A coast finally producing its own architecture
For thirty years the default Marbella villa was a pastiche of Andalusian colonial — white walls, curved arches, terracotta tiles, wrought iron. The last decade has produced something genuinely new: a contemporary coastal vernacular that mixes Mediterranean modernism with a Californian openness and a Japanese restraint. These five studios are doing most of the interesting work in 2026.
1. Manuel Ruiz Moriche
The single most influential contemporary architect on the coast. The signature: long horizontal volumes, framed sea views, white render against travertine and steel. His Sierra Blanca and La Zagaleta villas regularly top €15M on resale.
2. González & Jacobson Arquitectura
A larger studio with a deeper range — from contemporary Marbella villas to branded-residence master plans. The team behind several of the most photographed new villas on the New Golden Mile.
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Start matching3. ARK Architects
Known for sculptural, almost gallery-like residences in Sierra Blanca and Los Flamingos. Heavy use of stone, exposed concrete and indoor-outdoor flow.
4. UDesign
The dominant villa-design studio in La Zagaleta. Their projects sit somewhere between Bond-villain glamour and serious contemporary architecture — and they have built more €20M+ trophy villas in the last decade than anyone else.
5. Tobal Arquitectos
A smaller, more restrained studio doing some of the best modest-budget contemporary work — particularly in Cancelada, El Paraíso and Estepona's New Golden Mile.
Why this matters for buyers
A villa designed by one of these five studios carries a measurable resale premium (typically 10–18%) over an equivalent build by a generic developer. If you are buying for the long term, the architect's name on the plans is worth as much due diligence as the plot itself.
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