INTERVIEW JOAQUIN TORRES

How would you define, in one sentence, the project that is being presented today; The Secret?

A «high-end» development, where personalisation, quality and commitment to excellence go hand in hand.

How is Estudio A-Cero going to hallmark these 34 villas of 1,000 m2, so that any client can immediately identify your signature?

Our architecture is easily distinguished by its formal strength… The sculptural value of our works is in our DNA.

What would you highlight about the new development in Marbella, THE SECRET?

Without any doubt, the CEO of the company that’s carrying out this project… He’s an intrepid developer, with a desire to do things right and not just to make money, which is fantastic.

Tell us how the idea for this project came about, and how the liaison between Otero Group and your studio, A-Cero, was formed.

Well, like everything in life, it was a matter of coincidences and non coincidences… Rubén and I have similar backgrounds; we both started out in Madrid, and we’ve both oriented our companies towards the luxury sector. Meeting each other came about due to a series of events that were inevitably drawing us together. In the Marbella area, Otero Group is the best option for acquiring a luxury property, and in this sense, we make the perfect match.

What kind of client profile are you targeting?

A client with high purchasing power, but also with an elevated level of sophistication; lovers of excellence, art and culture.

It’s my understanding that you’re going to be personally in charge of carrying out the project for the most exclusive villa in this complex. What can you tell us about it?

Well, as with every project, my approach is to treat it as if it were for me. The magnificent plot of more than 5,000 m2 serves as a guide, and it’s the plot that determines everything; the views, the orientation, the topography… All these conditioning factors ultimately result in a villa that calls for the possession of its habitat. It’s an insane location, and the architecture must be adapted to integrate into the hillside.

What services and communal areas will the complex have, and what will make this project unique in Marbella?

It’s unique because of its golf, the sports and leisure club, the location, the security, the accesses, the orientation, the views… All of this and more make this complex a great opportunity to acquire the best homes on the Costa del Sol.

What would you highlight about Casa Nido, one of the most impressive villas in Marbella with the unmistakable Joaquin Torres hallmark? How was it conceived?

Casa Nido is already over 10 years old, and it was a very interesting project for very special clients… All our houses in The Secret boast the same standards as Casa Nido. It’s common knowledge that it’s for sale for over 20 million euros. What I mean is that «The Secret» is not only a project of great houses, of homes, but also a fantastic investment opportunity.

 After all the projects you’ve carried out on the Costa del Sol, and now this new project with Otero Group, how would you outline the evolution in terms of architectural design (new demands of the current market in Marbella)?

Marbella is undeniably a market with huge potential for luxury residential architecture, true luxury. There’s great demand for designer luxury housing. It’s senseless, from my point of view, to create designs nowadays with architectural styles from centuries ago.

The target is the international market, and it’s a question of astuteness to know how to make the most of the enormous potential of the site by framing the business in the high-end luxury market.

Might we soon have an A-CERO architecture studio here in Marbella?

Well, we carry out projects all over the world. We travel for the project, for the client, for the project management… But nowadays, our work can be done from anywhere. If it were for projects, we’d have offices in more than 30 countries in the world, and in every province of Spain.
Anyway, in the case of the Costa del Sol, I don’t rule it out, because we have several projects apart from The Secret, and other important ones on the horizon, so it could be realistic to open an office, and even a showroom in Marbella, given the upscale profile of clients.

Who are your role models in architecture?
Right now, my main role model is Rafael Llamazares, my partner, my friend. At the present time, he’s the person who contributes the most to me, but without a doubt, the great masters of the modern movement will always be present in A-cero’s work.