News & reflections
Articles on architecture, construction and design on the Costa del Sol. Reflections from the studio and from the building site.
Lightweight, translucent and with a unique nocturnal quality. Why ETFE has become the reference material for indoor pools, water parks and large recreational buildings.
Read article →
Ten months of work on a hillside: excavations, rock trenching, ecological gabion walls and stepped platforms. The earthmoving phase at Villa Hope is complete.
Read article →
Passive and active strategies to reduce energy consumption without compromising design: orientation, thermal mass, aerothermal systems and energy certification.
Read article →
Cost ranges per m², fees, licences, taxes and items many clients forget to budget for. A practical guide with real figures.
Read article →
Solar path in Málaga, room-by-room orientation, overhangs and cross-ventilation. The first and most irreversible decision in any project.
Read article →
Salt air, humidity, UV and maintenance: which materials hold up in a marine environment and which deteriorate quickly. Facades, joinery and exteriors.
Read article →
From concept design to the final certificate: every phase of the architectural process explained for first-time clients.
Read article →
Structure, damp, outdated services, CTE regulations and real improvement potential. What to diagnose before committing a budget.
Read article →
Hidden structure, planning violations, obsolete services and poorly framed budgets. What to verify before signing.
Read article →
The courtyard as a strategy for light, privacy and natural ventilation. Why this age-old solution is still the smartest answer to the Mediterranean climate.
Read article →
Which permit each type of work requires and what happens if you get it wrong. A practical guide to understanding the process before you start.
Read article →
Local plan, urban planning certificate, land registry, rustic land with existing buildings. What to verify before signing a plot purchase.
Read article →
Comparing costs, timescales, flexibility and risk. The decision framework to choose well depending on the plot, planning rules and family needs.
Read article →
Topography, vegetation, views and local materials. How to design a house that belongs to the landscape rather than imposing itself on it.
Read article →
What makes a house genuinely Mediterranean beyond the clichés: the reinterpreted courtyard, shade as a design element, materials that age well.
Read article →
Works without a permit, undetected incompatibilities, incomplete documentation and miscalculated timescales. How to avoid the most common mistakes.
Read article →
Why a sloping plot is an opportunity rather than a problem: making the most of changes in level in areas like Benahavís, El Madroñal or the Axarquía.
Read article →
Flexible layouts, accessibility from the outset, adaptable rooms, home offices and readiness for future technologies. Architecture that does not age.
Read article →
Title deed, land registry note, cadastral data, topographic and geotechnical surveys, and brief. The complete list of what to have before the first meeting.
Read article →
Whitewash, arches, bungalows, communal pools and golf clubs. The style invented in Marbella and Torremolinos that still defines the imagery of the Spanish Mediterranean.
Read article →
Natural light, layout, indoor-outdoor connection, energy certification and finishes. The interventions with the best return in the Málaga and Costa del Sol market.
Read article →
From the first hotels of the 1960s to today's contemporary luxury villas: the history of how tourism transformed the built landscape of Málaga.
Read article →
One of the most frequent questions from clients. General criteria and municipal variations to understand how much built area actually "counts".
Read article →
The history of the studio since José María Santos Rein founded it in Málaga in 1958, when the Costa del Sol was still a promise.
Read article →
Reflections on contemporary intervention in historic buildings and the choice of materials that engage in dialogue with what was already there.
Read article →
The real return on investing in quality architecture: natural light, efficient layout, indoor-outdoor connection and energy certification.
Read article →
Wellness at home has become a priority for luxury residential buyers on the Costa del Sol. We analyse the trend.
Read article →
In 1964, José María Santos Rein designed a school, a caretaker's house and eleven teachers' homes in Alfarnate. A singular rationalist intervention in the hills of Málaga province.
Read article →
Bioclimatic design strategies we apply in our projects to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing comfort.
Read article →