After studying design and urban planning in London, where she later worked in an urban planning consultancy for several years, Francesca Heathcote is now a partner in the architecture and design studio founded by her mother, Teresa Sapey, in 1990, Teresa Sapey + Partners. Together they work for large hotel chains, such as Radisson, Room Mate, Petit Palace or NhOW, and well-known brands, such as Reebok, Ikea or Gancedo, as well as for the luxury residential sector.
There is a lot of talk about hybrid spaces, but are cities and societies ready for them? As an urban planner, where should cities evolve to adapt to and facilitate the changes brought about by new patterns of living?
We live in a world that is constantly and rapidly changing, so the need to design and create hybrid and flexible spaces is fundamental, as well as an architectural and spatial response to the great need to generate more sustainable environments, creating versatile and multi-faceted spaces that can be reused and recycled more easily. I believe that cities, businesses, and people have been ready for this for a long time, because, at their core, they are spatial typologies that respond to social needs and ambitions. For us, designing hybrid spaces does not mean saying yes to everything, but it does imply proposing strategic, sustainable and inclusive solutions. And, very importantly, versatility should not become an excuse to drastically reduce the dimensions of dwellings or offices.
From the city to the building, the changes experienced in recent years have brought with them a reinvention of hospitality environments as multipurpose places with endless possibilities. How has the studio experienced this change? What are the main trends in this sector?
In the hospitality sector we are seeing the accentuation of four trends that have been making their way for several years now:
Every hotel, even those belonging to large chains, wants a 'differentiating concept', an identity of its own that the project embodies through design and architecture in order to offer different and unique experiences;
The integration of technological solutions that are easy to use and accessible to users to optimise and improve the quality of the experience;
How have these changes affected the residential sector and what are the main characteristics of the new homes?
We have seen how the pandemic has accelerated the implementation of a series of changes in the residential sector as well. The house has suddenly become a hybrid space that functions as a cinema, restaurant, school, gymnasium, home office.... It is a very stimulating moment to develop new concepts of the home: more human, fairer, more welcoming, more liveable, and more hybrid. Housing is once again taking centre stage, at a time when personalised and measure-made housing for all types of families and needs is being reclaimed.
Although a priori the luxury residential sector may seem opposed to the philosophy of coliving, the studio has worked on projects that combine both concepts. What has been your experience?
A few years ago we finished developing a luxury housing development in Madrid where we decided to take advantage of the common areas to outsource some uses, such as the spa, the gym, the wine cellar or the cinema, and thus make better use of the private square metres of each of the homes.
Although we are aware of how luxury is intensifying, at the studio we are also living and working on projects that provide for a democratisation of quality in which we firmly believe. High quality projects can be carried out without being luxury, and it is essential to defend the importance of access to it, especially in housing and in the spaces that we all inhabit in our daily lives.
Modular' and 'customisable' are two terms that we hear a lot lately. Although a priori they seem incompatible, you have managed to combine them in your projects. Is it possible to customize from the modular?
Of course it is. For us, modular is not synonymous with homogeneous. In fact, we have just launched an industrialised home for Ecotech House, the Apolo House, where there are three main distribution options and all the finishes, colours, bathroom fittings, taps and many other elements are completely customisable. And although the 'modular' concept is now very much in vogue, for us it is usually synonymous with a 'practical' solution, especially in new residential projects and hotels.
You have gone from designing cities from London to creating spaces, even objects, at Teresa Sapey + Partners. Can furniture facilitate hybrid uses that are at the same time unique? How do you incorporate other disciplines, such as art or furniture design, into architecture to create memorable spaces in these new lifestyles that demand more creativity and versatility?
The history of furniture is fascinating and each design or object arises in response to a specific need or function. Today, the need to produce hybrid furniture responds on the one hand to contemporary spatial and social demands, while at the same time allowing it to be reused in a more efficient and obvious way. It is important to highlight how 'hybrid' does not mean anonymous and a hybrid design can be unique at the same time.
Every project, for us, is unique. We always try to make our starting point multidisciplinary, approaching each new project by listening and looking at it from different perspectives and disciplines. Art, music, history, fashion, anthropology... we live in a multifaceted world, and if we want to project for this world, we have to start from diversity and land on it.
How can a space make us feel? Can spaces become experiences of wellbeing? What role do aspects that until recently were secondary and have become essential, such as colour, nature, smells and textures, play in this?
Spaces can make us feel in many different ways, and how we make people feel through our designs and the kind of experiences we create are major responsibilities and even pillars of our studio's philosophy. All the elements that create, as a whole, that space, that experience and those sensations, are important and have to go hand in hand to create a place of well-being. Colour, nature, smells and textures are not final touches, they are discussed, thought and valued from the beginning of the project and hand in hand with other aspects such as light, ventilation, space or circulation. It is essential to be clear about the purpose of each space and its raison d'être.
As designers and architects, do you include design from a gender perspective in your projects and creative processes? Is the gender perspective a tool that identifies and makes these inequalities visible, and allows you to design more inclusive spaces?
In our projects we try to incorporate all kinds of inclusive and accessible perspectives. We firmly believe in the diversity of perspectives, in the importance of their representation in everyday space, and in their communication through design. But it is essential not to be complacent, it is not enough to represent inequality in space for it to be accepted or equalised. It is one more step, but it goes hand in hand with multiple strategies that have to take place at various scales.
As the second generation of the studio, what are the challenges and opportunities ahead, where would you like to take Teresa Sapey's legacy?
It is an honour to be the second generation of my mother's studio and to do it with her by my side, guiding me, teaching me, accompanying me through her genius in the day-to-day running of the studio. I think it is a unique opportunity because it is about living in a constant and enriching dialogue with her, with our team, with our clients, with the places we work in, with the disciplines we cover.... I have always been a firm believer in the power of dialogue and I have always been a great sceptic of monologues.
I hope to be able, together with Teresa and the team, to allow the legacy to continue, to evolve, to grow and to never stop considering how to bring added value through each of its interventions.
About our Privacy Policy and personal data processing
This Privacy Policy explains what types of personal data ACTIU collects from its clients, contacts, suppliers, collaborators and candidates for job offers, why it collects said data and for what purposes. By way of definition, personal data is any information that can be used to identify a specific (natural) person. The personal data that you are going to provide us will be incorporated into a file owned by our company for the purposes and in the terms set forth below.
This processing is subject to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), as well as ORGANIC LAW 3/2018, of December 5, on the Protection of Personal Data and guarantee of digital rights and its implementing regulations, in the event that said data refers to Spanish citizens.
Data Controller
The Data Controller responsible for processing your personal data is ACTIU BERBEGAL Y FORMAS, S.A. (ACTIU).
Address: Parque Tecnológico Actiu, Autovía CV-80, salida Onil-Castalla, 03420 Castalla (Alicante).
Company Tax Code: A03137874..
Telephone: +34 966 560 700
You can contact the Data Protection Officer for any questions related to the processing of your personal data at: lopd@actiu.com
What types of personal data does ACTIU collect?
ACTIU collects the data that is strictly necessary to manage the relationships established with its clients, contacts, suppliers and collaborators. In any case, the data collected will be adequate and not excessive for the purpose for which it is processed, and it will be processed fairly and lawfully, and with due care.
The type of information that we could collect will depend on the type of relationship that ACTIU establishes with each user. In general, the most common categories are the following:
Purposes of personal data processing. Why do we need your personal data?
If we collect your personal data, we may need it for various reasons and depending on ACTIU's activities, including the following:
The personal data that you provide through the forms enabled on the website or any other means of contact will be processed in order to respond to your questions and requests. When necessary, we will send your request internally to the corresponding department for it to be managed correctly.
We will use your data to send you communications of interest if you have subscribed to our newsletter, communication of events, offers or any other type of service provided by ACTIU.
The personal data that you provide when you maintain a relationship as an ACTIU client will be processed for the following purposes: client management, product sales, order processing, compliance with tax and accounting obligations, sending quality surveys and communications of interest. In this regard, this group of data subjects also includes the data that is provided of contact persons at companies that is necessary to maintain the relationship.
Lawfulness: The legal basis for the processing of your data is the existence of a contractual relationship and ACTIU's legitimate interest in sending you communications of interest in relation to its sales prospecting activity to generate new business opportunities and customer loyalty, as well as to improve its services.
The personal data that you provide us with when you maintain collaborative relationships and/or as an ACTIU supplier will be processed for the general management of suppliers (registration of suppliers, management of contracts, orders and payments, etc.), for compliance with tax and accounting obligations, and to maintain a database of contacts for future contracts and/or collaborations.
Legal standing: The legal basis for the processing of your data is the existence of a contractual relationship.
The personal data that you provide us with when you sign up for a contest or event will be processed to manage the event (registrations, participation, voting, giveaways, event logistics, publication of information and images and related activities), and to send information related to the event or communications about future events and activities of interest. Keep in mind that, if you register to participate in an event, ACTIU may share basic information about the participants (name, company and email address) with other participants in the same event for the purposes of communication, exchange of ideas and networking.
Legal standing: The legal basis for the processing of your data is the consent that you give us when you register for the contest or event and ACTIU's legitimate interest in keeping you informed in regards thereto.
In these cases, a specific Privacy Policy may be established depending on each event, which you will be informed of at the time of registration.
ACTIU may invite you to participate in questionnaires and surveys. These questionnaires and surveys will generally be designed in such a way that they can be answered without adding any personal data. If, despite this, you include any personal data in a questionnaire or survey, ACTIU may use it to improve its products and services.
Legal standing: The legal basis for the processing of your data is the consent that you give us when you complete the survey or questionnaire and ACTIU's legitimate interest in improving its products and services.
To access the facilities of the ACTIU GROUP companies, we may request that you identify yourself in the visitor log. The purpose of the processing of your data is to control visitors and manage external personnel who access the buildings.
Legal standing: The legal basis for the processing of your data is ACTIU's legitimate interest in controlling access to its facilities and their security.
ACTIU has closed-circuit video surveillance cameras. The purpose of processing your image is the video surveillance and security of its facilities.
Legal standing: The legal basis for the processing of your data is ACTIU's legitimate interest in protecting the security of our facilities.
The data that you provide us when you apply for a job offer or when you send us a curriculum vitae (CV), will be processed for the following purposes:
Legal standing: The legal basis for the processing of your data is your own consent, which is granted by sending your resume and accepting the privacy conditions
At ACTIU we will process your personal data with strict confidentiality, promising to keep it secret and guaranteeing the duty to protect it, adopting all the necessary measures to prevent its alteration, inappropriate loss, unauthorised processing or access, misuse, access, disclosure or destruction, in accordance with the legal obligations that apply to us as the controllers of your personal data. To protect this personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry best practices.
Data retention
The data will be kept, in the case of clients or suppliers and their employees, for the duration of the contractual relationship and, subsequently, during the legal terms established by law for the prescription of contractual obligations, as well as for issues related to accounting and tax legislation. In all other cases, the data will be kept based on the conditions established for its collection, for the amount of time that is required to achieve the purpose for which it has been processed or until you withdraw your consent, object to the use of the data or inform us of your wish to erase it from our database.
In the case of images captured by our video surveillance systems, said images will be kept for a maximum period of one month.
In the case of sound, video and other image recordings, they may be kept for educational, informational and/or promotional reasons (internally and externally) for a longer period of time, especially if they have been published on portals, networks or other media. In such case, the personal data will be restricted to that which is strictly necessary for the maintenance of said information.
Disclosure
We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you violate our terms of service.
When your consent is required to communicate your personal data to third parties, in the data collection forms we will inform you of the purpose of the processing, of the data to be communicated as well as the identity or sectors of activity of the possible recipients of your personal data.
Data processing by third parties
We inform you that ACTIU's service providers may have access to your data when necessary for the management of the services provided or contractual relationships established with ACTIU, as well as for the maintenance of its systems (financial entities, data storage, computer support and systems maintenance, and legal, tax or accounting consulting services). Some of these companies could be located outside the European Union, so we will make sure that these providers comply with the guarantee requirements demanded by the applicable regulations on the protection of personal data. If you wish to request information about the providers with access to your data, you can contact us at lopd@actiu.com.
In the event that you contact us through one of our forms, either to request information of any kind or to purchase any of our products or services, in order to answer your questions or analyse your needs in a personalised way, we can answer you directly or through the members of our network of distributors or collaborators in your place of residence.
All the entities referred to in this section will use this data for the same purposes and subject to the same conditions specified in this Privacy Policy.
ACTIU undertakes to maintain the confidentiality of the personal data provided, as well as to apply the security measures provided for in Spanish and European regulations, and to require third parties to whom the data is communicated to adopt identical measures.
Location of the information
All personal data related to the organisation and management of events is stored in computer apps and on secure servers, as well as in specific electronic folders accessible only to authorised persons. ACTIU's systems and servers are password protected and require an authorised username and password to access them. The information is stored securely to safeguard the confidentiality and privacy of the data it contains. Paper documents are kept in secure cabinets or files.
Likewise, all persons who handle personal data within ACTIU sign a declaration of confidentiality.
User rights
Your rights as a user in relation to the personal data that you have provided us with (commonly known as ARCO-POL rights) are the following:
These rights differ depending on the local data protection laws in each country, state or territory. However, they may include more or fewer of the above rights.
If you believe that ACTIU is not processing your personal data in accordance with the requirements specified in this Privacy Policy or in the applicable data protection legislation, you can file a claim with the Spanish data protection authorities (Spanish Data Protection Agency).
Links to other websites
Our website or any of our social media postings may contain links to websites outside of our company. In these cases, ACTIU is not responsible for the privacy policies or the content of such sites. We recommend carefully reading the privacy conditions of such websites and social networks.
Changes to the Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time and without prior notice, especially due to possible changes in legislation, case law or the criteria used by the competent authority or the Spanish Data Protection Agency, therefore we recommend visiting this policy frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately after their publication on the website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated.
Questions and contact information
For any questions or concerns, you can contact us through any of our available communication channels.
However, to exercise your ARCO-POL rights or to register a complaint, you can contact our DPO at lopd@actiu.com, or by postal mail to ACTIU BERBEGAL Y FORMAS, S.A., Parque Tecnologico Actiu, Autovia CV.80 - Salida Onil-Castalla P.O.BOX, 11, 03420 Castalla (Alicante).
Cookies Policy
You can visit our Cookies Policy here
JOB SELECTION PROCESSES
Deletion period
The data will be kept for a maximum period of 2 years from its incorporation into our database or from its last update or modification carried out or requested by the candidate, being subsequently deleted or disabled on our servers to the extent that the security and data management system so allows it. We inform you that you can update or modify your resume in our database at any time by re-entering it or by notifying us in writing.
Data processing by third parties
We inform you that ACTIU's service providers may have access to your data when necessary for the management of the services provided or contractual relationships established with ACTIU, as well as for the maintenance of its systems (data storage, computer support and systems maintenance, legal, tax or accounting consulting services, travel agencies or travel companies). Some of these companies could be located outside the European Union, so we will make sure that these providers comply with the warranty requirements demanded by the applicable regulations on the protection of personal data. If you wish to request information about the providers with access to your data, you can contact us at lopd@actiu.com.
All the entities referred to in this section will use this data for the same purposes and subject to the same conditions specified in this Privacy Policy.
ACTIU undertakes to maintain the confidentiality of the personal data provided, as well as to apply the security measures provided for in Spanish and European regulations, and to require third parties to whom the data is communicated to adopt identical measures.
Acceptance of the Privacy Policy
The submission of your resume or your candidacy for any position published on our website implies that you have read, understood and accept ACTIU's Privacy Policy, giving your consent for Actiu to process and transfer your personal data according to the conditions indicated in this Policy. For this purpose, if you use our web portal, you must mark the acceptance option prior to sending your resume and/or application. In the event of submission or remittance by other means, this Privacy Policy will apply to you, hereby informing you that you can exercise your rights as described in the "User rights" section.
We inform you that your refusal to provide the required data or your non-consent to its use in accordance with this policy will prevent us from managing your request.
For Data Controller, Purposes of personal data processing, User Rights and Changes to the Privacy Policy, we refer to the general part of the ACTIU Privacy Policy.
Date of last update: February 2023