CREATIVE DESIGN
The creative process of Villa Eugenia focuses on a single premise: connecting the fragmented. The plot is unified through a rhythmic composition of lines and vegetation.
RESULT
The design of Villa Eugenia responds to the character of the home: contemporary, precise, with clean lines. Yet, the garden introduces a warm note, an organic counterpoint that softens the rigidity of the architecture without opposing it. Green masses act as vegetative curtains that filter light and frame views from the interior. Transitions between terraces, stone planes, and planting beds occur naturally, reinforcing the sense of unity between interior and exterior.
In the intermediate spaces, seating areas and contemplation corners appear as pauses along the path. Vegetation—including grasses, ground covers, and slender palm trees—adds texture, freshness, and verticality. The overall feeling is one of balance and calm: a garden in Marbella designed to be experienced rather than merely observed, where every element contributes to a harmonious experience.
Natural light is a protagonist. During the day, light surfaces reflect the nuances of the sky and greenery; at sunset, discreet and targeted landscape lighting reveals the architecture of the garden, extending its tranquil atmosphere beyond twilight. The result is a serene, functional space—a contemporary refuge exemplifying Costa del Sol landscaping in its most sober and elegant expression, with a balanced relationship between every garden element and the home.
Located in the residential area of Las Brisas, Marbella, Villa Eugenia emerges as a landscape intervention that seeks continuity between architecture, terrain, and nature. The project, developed by La Menara, faced a complex challenge: transforming a set of fragmented spaces into a fluid, coherent, and lively garden, where harmony among all elements was key from the start.
From the entrance, a sequence of geometric concrete steps guides the visitor through a transforming landscape. Each section offers a distinct reading of the garden: controlled perspectives, shadows cast on white walls, and vegetation balancing structure and softness. Movement is constant, but subtle; visitors advance through textures and varying heights in a serene, orderly rhythm, always maintaining visual and functional coherence between architecture and garden.
MATERIALS
At Villa Eugenia, materials become a language. Every texture and color was selected to generate continuity with the home and reinforce visual harmony throughout the ensemble. Prefabricated concrete steps, with clean lines and precise proportions, structure the main paths, providing a geometric order that dialogues with the architecture. Between them, green ground covers and neutral-toned gravels add naturalness and permeability, allowing all elements to coexist harmoniously.
Perimeter walls, previously dominant, are softened through vegetative cladding that changes density throughout the year. Climbers and evergreen species cover vertical surfaces, transforming spatial perception and adding changing textures. This approach turns boundaries into landscapes and walls into living canvases, reinforcing the garden’s coherence with the surrounding architecture.
At the heart of the garden, an herb garden in Corten steel planters adds functional and sensory value. Beyond decoration, it creates a direct link between nature and daily life in the home. Its scents—rosemary, thyme, lavender—mix with Marbella’s warm air, offering an olfactory experience that accompanies every step, demonstrating how harmony and balance between design and daily living were central principles.
The main materials—natural stone, Corten steel, and thermally treated wood—were chosen for durability and chromatic coherence. A neutral palette of beiges, ochres, and grays enhances the brightness of the ensemble, while rough textures provide tactile warmth. Outdoor lighting plays a key role: warm, integrated lights in pavements and planters highlight the silhouettes of vegetation and the geometry of paths without disturbing the natural perception of space, ensuring that the relationship among elements is appreciated both day and night.
From a technical standpoint, the project incorporates sustainable landscaping solutions: drip irrigation, natural drainage, and low-maintenance species. These systems guarantee the garden’s durability and efficiency, reflecting La Menara’s commitment to respectful, contemporary design, perfectly coordinated with its environment.
CREATIVE DESIGN
The creative process of Villa Eugenia focuses on a single premise: connecting the fragmented. The plot, originally divided into several platforms, is unified through a rhythmic composition of lines and vegetation. La Menara’s landscape architects developed a scheme based on visual continuity and the harmonization of every component—from architecture to the last vegetal detail: architectural axes extend into the garden and decompose into organic forms guiding the visitor’s movement.
Structured areas coexist with naturally growing plant masses, creating contrasts of texture and scale. Geometry orders; vegetation softens. This constant dialogue between the rational and the organic defines the project’s identity, demonstrating that coherence among elements is key to achieving harmony.
Subtle micro-contours of the terrain add depth and dynamism. Small variations create natural shadows and new perspectives, introducing a gentle topography that emphasizes the enveloping character of the garden. These undulations, imperceptible at first glance, change the experience of the space with every step, reinforcing the sense of unity between terrain and design.
The herb garden, integrated into the overall design, represents the sensory dimension of the project. Beyond functionality, it becomes a poetic gesture: a point where architecture, nature, and daily life meet harmoniously.
Selected vegetation—including slender palms, medium-sized shrubs, and flowering ground covers—is arranged in layers that provide rhythm and depth. Fine-leafed, lightly moving species respond to the wind, creating a constantly evolving garden. Every season changes its character, always maintaining a coherent, balanced reading where the unity of the design is perceived in every detail of the garden.
The result is a space that interprets garden design in Marbella from a contemporary perspective: serene, functional, and timeless. Villa Eugenia is an exercise in precision and sensitivity, where every element—from pavement to shade—participates in creating a livable experience. In this garden, beauty does not impose itself: it insinuates. Harmony arises from proportion, silence, respect for nature, and the full coordination of all elements. It is, ultimately, an example of authorial landscaping on the Costa del Sol, a work that unites technical mastery and emotion to transform the outdoor space into a territory of wellbeing and contemplation.
