, of the house over time and the wider sustainability of the environment, at the heart of the operation. native life javea
While the location choice for the project, the brainchild of Carlos Pérez-Carracedo López, owner and managing director, represents Native Life’s other founding concepts: luxury, nature and seclusion. All properties are to be located in Native Life’s urbanisation village, situated in one of Costa Blanca’s most exclusive areas, the beautiful coastal resort of Jávea. Plot location areas border with the Parc Natural El Montgó, providing a sense of isolation whilst offering stunning views of the surrounding natural landscape.
Today, the modern property market demands values that lead to a compromise in standards somewhere along the line. Pressing needs to create properties quickly and offer competitive costs often means quality is sacrificed. And a focus on aesthetics results in style being prioritised over substance. While longevity and sustainability, are concepts rarely factored in. In fact, any initiative aimed at offering sustainable solutions usually encompasses further sacrifices, being more expensive or less convenient.
The team at Native Life, working in collaboration with award-winning architect Salvador Perez Arroyo, refuse to accept such standards and are offering a pioneering solution. Their unique villas are luxurious and high-tech yet ethical and affordable, modern and stylish yet robust and durable – combining ideals often thought to be mutually exclusive. In fact, this was one of the main motivations behind the project according to Pérez-Carracedo López: “We wanted to create sustainable living solutions without compromising on luxury or any of the other standards expected from premium properties.
El Bosque, the jewel in the crown of the Native Life project, is innovative in almost every respect –architecturally, structurally and technologically. Here we provide a brief overview of the property’s design and features to give potential clients an insight into what they can expect from this exciting venture.
The one-off design makes an imposing impression on first sight. While the surrounding trees, combined with the decorative foliage, stone bricks and earthy orange and brown tones used in El Bosque’s design create a naturistic, rustic, Mediterranean feel.
The innovative design and natural theme continue inside the property. The daytime part of the property – living, kitchen and dinning areas – and the night-time part – three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms – are divided into two parts, separated by an “outside corridor”, complete with plants and water features, but connected by patio doors. This outside space between the two areas generates the circulation of air throughout all parts of the villa, again playing to nature by allowing the complex to breathe naturally. While the waterfall and pool create a sense of calmness and tranquillity.
Stairs in the “open corridor” lead up to the roof area, which features a terrace area and swimming pool plus panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The floor of rooftop area comprises of stone tiles with open joints so rain can fall to the earth below and drain away naturally. This in turn waters the plants that surround the villa. The slight tilt of the structure also ensures that the water runs down, through and away from the property.
The living, kitchen and dinning area is completely open plan with no architectural divisions, yet the specific areas are sign-posted by key structures – fireplace, dinning table and kitchen island. This part of the villa has many large glass windows and patio doors bringing in ample amounts of natural light. But such features are nearly always surrounded by adjoining walls, thereby minimising the amount of direct sunlight, keeping the property cool, whilst at the same time ensuring a sense of seclusion and privacy. The glass windows in the living area provide the same spectacular views of the Montgó and surrounding forest as the rooftop area, again bringing the outside inside.
Every room in the villa has different dimensions, making them distinct from one another. In addition, the master bedroom and dressing area has another unique feature – double height ceilings – to create a visual sensation of extra space while adding further to its individualism. native life javea
The most innovative feature of El Bosque, however, without any doubt is the concept that started it all “the Cloud”, a 3-meter high structure, made from a weather resistant semi-flexible material. The Cloud has the appearance of a sail and it functions in a similar manner, by use of fully operational masts that also anchor and stretch it into place. At full stretch the Cloud covers half of the upper outside area of the house, providing refuge from the wind, rain and sun depending on the time of year. The structure is especially useful in the summer months as the area under the cloud reaches temperatures less than 10 degrees cooler than the uncovered areas, giving the house a coolness impossible in any other type of construction and with the additional benefit of saving on energy usage, with less need for air conditioning. native life javea
The choice of materials also provides further sustainability. For many designers and builders, glass seems to be the preferred material, with many modern villas and apartment complexes comprising of floor to ceiling windows and glass walls. Whereas El Bosque mostly uses natural stone, with 28cm thick walls reinforced by concrete, completely covered with 10cm thick, hand-cut Rodeno Stone, ensuring solid foundations and structures throughout the villa. As well as being structurally sound the use of stone over glass helps to keep the villa at an ambient temperature. Glass transmits the outside temperature easily, meaning high temperatures in the day and lower temperatures at night. Whereas stone takes heat from the sun during the day and releases it more slowly throughout the course of the day and into the night, avoiding the need for additional heating. native life javea
In addition to the many sustainable features of El Bosque, and living up to the ideals behind the project, no aspect of premium living is compromised. The villa boasts luxuries such as under-floor central heating, fitted-wardrobes, parquet flooring, en-suite bathrooms, a wood-burning fireplace and swimming pool with built in relaxation chairs and massage jets. What’s more exclusivity doesn’t just apply to the internal fittings and fixtures, the iron tree façade at the front of the property is an original sculpture by the artist Antonio Mari.
Offering the perfect combination of sustainable and luxury living, it seems that with Native Life you can indeed have it all.
www.native-life.es
Calle Niza, 130 – Oficina 1.05
Platja de L’arenal
03738 – Jávea/Xabia (Alicante)
Proudly sponsored by this pioneering project, will we continue to bring you updated information on the latest developments as they happen via our blog page. Check out the project’s progress so far….