WELCOME
Dear Reader, n Italian magazine recently asked me whether I could name an object I virtually never put down. The answer wasn’t difficult: my smartphone. Like most people, I don’t just use it to make and receive calls. I send emails, check the news or use an app to call a cab. My smartphone has become indispensible. Just like my laptop, which allows me to work when I am traveling on business. It is quite astonishing how modern technology has taken over our private and professional lives. This is also true in the world of real estate. These days, there is hardly a penthouse or modern residence that has not been fitted with a smart home system allowing you to easily, and remotely, control the heating, lights, blinds and other features via your smartphone or tablet computer. Smart home systems also link up individual devices and make living more sustainable. Energy efficiency is important for many of our clients. Architects around the globe are increasingly banking on sustainable construction methods and materials such as wood. The world’s tallest mass-timber high-rise is currently going up in Vancouver, Canada. A sustainable approach to real estate is all the more important in light of the growing global population, especially in large urban centers, where we face the challenge of satisfying the strong demand for properties without cutting back on convenience or modern amenities. Micro-apartments represent a possible solution. Here, private amenity space is scaled back to the essentials, while non-quotidian activities are transferred to communal areas. So, the trend towards the sharing economy is now making itself felt in real estate, and singles and commuters have increasingly been discovering micro-apartments. When designing micro-apartment buildings, the needs of future occupants must be taken into account, as they can be as discerning as the residents of regular apartments. But no matter how you intend to live in the near future, the properties on the following pages are sure to inspire you. Sincerely
PHOTO: CHRISTIAN SCHOPPE
Christian Völkers
8
www.gg-magazine.com