New Designs on Luxury

What defines luxury today? The long-held explanation invariably evoked excess and opulence, high quality, high cost and high exclusivity, goods and services that pack a purposeful punch to showcase wealth, power and prestige.

Yet against a modern day backdrop, that definition has evolved. Today’s high-end consumers have a firm focus on health and wellness and aim for longevity, both in their own lives and their environment. Luxury, for them, lies in experiences and heritage, the rare gift of exquisite craftsmanship and the emotional connection that it provokes. It’s a luxury that looks for clarity not accumulation, one that is quiet, refined and above all, human centred.

This updated definition is one that we at Ström Architects have always endorsed. We are a contemporary international architecture practice, established 15 years ago and now with a portfolio of unique, modern homes and high-end developer lead schemes completed across 11 countries, from Europe and the Middle East to New Zealand and the USA. Luxury for us relates to spaces not objects, to time and a connection with nature, the disciplined pursuit of doing less but doing it better.

It’s a definition that chimes with a post-Covid world of climate change and uncertainty, a world where clients repeatedly seek simplicity without sacrificing depth. Instead of adding, we edit, edit and edit again, using the art of subtraction to craft homes where every space is considered. Minimalism? Yes, but always with a keen sense of materialism that brings tactile richness, the use of stone, timber and clay plaster for example for a warm, lived-in luxury, with biophilic design to anchor the space in nature.

Incorporating wellness in our designs and considering the impact on the environment is key. As building regulations get ever tighter in the drive to net zero, it’s critical to have an integrated approach from the outset. We start by considering the site itself and the natural light, then the internal layout and views, aiming always to create spaces that promote relaxation, creativity and connections. Our fabric first approach based on high levels of insulation followed by ensuring an airtight home with controlled ventilation lay the necessary base for reducing energy consumption.

Is the future of luxury housing self-sufficiency? It's an idea explored in this article focused on off-grid residential properties in HTSI in The Financial Times featuring two of our architectural designs, one in Spain and one in Finland.

The Barcelona House, completed in 2023, incorporates photovoltaic roof panels and large battery storage capacity to lower energy consumption, an internal olive tree as part of the biophilic design and a cantilevered overhang on the roof that provides shade while ensuring the sea views remain uncluttered. The completed property is a perfect demonstration of the art of subtraction. The deliberate removal of all unnecessary elements including balustrades, intrusive light fittings, visible air conditioning means all that is left is a breathtaking view and a harmonious sanctuary where technology is integrated but does not dominate. The expansive use of glass makes temperature control harder to regulate but is essential to ensure that connection with nature.

The Finnish property, now under construction on a remote peninsula one hour from Helsinki, is completely off-grid. It was commissioned by a USA-based client who had in mind a legacy project on generational land that connected to her family history, somewhere to disconnect from working life and reconnect with her family. My starting point here was the concept of touching the earth lightly, to set the house so that the natural environment is undisturbed. That involved cutting the wide decks around massive boulders deposited thousands of years ago.

Taken together, these properties demonstrate undeniably that self-sufficiency and luxury housing are compatible if backed by an ethos of simplicity, quality and purpose in design and with an emphasis on wellness.

As architects, we make tens of thousands of carefully considered decisions on every property we design, and it is the totality of those decisions, so much greater than the sum of its parts, that elevates a finished property well beyond simple bricks and mortar. To me, this is the je ne sais quoi of architecture, that unmistakable feeling when you enter a space and feel your spirits soar and a profound sense of well-being take hold. It is what we strive for at Ström Architects, to create environments that quietly yet profoundly nurture the soul. That, surely, is the very essence of modern luxury.

Read the article on HTSI here