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Jaime Salvá

SPAIN - Real Estate & Construction

Jaime Salvá

Director, Jaime Salvá Architecture and Interior Design

Bio

After studying for an architecture degree in Barcelona, Jaime Salvá moved to the US, where he worked at Korth Sunseri Hagey architects. Upon his return to Spain in 2006, Salvá opened his own studio on Paseo del Borne. Since then, he has designed numerous projects for promoters, investment funds, and private clients, from Mallorcan families to elite athletes and internationally successful entrepreneurs. In 2016, he was one of the four founders of Palma Urban Developments S.L.

JAIME SALVÁ Architecture & Interior design is a Mallorcan architectural and interior design firm delivering distinctive and timeless design solutions.

How has your company evolved over its 15 years in business, and which projects have stood out?

I established the company in 2006. At the time I was working in San Francisco and returned to Spain and set up the office. In the architecture sector, it is difficult to get clients to notice you at the outset. Ultimately, you can only showcase your abilities with completed projects to convince potential clients that you are a viable option. It is important to keep in mind that it takes three or four years from the time you start planning a project to the time you finish it. Fortunately, the demand for projects that reach the office is so high that it gives me the opportunity to choose the ones in which I am most interested in working, especially large villas. In the beginning, it is normal to start working for family and friends. Word of mouth is fundamental. In 2008, the financial crisis hit hard in Spain, and the demand for projects slumped. There were many architects for a few projects. That situation made everything more difficult, but we managed to sustain our momentum. The evolution of the firm has been on the rise since 2012. Each year has been better than the previous one since then. Many of the projects are single-family detached homes, and this is where our flagship projects are. Our firm has been working on multi-family housing work, especially over the past five years, as there has been demand in the market. Currently, we are seeing much increase for real estate in the island being driven by investment funds that are seeing Mallorca as a great destination for investment. We have designed numerous projects for promoters, investment funds, and private clients, from Mallorcan families to elite athletes or internationally successful entrepreneurs.

How did COVID-19 affect your demand for projects and the overall real estate sector of the island?

Surprisingly, work has increased. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, foreigners have been all the more eager to live on an island in the sun. They want to have a garden, a swimming pool and live in a place where they can do outdoor sports. We have seen a lot of interest from foreigners to have their second home here. There are many foreigners who work in England or Germany during the week and then come to their second home in Mallorca for the weekend. And this situation has only grown with remote working. In fact, remote working has made many of these second homes into first homes. Because of COVID-19, there is now considerable demand for houses with outdoor spaces, gardens, and a place to work. Videoconferencing means that people require a separate space to work. These are some of the things we are looking at today.

What types of architectural designs are more sought after in Mallorca?

Mallorca is becoming a hub for architecture and design in Spain, given the availability of funds for investment and innovation. Among the 300 most significant architectural firms in Spain, many are located in Mallorca. There is much potential to develop the island, and what people are looking for with these properties is exclusivity. There is also heavy demand for integrated home automation services that allow residents to set devices such as air-conditioning or heating remotely as they board a plane. In Mallorca, there is now a push toward building more sustainably, and from our firm we want to provide more sustainability options in the house. Fortunately, regulations are increasingly focused on sustainability. Secondly, an important factor is the guild’s responsibility to advance sustainability issues. Sustainability should be implicit in good architecture. Another factor is technology, as houses have evolved significantly in terms of home automation, and insulation for heat conservation, and ecological illumination.

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