All posts by Alyssa Gautieri

10 Best Modern Houses in the U.S.

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Architecture is an art form that can display preciseness, timeless aspects and the feeling of luxury. Architecture is unique in every building, home, and structure, further making it a work of art. The architecture in the United States is a combination of the myriad of cultures that inhabit the country. Luxxu.net recently took a peek at stellar modern houses in the United States that are unique in their lavish design and portray how diverse United States architecture can be.
Here’s a look at some of the top homes Luxxu.net has featured.

Woody Creek, Colorado

Watermill, New York

Smith Lake, Alabama

Los Angeles, California

Sag Harbor, New York

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Michael Saunders Wins Hall of Fame Award

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The Michael Saunders & Company leadership team and agents recently attended the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) Conference Week in Miami, where the company was recognized with multiple awards and honors. The top names in real estate are round up at the Conference Week to focus on what drives success in today’s market and offers targeted programs, educational sessions and impactful networking opportunities. This once-a-year chance to experience the power of the world’s largest community of quality independent real estate firms was held in the extraordinary setting of the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach.
At the conference’s annual awards ceremony held to recognize achievements across the affiliation, CEO and Founder Michael Saunders was honored with a Hall of Fame Award, the top tier in leadership recognition, for instrumental contributions to the organization and its affiliates. Saunders served on the LeadingRE Board of Directors for 17 years and was Chair for two years. She served on numerous committees and task forces, participated in training workshops and discussion groups and served as a mentor and recruiter for other members in the network.  Currently she serves on the Luxury Portfolio Global Advisory Board.

In addition to Saunders’ Hall of Fame Award, Michael Saunders & Company won the Best Property Search Award and the Award of Excellence for Outgoing Referral Production. The company received additional nominations for its work during 2016, including nominations for Best Overall Website Award, Award of Excellence for Outgoing Sales Production, Award of Excellence for Equivalent Outgoing Sales Production, Diamond Award, OurWorld Community Engagement Award and Most Innovative Office Design Award.
“We are deeply honored to receive these awards and recognitions, particularly among the best names in real estate and the world’s leading independent brokerages. This recognizes our company’s involvement in the industry, our willingness to embrace emerging trends, technologies and tools, and our commitment to the exceptional service that we offer our customers,” said Saunders. “Our affiliations with LeadingRE and Luxury Portfolio are complementary components in our success, helping us build valuable relationships with affiliate partners from around the globe and surrounding us with international market leaders who share their trusted insights and experience.”

Matt Drews, Director of Commercial Real Estate for Michael Saunders & Company, was a featured speaker on a panel discussion at the conference. In addition, two key members of the Michael Saunders & Company team served in LeadingRE leadership positions in 2016. David Gumpper, Chief Technology Officer of Michael Saunders & Company, was the MarTech Board Director. MarTech is the Marketing and Technology arm of LeadingRE. Susie Rosario, Michael Saunders & Company Director of Business Development, was a 2016 Mentor Program Graduate.
“Having been in real estate for more than 40 years, I am convinced that the connections we make and share, our relationships with others, are truly what make a difference,” said Saunders. “In addition to the significant contributions of Matt, David and Susie, we had many agents take time out of their busy schedules to attend the conference, participating in such events as the Performance Summit and the Luxury Portfolio Summit. This is a unique opportunity for them to connect, learn and collaborate – which ultimately is a tremendous benefit for our customers.”

LeadingRE was founded in 1997, with the purpose of creating a network of the best locally- and regionally-branded firms focused on raising the bar in real estate. It has grown to have affiliates in more than 4,000 offices across nearly 60 countries. LeadingRE affiliates encompass the industry’s top-rated luxury real estate programs, as well as more #1 market share companies than any other network. Luxury Portfolio International®, the luxury face of LeadingRE, is a comprehensive program that markets the finest luxury properties and brokerages worldwide.
To learn more about Michael Saunders & Company, call (888) 552-5228 or visit www.michaelsaunders.com. For more information about LeadingRE, visit www.leadingre.com.
 

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Tallest Home In the World For Sale

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In Prescott, Arizona the world’s tallest home can be seen with its 2,000-square-foot glass enclosed mezzanine and 360 degree views of Prescott. At 124-feet tall with only a 24 x 24 footprint, property taxes are low and the height affords cost-free automatic heating and cooling. This unique home, called Falcon Crest, could be yours for $1.5 million, according to toptenrealestatedeals.com.
According to the listing agent, Falcon Crest is the world’s tallest single-family home, soaring to 124 feet in the sky and containing 10 floors at different levels and angles. The estate consists of 6,200 square feet of living space, offering three bedrooms, four full baths, 2,000-square-foot solarium, open kitchen and great room. A hydraulic glass elevator is also included with the home, elevated six floors above the garage and providing stunning views with its all-glass roofs and walls.

Constructed at the slope of Prescott, Arizona’s Thumb Butte, the house that Phoenix architect Sukumar Pal built for his own family, expands over 120 miles to mountain ranges in every direction. Falcon Crest is also one of the most advanced homes in the world, Pal built Falcon Crest in 1994 to be energy efficient while still maximizing views with glass walls.
The Pal residence has won various awards for his specialization in designing energy-efficient homes, including four residential architecture world records. A top honors was awarded to the home for its unconventional heating and cooling systems that utilize passive solar for winter heat and micro climate and convective cooling in the summer.

Building a tower to be eco-friendly and leaving a small carbon footprint has achieved three major goals of Pal’s design: Taxes are considerably lower on a small footprint compared to a house that sprawls across its lot. For each gradient in height, the views become more expansive, and the height increases air movement from ground level up through the top of the tower.
Falcon Crest is very adaptable for various uses; the unique structure can be used as a single family residence, a work-living space, lab or offices. Frank Aazami is the listing agent with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty.

Photo courtesy of Fasano Residences + Hotel Miami Beach

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Luxury Beach Houses at Fasano Residences

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The Beach Houses at Fasano Residences + Hotel Miami Beach are perfect for lovers of the beach and paradise. Offering five two-story Beach Houses that will flank either side of South Beach’s largest pool, this luxury is only 40-feet from the ocean.
The property is being redesigned by Isay Weinfeld, award winning Brazilian architect who has also designed the hotels for Grupo Fasano in São Paulo. These listings offer the same contemporary design and feeling of seclusion that will be prominent throughout the 3-acre space.

The Beach Houses offer 67 ocean front residences, each with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Priced up to $7.2 million and ranging from 1,238 to 1,679 sq. ft., these homes offer privacy and ground entry with the benefits of being part of a resort-style community.
Each home is a spa oasis, with amenities including a private plunge pool upon entry, a sauna and spa therapy room. And of course, residents will have access to all of Fasano’s hotel amenities including the poolside restaurant and bar, garden-facing bar, hotel lobby lounge, fitness facilities and spa and wellness center. The hotel also provides a lagoon style pool and stunning gardens for its guests to enjoy.

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Unique Places

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Above photo features Casa de Uco Vineyards. Photos courtesy of Casa de Uco Vineyards and Red Reflet Ranch

By Kristen Ordonez

Going Global Your Own (Hassle-Free) Argentinian Vineyard
Casa de Uco Vineyards and Wine Resort, a family-owned vineyard and boutique resort spanning 800 acres in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina’s Uco Valley, recently launched sales of its fully managed vineyard parcels, where owners can participate in farming the land and winemaking at any and/or every stage of the process.
For owner/founder Juan Tonconogy and his father, this is a dream realized: “Winemaking is a passion for many, so we created a plan where we could share the winemaking passion with wine lovers without the hassles that managing a vineyard entails.”

The resort also offers an array of activities, including parcel wine pairing tastings, bike and horseback rides, vinotherapy spa treatments, paragliding, water rafting and vineyard and/or mountainside asados (Argentine barbecue) with locally sourced ingredients.
Casa de Uco’s 80 plots of land, sized at a half acre and up, start at $60,000 per acre. Plans eventually call for secluded, self-sustained villa residences as well.

Fabulous Finds New Luxury Community for Private Pilots & Equestrian Enthusiasts Unveiled

Owners of the 27,000-acre Red Reflet Ranch in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, are excited to unveil the Homesteads at Red Reflet Ranch, 12 private parcels offering the same high-end service and recreational activities as the famed guest ranch and luxury resort.
Ranging from 40 to 160 acres, the homesteads are now available for $435,000 to $1.225 million. Each homestead may contain one home, a guesthouse, barn and hangar pad, adjacent to the private airport, with a 5,000-foot runway. Owners will enjoy exclusive ranch club privileges and have access to all facilities and family-friendly activities, including equestrian programs, a zip line course, shooting range, natural water park, ATVs and more.

Year round, guests can wake up in well-appointed luxury cabins surrounded by million-dollar views of the Chugwater formation sandstone cliffs and the snow-capped peaks of the Bighorn National Forest.
“Red Reflet Ranch offers the best features of a real Wyoming working ranch, coupled with contemporary 5-star amenities. It’s not like any other luxury retreat or Western-style resort — it’s a destination and a way of life,” said Bob Kaplan, on-site owner of Red Reflet Ranch.

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Location: The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain

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By: Camilla McLaughlin

From the Tucson airport it’s an easy drive to Dove Mountain. The last part of the drive is a gentle climb into the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains. The trip is not long, but once you arrive at The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain you really do feel like you have left the world behind. And it doesn’t take long to realize there is something special about the setting. The feeling of serenity is almost as palpable as the scent of sage in the breeze. It’s a feeling that only comes in a place deeply rooted and in harmony with the setting.

The residences are no less authentic. Each design reflects historic forms characteristic of the High Desert — Pueblo, Spanish Colonial or Arizona Ranch — but the interpretation is contemporary with a floor plan centered around outdoor living and entertaining family and friends. Home sites range from a setting adjacent to the two Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses to open spaces that showcase the desert landscape. There are also a select number of custom estate homesites.

Nearly one third of Dove Mountain’s 6,200 acres is preserved as open space. This unique sanctuary is named after gentle Inca doves, which can be heard cooing in the evening.

Although there are 27 holes of spectacular golf and The Golf Club at Dove Mountain, on this visit in early December, it was hard to resist exploring the high Sonoran Desert. On a morning hike near Wild Burro Trail (an everyday offering), the ranger introduced us to traditions of the Hohokam people and also pointed us toward ancient petroglyphs nearby. Later, at the spa, which garners its own share of acclaim, we had the opportunity to experience the restorative power of ancient healing remedies.

It’s no surprise this resort is the only Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond hotel in Arizona. The service — from every staff member you encounter, starting the moment you arrive — is exceptional, and it extends to the owners of the residences.
At night, the patios and terraces surrounding the resort’s pools come alive with light flowing from firepits. Every evening, guests and homeowners gather for cocktails on the patio, while a Native American flutist on a distant hill plays traditional refrains to celebrate and honor the end of the day. It’s an experience that lives with you long after you leave, and one that makes you promise a return visit — or even to make The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain home.

Photos courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain

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$108 Million Ranch Reveals Rich History

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By: Kelly Potts

Las Varas Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, spans 1,800 acres of various terrains, including mountains, pastures and white sand beaches, and is what listing agent Anthony Punnett of Douglas Elliman Real Estate calls, “a direct link to the ancient past.”
Punnett states that the next owner of the property, which features a World War II-era observation post and a ranch manager’s house from the 1920s, should have a sense of the history and heritage of the area. “It’s so unspoiled, it’s as it was for hundreds of years,” says Punnett, “You can almost imagine the Spanish Galleon pulling up there.”

The ranch has two active creeks, meadows, canyons and foothills offering panoramic views of the coast and Santa Ynez Mountain range, and oak forests leading up to an 18-acre lake at the foot of the mountains. There are 520 acres of pasturelands with lemon and avocado orchards, eucalyptus, live oak and juniper, as well as manmade improvements (such as the Hacienda-style main home) that enhance the natural feel of the property. There’s also a reservoir at the top of the canyon, where one could fish and hunt. Punnett says, “It has everything you’d want to see in California, wrapped into one.”

Las Varas Ranch has two private access points onto a two-mile stretch of private beach — a rare feature that Punnett considers his favorite aspect of the property, noting that he’s never seen this before in California.
Just 15 minutes away from Montecito, 100 miles from Los Angeles and in close proximity to a regional airport, the $108 million ranch provides an ease of access that is extraordinary and unique. “There’s total privacy and seclusion, which is an interesting thing about the property, since it is so vast you could consider it your own state,” says Punnett.

“You’re living amongst nature; you can build whatever home and comforts you’d require, but at the same time, you’re in unspoiled wilderness.”

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate

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Teamwork & Technology

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By: Roger Grody
 
With global competition and technology both accelerating at unprecedented rates, elite real estate agents utilize all resources.

The days when an individual real estate agent with an overstuffed Rolodex and silver tongue could rise to the top of his or her profession have long passed. Today, it takes an entire team of professionals — interior designers, videographers and publicists to name a few — and an arsenal of cutting-edge technologies to compete in the global luxury real estate market. The industry’s elite agents are adapting to a rapidly changing environment in which teamwork and technology play equally important roles.
Technology-Assisted Sales
If this article was written just a few years ago, the greatest emphasis on technology would have been the ability to master online listing platforms and effectively employ social media. Today, those skills are a given, and technological proficiency extends far beyond maintaining a Facebook or Twitter account. Unlike in some industries, where technology threatens to replace the human touch, the real estate agent is in no jeopardy of becoming obsolete. That said, agents who fail to embrace technology will be unable to compete.
The luxury real estate market has become so globalized that it is essential for clients to be able to effectively view a prospective investment without booking an international flight. Elite agents not only concern themselves with product inventory and financial markets, but welcome any technological advance that can give them better field position.
Arguably the most significant advance in presenting listings, beyond an attractive set of photographs or traditional video tour, was a persuasive three-dimensional tour of a property developed by Silicon Valley-based Matterport in 2014. The Luxury Home Marketing provides advanced training for luxury real estate agents and offers prestigious certifications such as Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) and Million Dollar Guild, the latter recognizing members who have demonstrated sustained performance in the million dollar market.

Kevin Rochlitz, the Institute’s education and development director, explains, “We offer the tools to help elite agents better position themselves and get the results that luxury clients expect,” he states, citing both technology and teamwork. While the Institute’s sophisticated databases assist members in matching unique properties with suitable buyers, surrounding oneself with talented people is an essential part of effective marketing, acknowledges Rochlitz.
“We advise agents to look for top-level service vendors to offer all the specialties their clients might need,” referencing professionals such as interior designers for staging or drone technicians for exceptional videography. “It’s essential to have well-known architects, antique dealers and restoration specialists in your database,” says Rochlitz. “If you’re showing a client a property with a hand-carved ceiling, you need people in your portfolio that can tell you if it’s possible to restore and at what cost,” he illustrates.

Rochlitz believes agents must not only keep up with technology, but also know when and how to introduce it into the client relationship. A fan of Matterport presentations, virtual staging and elaborate mini-movies that showcase the lifestyle provided by an extraordinary property, Rochlitz insists demographics play a role. “Baby boomers and Gen Xers are technology-savvy but still like to browse through magazines, while millennials want to do everything online,” says the director.
The philosophy promoted by the Institute results in elite agents who not only process real estate transactions, but are capable of advising clients on a wide range of issues affecting their quality of life. Because international economics, architecture and design, entertaining, and art all come into play with luxury client interactions, an agent’s life outside the real estate office is definitely relevant.
“It’s all about where they’re seen,” says Rochlitz of the most successful agents. “In some markets the Junior League is a big deal, other places it’s the country club or polo club, but in all markets the best agents sit on boards of charitable organizations,” he reports. Charities provide an effective way for agents to expose themselves to luxury clients, explains Rochlitz, while in the process serving their communities.

New York interior designer Drew McGukin is part of the luxury real estate ecosystem and maintains strong symbiotic relationships with the city’s top professionals. “Brokers rely on me for expertise on lifestyle and design the way their clients rely on them for expertise on pricing and resale value,” says the designer, who explains, “They understand I provide an added layer of service.”
McGukin, who applies modern, but inviting aesthetics to some of Manhattan’s best addresses, observes that premier agents, who are exposed to hundreds of living spaces, are quite design-conscious. “To be a broker you’ve got to have a natural interest in architecture and design, and I’m always impressed with the ideas they bring to the table,” says McGukin. He is frequently consulted by agents about the cost and feasibility of design projects and accompanies clients to viewings or evaluates virtual tours they send him. Trusting his judgement, repeat clients typically ask McGukin questions such as, “Will this apartment suit my family’s lifestyle?” or “Will there be enough space for my art?”
McGukin utilizes various software applications in his practice, but the young designer still insists on some old school touches. “One negative of technology is its lack of warmth, so sometimes I’ll start with a computer-assisted image, then wrap it with sensibility and softness by hand-sketching over it, providing a sexy result,” says McGukin. He adds, “When you’re selling a dream, there’s got to be some pizazz,” a philosophy shared by many elite agents.

Home stagers are another essential part of the elite agent’s team of specialists, as effective staging can add a significant premium to the selling price of a luxury property. With a celebrity clientele and extensive experience as an interior designer, Los Angeles-based Meridith Baer is one of the most prominent stagers in the nation. “Selling real estate is about selling a lifestyle,” she contends.
Noting that the first introduction of a home often occurs online, Baer says, “Photos and videos of elegantly staged homes are more likely to capture buyers’ imaginations, igniting the passion to then visit the property.” She suggests the best staging not only dazzles, but conveys warmth and comfort, explaining, “The home that sells first is the one that speaks to the buyer’s heartstrings, makes them fall in love at first sight.”
Baer reports that elite agents understand the value of her expertise, and maintains staging can
increase the sales price by 20 percent and the speed of sale by 80 percent. “Expert staging demystifies how a room might lay out and be lived in, so affluent buyers can easily and effortlessly see themselves living there,” explains Baer.
Long before VR or AR were even vague concepts, effective photography was one of the greatest marketing tools available to luxury real estate agents, and skilled photographers continue to get homes sold. South Florida-based architectural photographer Dana Hoff, accustomed to shooting luxury residential properties, asserts that whether images are presented in a magazine or incorporated into a digital platform, the quality of photography is critical. “You have just a couple seconds to grab someone’s attention and get them to want to learn more about the property,” he says.

Hoff explains that real estate photography is a unique, highly technical specialty that a photographer skilled in shooting weddings or products cannot easily transition to, and believes sophisticated real estate agents recognize the value of his expertise. While working in Los Angeles, the photographer became a trusted collaborator with top-flight agents whose listings included $30 million estates in Beverly Hills and Bel-Air.
Reporting it was not unheard of to spend $10,000 for floral arrangements on the day of a shoot, Hoff maintains, “The elite agents understand the power of presentation.”

Photos courtesy of Matterport, RoOomy, and Meridith Baer

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Reveling In Ranch Retreats

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With sprawling acreage and the Western spirit, luxury dude and guest ranches are a new vacation trend promising an exceptional outdoor experience.

By Samantha Myers
 
 

Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana

Originating in the American West a little over 100 years ago, ranches served as lodging spots for travelers passing through while journeying over vast land and deserts. This longstanding U.S. tradition has been kept alive today with luxurious dude and guest ranches throughout the mountain states, providing an experience that incorporates time-honored ranch ideals, but in magnificent, all-inclusive vacation experiences.

Different than a guest ranch, dude ranches are where visitors are taught how to live on the ranch, including how to ride and care for horses, go fishing, and participate in activities such as rodeos and family-style meals. “Dude ranches offer a more programmed approach that embodies a more romantic notion of our country’s cowboy heritage with a strong focus on horseback riding,” says Jennifer O’Donohue, marketing and sales director for Triple Creek Ranch. “A guest ranch is a more relaxed take on the ranch experience.”
Identifying as a luxury guest ranch, Triple Creek Ranch, located in Darby, Montana, is an adults-only ranch surrounded by 4 million acres of National Forest Service land at the base of Trapper Peak, the tallest mountain in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. “We offer a rich array of Montana outdoor adventures throughout the year, and our guests enjoy the amenities, cuisine and service that they expect from a fine resort,” says O’Donohue. “Our secluded nature provides a serene retreat from which guests venture forth each day to play in our great Montana backyard, or to relax in our tranquil hideaway.”

While each ranch resort location has activities unique to their landscape, typical ones include horseback riding, hiking, fly-fishing, archery, shooting sports and most come equipped with full-service spas. One of the most coveted activities offered at Triple Creek Ranch includes sapphire panning, where guests sift through dirt at a nearby mine in search of rough gems — an experience unique to Montana, also known as the “Treasure State.”
Homesteaded in 1877, and now spread across 30,000 acres of Wyoming landscape, Brush Creek Ranch embodies the spirit of the West and still operates as a growing, working cattle ranch as it did in days past. This luxury dude ranch offers cabins ranging from new-builds to renovated historic ones and brings all the traditional aspects one might expect in a ranch immersed in nature.

Brush Creek Ranch

“We really believe in something when it comes to the ranch,” says Mike Williams, general manager at Brush Creek Ranch. “When you look out to the south side of the lodge, when you’re looking at the Sierra Madres and there’s snow on them, hay meadows, livestock.… We really know that guests come out to the West for that sense of place. They’ve seen it on TV; they’ve seen it in Westerns. They want to be outdoors, to breathe fresh air, sounds, smells, get their fingernails dirty and try new things.”
Unhindered by technology (there are no TVs in the rooms), Brush Creek aims at bringing the family together. The staff encourages guests of all expertise and ages to embrace the ranch’s saying, “Learn to do and learn to do better.” Brush Creek upholds a sophisticated activity concierge service aimed at understanding their guests’ desires for the trip and helping meet those goals alongside equipped and well-trained guides.
“I grew up in a place where you lock your doors, you lock your cars,” says Williams. “It’s not like that here in Saratoga. We’ve never issued a guest room key here. We never lock the doors. It’s just the Western way of life.”

The Home Ranch

“At The Home Ranch, it’s wide open spaces, fresh air, being in a place where you are well-served and meeting other guests, but still feeling like you have your privacy,” says General Manager Brooks Bradbury. At the year-round Clark, Colorado, ranch, dinner is served each night on common tables in the dining room, giving the chance for guests to get to know each other. The Home Ranch prepares what they call “haute mountain cuisine” for each meal, featuring farm-to-table food, where produce, herbs and meat, among others, are all raised and grown on the property.

Sustainability is a common feature for contemporary luxury ranches, and most serve organic, regionally and locally sourced and seasonally diverse food enjoyed within another rich ranch tradition of communal, family-style dinners. These, coupled with musical events, bring the historic characteristics of ranches to life everyday. Every Tuesday night at The Home Ranch, a cowboy group performs, and, in the summertime, every Wednesday following dinner, there is a barn dance featuring musicians playing country western dance music.

The Ranch at Rock Creek

“Every meal is an event,” says Steve Shotsberger, general manager of the 5-star guest ranch The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana. “We do different things every night for dinner, from a four- to six-course tasting menu, to barbecues, to supper clubs. We change the location most evenings.”
Accommodations in luxury ranches include many different options, all of which offer exquisite lodging experiences. In the case of Rock Creek, varied accommodations include granite lodges, “glamping” cabins, a 19th-century historic barn or luxury homes.
“The number one thing that resonates with me is the memories that we create,” adds Shotsberger. “It’s such a unique experience in a beautiful setting in Western Montana — our guests don’t get these anywhere. It’s a combination of absolutely wonderful product, variety in structure and architecture, followed by service. We make sure we deliver customized experiences to every guest.”

Overall, the ranches report guests typically stay four to seven days, with summer the most in-demand season, followed closely by fall. Depending on accommodations, season and number of guests, prices range from $750 to $3,000 per night.

Photos courtesy: Triple Creek Ranch, Brush Creek Ranch, The Home Ranch and The Ranch at Rock Creek

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A Holistic Ethos

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By: Kelly Potts

Galal Mahmoud creates buildings designed to connect inhabitants with their beautiful surroundings.

Galal Mahmoud was just 17 years old when he and his family were forced to leave their home in Beirut in the 1970s. Although undoubtedly a traumatizing experience, the silver lining was undeniable. His move to France exposed him to an intriguing new culture and history, leading him to study at the School of Architecture in Versailles, Paris.
“As a young student in architecture, I traveled Europe extensively and this has opened my mind and imagination to such diversified cultures and aesthetics,” he says. “It definitely allowed me to develop a natural way of immediately understanding and acknowledging every country or city I visit for my new projects.”
After studying architecture, Mahmoud had a successful partnership with Jean Pierre Heim that he finished in 1996. That same year, with a newfound appreciation for culture and travel, Mahmoud went back to his home country and founded GM Architects in Beirut. “Moving back to my country of origin with this extensive, diversified cultural background has allowed me to produce an ethos signature of my work,” he says.

Mahmoud notes that his signature ethos consists of two parts: creating a real sense of place for all of his projects that can be traced to the natural environment, and creating spaces that bring a sense of well-being, which, he says, is the essence of true and successful architecture.
Mahmoud finds inspiration for his designs in everything, from the context, local culture and history of the location he’s designing at to his travels, reading, art and fashion. He states that these creative actions are in his scope at all times. “It all boils down to creating a space that speaks the language of the location with a modern and contemporary interpretation,” he says.

This is certainly the case with one of his latest projects, a luxury resort in Morocco named Sofitel Tamuda Bay, which was designed to link the French ‘art de vivre,’ or the art of living, with the culture of the location. Mahmoud says, “This is where art and culture fuse with design and interiors.”
For this design, Mahmoud drew inspiration from the ocean and its proximity to the resort. “The vision of the sea and its closeness is present everywhere and invades the exterior spaces as well as the interiors,” he says, noting that this project truly reflects his company’s ethos of holistic design.

One major aspect of the resort that was inspired by water is a large feature sitting in the middle of the plot. Mahmoud says, “it acts as a link for the sea with the pool, greenery and leisure activities during the day and becomes a reflective element of the buildings during the night, transforming this large open space into a magical play of light and water.”
Sofitel Tamuda Bay, which Mahmoud says has allowed them to develop a rich palette of joyful and iconic colors and patterns, was inspired by “contemporary artists of the 20th century who were influenced during their careers with the Moroccan arts and crafts.” The combination of colors and patterns in the rooms, suites, restaurants and bar create unique spaces that have their own character, positively impacting those who visit.

The resort also features a large spa that offers treatments as well as in-room training lessons, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for guests. The spa features a wall of windows that allows light and ocean views into the wellbeing center. Mahmoud says, “The spa enraptures the total relaxing experience one would expect in such a venue.”
Mahmoud notes that the biggest challenge of this project was to develop a Moroccan luxury destination without falling into the expected Moroccan cliché features that are so often used. “You feel you are in Morocco without it being in your face,” he says. “It’s modern, fresh and very subtle.” Mahmoud overcame the challenges, and the Sofitel earned two prestigious honors at the World Luxury Hotel Awards in 2016.

Other impressive commissions include a seafront resort in Dubai and the renovation of the famous Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor Egypt. His latest project, the Myconian K Hotels in Mykonos, Greece, consists of three luxury resorts: the five-star Kyma, the adults-only Naia, and the Relais & Chateaux-endorsed Korali.
Mahmoud says that his main goal is to create living spaces that people will enjoy. He appreciates architecture that makes you happy and makes your life a better one, noting, “It is not about the form, but about how you live and experience it.”

Photos courtesy of Luc Boegly and Christophe Gay

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