The Tree House
Our client had recently stepped back from professional life and was launching a new development venture, Sea Pine Properties. This house – set in the quiet elegance of Sotogrande – was to be the first in the portfolio. The brief was clear: create a high-end villa that felt calm, refined and effortlessly livable, tailored to the expectations of a discerning market.
Sotogrande isn’t like nearby Marbella. It’s quieter, more grounded, with a focus on golf, polo, sailing and tennis. There’s a kind of luxury here that doesn’t need to shout, and we wanted the house to reflect that. Unshowy, elegant, and precise.
The 700m² plot lies in the older Kings and Queens district, close to the marina and golf courses. It slopes away from the road, so we designed an ‘upside-down’ layout. Living spaces sit at the top to capture sea views, while bedrooms are tucked into the slope and open out to the pool and garden. This inversion also allowed us to shield the house from the street while fully opening it to the landscape.
The upper level holds the main living areas – kitchen, dining and lounge – anchored by a timber-lined rear wall. The kitchen is built flush into this wall, with a full back-of-house kitchen, walk-in cold room and larder hidden behind. A separate salon offers a quieter retreat, and the principal bedroom suite sits to one end, with light and privacy carefully balanced.
Outdoor living is central to life in Sotogrande, and the villa was designed to make it effortless. Beside the living space is a large terrace with sofas, dining area, bar, and outdoor kitchen, all set within a planted garden. A hidden stair leads to a generous roof terrace. A deep balcony and overhanging roof run along the entire glazed façade, extending the interior out while providing shade throughout the day.
Below, the lower level houses four en-suite bedrooms, each opening directly onto a 20-metre pool.
There’s also a second lounge used as a cinema room, a gym with sauna and experience shower, and a flexible guest or staff suite. A separate entrance and double garage offer functional access, with generous storage for golf clubs and other equipment.
To the street, the house remains discreet. A continuous timber screen conceals the inner life of the building, punctuated only by a slim, folded steel entrance. Behind this quiet façade, the house unfolds in layers – open, airy and full of moments that reveal themselves over time.
The Tree House balances clarity with richness, and answers a very particular brief: to create a villa that feels natural in its setting, generous in its design, and ready for a new kind of buyer in Sotogrande.
- Ström Architects team − Magnus Ström
- Location − Sotogrande, Spain
- Visualisation − Strive CGI
- Landscape Designer − RSR Rocio Sainz de Rozas
- Additional − Developer: Sea Pine Properties
