In recent years, they have become a sort of side project for major luxury brands, including auto brands like Aston Martin, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and more recently, Mercedes Benz, all of whom have completed or are constructing luxury skyscrapers and complexes in different parts of the world.

Porsche too has taken this path, but its recent project with Austrian timber construction specialist, GRIFFNER, has seen it veer off into exciting territory that may signal the start of a new era for luxury auto-branded residential projects.

The Floating House: A Studio F. A. Porsche x GRIFFNER Exclusive Project

Over the years, prefabricated homes have been praised for their ability to be energy efficient, cheaper (due to reduced labour costs) and faster to construct, among other benefits. However, for different reasons, most tend to be rather compact, making them unattractive to homeowners seeking a much larger space.

Porsche and GRIFFNER seem to have managed to overcome this challenge.

The Floating House — the name of the Porsche-designed Prefab for GRIFFNER – is a two-storey modular residential home that gets its name from the hand-applied black glass tiles that encompass the entire exterior of the ground floor, making it almost invisible and giving the impression that the first floor is floating on air. Because it is modular, endless possibilities for customisation and extension exist, thus allowing the house to break free from the space constraints that typically keep prefabs small.

Outside, glass and wood are the major materials used in the construction of the Floating House, and these continue their domination inside, from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the glass and wooden floating stairs, wooden floors and glass and wooden fixtures everywhere. The rooms measure up to 5.58 metres in height and are open-plan, making them appear even larger than they originally are.

On the ground floor are the living room, a formal dining room, an open kitchen with a breakfast bar, and a games room that comes equipped with the 247 billiard table. Upstairs are the bedrooms with large terraces for even more space.

Per Porsche, “Only authentic and sustainable materials of the highest quality, such as wood and glass, are used. The Floating House features other design highlights created by Studio F. A. Porsche from brands such as Duravit (Qatego bathroom series), LIGHT-POINT (INLAY and BLADE lighting collection), [and] HAFI (Premium Design door handles).”

How much does the Floating House cost?

Because of its modular design, you can get the Floating House in whatever size you want, including two such modules attached. The smallest version is 180 square meters (1,937 square feet) and costs €1.17 million. Any expansion to this size or further customisation would drive prices upwards, although it is not immediately clear how much this would be. Porsche says that the shell is completed in about two weeks, but the home is ready to be occupied within five to seven months, depending on the level of customisation involved.

An apartment in a branded skyscraper might not be everyone’s cup of tea, even if the brands insist that they offer the utmost luxury and privacy anyone can ever wish for. But a prefabricated home? Now, that’s entirely different, and considering that Porsche and GRIFFNER are promising endless customisation options for the Floating House that do not sacrifice luxury, branded prefabricated luxury homes might be the next hot real estate project for other luxury auto brands soon.

The post The Floating House by Porsche and GRIFFNER Might Just be the Home for You first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post The Floating House by Porsche and GRIFFNER Might Just be the Home for You appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Hyper personalisation and exclusivity in luxury travel

First-class cabins used to be considered the pinnacle of luxury travel, but all that changed when airlines started offering points and rewards to frequent flyers, and the exclusivity it once promised all but vanished. Private jets quickly filled that position and became the better option for wealthy passengers seeking relative comfort and privacy.

With sustainability at the top of everyone’s minds today, affluent travellers are returning to commercial airlines. But not necessarily to first-class cabins. These are now almost non-existent and have been replaced by premium accommodations and upgraded business-class spaces that offer better privacy, more ‘à la carte’ options and increased comfort thanks to newer technologies. For example, Etihad’s exclusive Residence and Emirates’ private suites, both of which employ the latest tech and trends to enable passengers personalise their cabins however way they feel best.

Per Deloitte, travelling via a superyacht is the most preferred means of transport for the very rich because of the exclusivity it offers, in addition of course to other benefits which include “high-end interior design to bespoke onboard services and amenities … [that allow the rich unfettered access to] the highest form of privacy and personalisation.”

Hyper-personalisation and exclusivity in the hospitality and tourism industries

The hospitality industry has been rather quick to embrace the concept of hyper-personalisation, offering distinct solutions ranging from targeted messages aimed at different customer segments to incorporating novel tech that allows guests to customise their rooms to their tastes. Some hotels and resorts even suggest local and authentic activities and attractions via a dedicated app; others include special requests from guests, like getting a particular chef to provide meals throughout their stay.

But for the very affluent, even this is not enough.

It is not enough to sleep on the most exquisite bed surrounded by the finest luxury amenities. High-end wellness packages, designed to improve everything health-wise from sleep to mindfulness are the new normal.

It is not enough to enjoy the finest local cuisine: cooking classes from Michelin-starred chefs; wine pairings featuring unique ‘boissons’ from small, domestic chateaux; and bespoke culinary experiences tailored to each guest’s individual needs are now on the menu for the ultra-rich.

Family vacations may still be in, but for affluent travellers, multi-generational travel or large-group vacations with loved ones are on the rise, leading to an increased demand for exclusive, fully-staffed villas and hotels, private residences, bespoke camps, and, standalone suites. Large group travel also means an uptick in the demand for exclusive yacht charters and private jets.

And what do you give to an experienced traveller who has been to almost every country in the world? Perhaps a private safari and a chance to have a one-on-one encounter with the animals; or trekking the iconic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with a dedicated guide, or even camping and experiential expeditions in Antarctica are in order.

Hyper-personalised and exclusive luxury services

As the ultra-rich engage in a race against time to balance all the aspects of their very busy lives, getting their hands on limited-edition products, highly-coveted-yet-restricted luxury goods or even putting together the itinerary of a different kind of trip is a mission-impossible task.

Enter the specialists experienced in solving this challenge.

In the luxury beauty and fashion world, these specialists have chosen to be known as Fashion Sourcers, per Vogue. Fashion sourcers are upgraded personal shoppers who ‘offer a fresh, hyper-personalised retail model for luxury’s top spenders … providing almost 24-hour, one-stop-shop luxury retail, with virtually no limits, all via Whatsapp or Instagram DM.’

When the affluent need a Birkin 35 in ebene Barenia calfskin leather and palladium hardware, instead of suing Hermès when they cannot get their hands on one, they simply engage the services of a trusted fashion sourcer who is sure to get one from their vast network of connections globally.

A bespoke luxury travel specialist provides an equally sought-after service in the travel and hospitality industry. Like every other person, the very rich have their quirks, and even more so since they have the funds to make them happen. But not even they can put together a ridiculously unusual vacation on their own; for example, go on a holiday modelled after a particular action movie and get the same cinematographer who worked on the film to cover your trip and produce a video just like the movie.

While there is an increased clamour from aspirationals and outsiders to democratise luxury, stakeholders who truly understand that this can never be the case are creating more barriers to entry, making modern-day luxury more exclusive and hyper-personalised than ever before.

The post Luxury is Becoming Increasingly Exclusive. And Hyper-personalised first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Luxury is Becoming Increasingly Exclusive. And Hyper-personalised appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.