By Francois Coertze, Co-founder of Coertze & Clacher
Redefining Luxury: From Aesthetic to Purpose
For as long as I can remember, luxury has been defined by beauty, exquisite craftsmanship, rare materials, and spaces designed to inspire awe. I’ve spent my career surrounded by this kind of beauty, from the precision of superyacht interiors to the calm symmetry of Mediterranean villas. But over the years, I’ve come to realise that beauty alone is no longer enough.
True luxury today must go deeper. It must ask not only how something is made, but why. Who benefits? What legacy does it leave behind? Luxury, to me, should not exist in isolation, it should contribute meaningfully to the world around it.
Nowhere is this shift more visible than here in Mallorca, an island long loved for its natural splendour and cosmopolitan spirit. Once a showcase for grand statements and architectural bravado, Mallorca is now leading a quieter, more profound evolution, one where design and responsibility are inseparable.
At Coertze & Clacher, the company I co-founded with my wife Jess and our partners Rachel and David Clacher, we call this philosophy luxury with purpose. It underpins everything we do, from the way we site a building to the materials we source and the communities we support.
Beauty Rooted in Integrity and Place
Every one of our homes begins with the landscape. We start by listening to the contours of the land, the direction of the wind, the way the light shifts throughout the day. Rather than imposing a design, we allow the terrain to shape it. This approach not only honours Mallorca’s fragile environment but also ensures each home feels as if it has always belonged there.
Our material palette tells its own story. We work with local stone, lime render and timber, materials that breathe, that age gracefully, that speak of place. Many are crafted by Mallorcan artisans whose skills have been passed down through generations. We don’t simply reference their traditions; we revive them, giving ancient techniques a contemporary voice.
The interiors are designed to capture the essence of Mediterranean life luminous, tactile and open to the outdoors. Gardens bloom with native flora, restoring local biodiversity and reducing water use. Technology is seamlessly integrated too: renewable energy systems, water recycling, and smart energy management come as standard, not as luxuries.
This is beauty grounded in integrity, homes that function flawlessly, age gracefully, and tread lightly. Sustainability, for us, isn’t a constraint on creativity. It’s a foundation for it.
When Luxury Becomes a Force for Good
Yet our commitment goes beyond materials and methods. Luxury, I believe, carries responsibility. If we are privileged to create extraordinary homes in extraordinary locations, we must also give something back to the communities that sustain them.
That’s why every Coertze & Clacher project contributes a portion of its profits to affordable housing initiatives across Mallorca. This model allows us, and our clients, to participate in a cycle of positive impact. A villa sale doesn’t just symbolise exclusivity; it helps fund a home for someone who might otherwise be priced out of the island they love.
It’s a small but meaningful way to bridge the gap between privilege and purpose. As Rachel often says, “Luxury with purpose is not an add-on. It’s at the heart of everything we do.”
A New Kind of Luxury Buyer in Europe
We’re seeing this mindset reflected across Europe. Affluent buyers are becoming more discerning, not just in taste but in conscience. They want beauty that lasts, design that respects, and homes that tell a story larger than themselves. The new definition of luxury is not spectacle or scale, but substance.
In Mallorca, this has created a fascinating evolution. The island remains a haven of elegance, but its most desirable addresses now speak softly, through craftsmanship, through authenticity, through a sense of belonging. A Coertze & Clacher home, I hope, stands for that new kind of exclusivity: one defined not by excess, but by empathy.
Luxury today must prove its worth — not only to its owners but to its surroundings. Our homes celebrate the island’s traditions, but they are designed for the future: future climates, future generations, and a future in which beauty and responsibility are inseparable.
Luxury with Purpose: Homes That Give Back
When I reflect on what we’re building, I see more than architecture. I see a movement, towards living beautifully and meaningfully. Towards homes that nurture rather than consume, that express individuality without ignoring community.
This is what luxury means now: beauty with integrity, design with empathy, and exclusivity with purpose.
Because in the end, the truest luxury of all is not what we own, but what we contribute.
