CREATIVE DESIGN
The garden becomes a mirror of water and sky, a refuge where time slows, and nature regains its central role in everyday life.
RESULT
The garden seeks to evoke an enveloping sense of serenity. Smooth surfaces and warm materials establish a dialogue between precise construction and the natural beauty of Mediterranean plants. Slender palms, broad-leaved species, and soft groundcovers create a contained, elegant tropical atmosphere. This balance between structure and vegetation defines the project’s character: order, rhythm, and movement.
A transitional area was created below garden level with seating and fire elements, perfect for evenings or cooler days. Natural light plays an essential role: during the day, shadows cast by pergolas and trees define usable spaces and provide sun protection; at sunset, water reflections tint the walls golden; and at night, subtle lighting reveals textures without disturbing the garden’s quiet atmosphere. Villa Aqua represents the essence of contemporary landscaping on the Costa del Sol: a space combining design sophistication with the calm of its natural surroundings.
The main design objective was to create a smooth transition between the house and the existing pool via a pond with stepping stones and sunbathing areas.
Located in one of Marbella’s most privileged areas, Villa Aqua is a project that combines architectural purity with the fluidity of the landscape. Designed by La Menara, it is conceived as a seamless continuation between the house and its natural surroundings, where water plays a leading role in the design. From the entrance, visitors experience a sense of calm: the clean lines of the architecture and open horizons extend into the garden through stone planes, reflective surfaces, and carefully structured vegetation.
The outdoor route unfolds across multiple levels, adapting to the terrain’s topography while taking advantage of views over Las Brisas golf course. Each section of the garden has been designed as an independent scene within a shared narrative: rest areas, intermediate terraces, and contemplative spaces flow together in a single gesture. The sound of water accompanies each step, creating a slow rhythm that guides visitors from the entrance to the heart of the project: an infinity-edge pool that seems to dissolve into the horizon.
MATERIALS
Material choices at Villa Aqua reflect a vision of aesthetic coherence, functionality, and sustainability. Each texture and color has been selected to strengthen the relationship between architecture and landscape, creating a continuous visual language. Natural stone pavements in sandy and light gray tones unify the pathways, providing a neutral base that amplifies the presence of water. Open joints and drainage systems ensure soil breathability and responsible water use.
Water, the backbone of the design, manifests in various forms: linear ponds next to the kitchen and herb garden, shallow reflective surfaces, and the main infinity pool. These water elements not only amplify light and spatial scale but also introduce a sensory dimension, turning the garden into a refreshing refuge. Their gentle sound accompanies the route, creating a meditative atmosphere conducive to relaxation. A fountain (pilón) was installed near the pergola to enhance this experience.
Vegetation is integrated as a structural element of the design. La Menara’s landscape architects chose species adapted to the Mediterranean climate, capable of maintaining color and vitality throughout the year. Palms, strelitzias, agapanthus, lavender, and ornamental grasses add texture and movement, while groundcovers and low shrubs define terrace edges. The composition plays with height, density, and color to generate visual depth and chromatic balance.
Complementary materials—thermally treated wood, corten steel, and volcanic stone—add warmth and contrast to the neutral palette. Warm, controlled exterior lighting highlights vertical planes and foliage textures, extending the garden experience beyond daylight. Villa Aqua is an example of sustainable luxury landscaping in Marbella, where beauty and functionality coexist in a space designed to last, harmonizing nature and architecture.
CREATIVE DESIGN
The creative concept of Villa Aqua is based on a single idea: water as the generating principle of the space. From the first sketches, La Menara imagined a garden that flows with the rhythm of the nearby sea, a landscape that moves with the topography and light. The project is organized along visual axes originating from the house and extending toward the horizon, blending into vegetation and reflections.
The outdoor route is continuous, connecting resting areas and small private terraces through gentle ramps and integrated staircases that maintain a smooth flow of movement. The design balances geometric rigor with natural elegance: the architecture organizes, the vegetation softens, and water unites.
The garden was conceived as a multisensory experience. Pavement textures underfoot, breezes moving through foliage, the sound of water, the contrast of light and shadow—all are designed to engage the senses and promote well-being. The space invites slow exploration, pauses, and contemplation.
Vegetation is arranged in layers that complement the human scale. Low-growing species in the foreground guide the eye; medium-height plant masses create privacy in the middle layer; and trees in the background frame views and define the horizon. This layering reinforces depth and rhythm, contributing harmony and dynamism.
Integration with the surroundings is complete. The garden does not impose itself on the terrain but interprets it, following its curves, respecting slopes, and opening toward natural views. The result is a space where architecture is reflected in the landscape, and the landscape extends the architecture.
Villa Aqua expresses luxury landscaping on the Costa del Sol, seeking beauty through purity and serenity. Every element—a stone, a reflection, a shadow—is in service of a single idea: transforming the outdoor space into a vital, intimate, and timeless experience. The garden becomes a mirror of water and sky, a refuge where time slows, and nature regains its central role in everyday life.
