Inspired by the colors and textures of the surrounding environment, Pritzker Prize winners RCR Architectes have translated the Algarve's landscape into new residences and facilities at the Palmares Ocean Living & Golf Resort. A total of 37 new signature apartments and luxury villas are currently under construction, with completion due dates expected between summer 2021 and 2022.
The Palmares Ocean Living & Golf resort is nestled between Alvor, Lagos, and Ponta da Piedade in the western Algarve, Portugal. The site is complemented with a sandy shore, various hues of oranges and browns from the topography, and shades of green from the surrounding vegetation. The award-winning firm have teamed up with owner and operator Kronos Homes, who have both ensured that environmental integration and sustainability are deep-rooted within the project. The newly-designed residences are part of a masterplan of 460 homes, two five-star hotels, and a variety of sports, leisure, and wellness facilities. In addition to the houses, the architects are also designing a Clubhouse that serves as the resort's focal point dedicated to its residents.
The architects harmonized the interiors with the outdoors, and created a landscape-immersive living experience for the residents through the houses' materials, color palettes, and vistas. The project's facades and interior walls are equipped with an insulated clay-colored Stucco finish, while the flooring is covered with natural stone baseboards.
The homes at the resort have been developed under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) sustainability accreditation framework, meaning that each apartment benefits from sufficient daylight exposure, water-saving appliances, and has been constructed with responsibly-sourced materials. In order to protect the sea views, building implementation zones, and height limits, strict construction parameters were implemented to ensure that each residence has the opportunity to benefit individually from the surrounding landscape.
The Resort Clubhouse is the social part of the Palmares project and is one that brings together, with all its intensity, each of the concepts that we have incorporated. The different spaces have their uniqueness and their landscape frameworks, which, together with the interstitial outdoor spaces, create a unique experience. It is the perfect place to pass the time. -- Rafael Aranda, Principle & Co-Founder, RCR Arquitectes
Founded by Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta in 1988, RCR Arquitectes is based in Olot in Catalonia, Spain, notable for a grounded style that is rooted in and inspired by the project's local conditions. They won the Gold Medal of the Academy of French Architecture in 2015 and were the laureates of the 2017 Pritzker Prize. Most of their works are in the Olot-Girona region but in the last decade, they started also to build in France, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates.
