smartphone and smart lock

The best smart locks: Security and convenience

House or apartment doors can be conveniently opened and locked electronically with the innovative smart locks. Anyone who has ever stood at the front door with full shopping bags looking for the front door key knows what advantages this can have. 

Elegant Italian villa with classical architecture featuring arched loggia, formal Renaissance gardens with manicured hedgerows, decorative urns, rectangular reflecting pool, and mature pine trees under blue sky

Villa, chalet, mansion: what’s the difference?

When perusing our property listings, you’ll see many terms used to describe stately homes, including villa, chalet and mansion. While all are quite luxurious, there are distinct differences between the three types of property. If you’ve always wondered what is the difference between a mansion and chalet, find out below.

Scenic view of Eden Rock hotel built into coastal cliffs, featuring red-roofed villas cascading down to a private dock with boats, overlooking turquoise Caribbean waters.

Rocking St. Barths

It was love at first sight when, a good twenty years ago, David Matthews discovered the legendary Eden Rock Hotel on its striking perch from his vantage point on a yacht in St. Jean Bay. The hotel above the distinctive rock was one of the 100 best hotels in the world until Hurricane Irma almost completely destroyed the establishment in 2017. In the meantime, however, the hotel has been extensively renovated and reopened and has lost none of its original splendour. The English entrepreneur on the bold vision that transformed his establishment into one of the best on this most glamorous of Caribbean islands.

  • 9 min read
  • 28.02.2020
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Fallingwater - The famous house over the waterfall by Frank Lloyd Wright. A modern architectural masterpiece from the 1930s with characteristic horizontal concrete planes, a striking stone chimney and large window fronts, embedded in lush greenery and built over a natural waterfall.

The philosophy behind iconic Frank Lloyd Wright architecture

Deemed the ‘greatest American architect of all time’ in a 1991 survey by the American Institute of Architects, Frank Lloyd Wright was a true visionary. He believed in the power of connecting architecture with its inhabitants, stating once that ‘the mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilisation’.

People bike down a wide street in Paris, France. Buildings line both sides of the street.

The 15-minute city - infrastructural developments

Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to completely redesign the city centre of Paris. In this way, the streets are to be made available only to pedestrians and cyclists and the inner city is to be made as car-free as possible. Not only would air pollution be significantly reduced, this would also considerably improve the quality of life of the people living there.

Construction site showing modern residential buildings under development with scaffolding, wooden framework, partially completed structures, and existing brick townhouses in background under blue sky with white clouds and bright sunlight

6 reasons why your construction project will take longer than planned

If you’re embarking on a construction project, be prepared for delays. With multiple tasks, communication methods and contractors involved, projects can easily fall behind. Here are a few reasons why you should expect your project to last longer than initially planned, as well as some suggestions to help mitigate hold-ups.

A beautifully designed tiny house featuring a modern kitchen with wooden countertops, open shelving, and industrial pendant lighting. The open-concept layout leads to a cozy living area with large windows, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere.

Minimalist living: What is it like to live in a tiny house?

Tiny houses, also known as micro or mini houses, represent a new living trend from the USA and have been enjoying increasing popularity since the financial crisis of 2007. Typically, the living space is less than 40 square metres - often considerably less. Not only the usable area is of modest dimensions, but also the minimalist and functional interior design. In addition, many tiny houses have a chassis and are mobile, making them suitable for a flexible and location-independent lifestyle.

Modern buildings by a lake, surrounded by trees and reeds, with clear sky reflections in the water.

What is a zero carbon building?

Energy consumption and energy efficient buildings have been a hot topic for some time now. Climate change is increasingly a concern in almost all sectors of life, but especially the construction sector; the focus on a sustainable future has never been more intense. As such, it’s likely that we’ve all read something around the subject of green buildings and sustainable buildings, but have you heard of zero carbon buildings? What precisely is a net zero carbon building and who is developing such projects?

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Professional in a gray suit and white shirt smiling confidently while holding a smartphone, standing in front of classical white buildings with arched windows and elegant architectural details.
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Engel & Völkers Germany

Vancouverstraße 2a

20457 Hamburg, Germany

Tel: +49 40 361310