We begin the last phases of Abama’s residential development with the privilege of vision. Historical vision, of this singular project and Tenerife’s growth over two decades. Present vision, of the international community of fascinating people drawn to Abama. And future vision, of the contributions we still hope to make to the island we call home. It is our pleasure to announce that this year, we will release our most ambitious project to date: a reflection on our own trajectory and our singular environment.
As interpreter, we have welcomed award-winning Portuguese architectural firm Aires Mateus to the helm. Their arresting work balances abstraction of form with human warmth, harking back to our primitive need for communion, and our equal need for wonder.
“Humans have always built shelters, and construction is a simple act,” comments Manuel Aires Mateus, one of the firm’s founders. “Architecture has the capacity to transform this simple act into something that holds meaning.”
In Tenerife, meaning can only be derived from nature: the endless ocean vistas, the ancient orography, and the boundless biodiversity that have captivated us for millennia. When we build at Abama, our objective is to eliminate the distractions of the modern world and redirect our sights to these incredible gifts. To let the light pour into our homes, the warmth drift in through open walls, and the landscape fill our vision.
These residences will recall the way islanders have always built: in clusters of homes that hug the land, because skyscrapers aren’t required when you’re elevated by the topography itself. Where you can feel, as Aires Mateus hopes, that “everything between the earth and the sky belongs to you.” It’s an incredible luxury built not on opulence but on space and time.
The interior design firm of Mexican-born Alejandro Escudero will weave the context for this vision, the point of view from which we can see. His designs soften the divide between interior and exterior by bringing the outside in, using materials that are a meditation on the Earth itself. “Tenerife’s palette requires no embellishment. The colors of its vegetation and volcanic terrain are all the tools we need.”
Escudero’s work gently refocuses our sights towards what elevates us, while grounding us in our environment. “Every piece of furniture we choose is a whole unto itself: balanced, thoughtful, and made to last. We choose materials and textiles that gain character and beauty with age. That let us live and grow with our families over time, as the landscape inspires us.”
In building upon the warmth of wood, and the strength and textures of stone, durability becomes a synonym for sustainability. We take our energy from the sun, our respite from the shade and the breeze, surrounding ourselves with the native vegetation that provides this place with its unique character. This project is a distillation of the wonder Tenerife engenders, and a return to where we began.
We are thrilled to present these signature homes, drawn by a hand that lets the Earth speak for itself. This is Aires de Abama.
