Valouran launches in the global property scene in search of timeless elegance
Alex Michelin and Matthew Robertson launch Valouran, a pioneering global property expert, set to lead by design

Valouran, a new, global expert in the field of property and placemaking, has just launched in London today (13 June 2023). The brainchild of Alex Michelin, co-founder of Finchatton, and Matthew Robertson, former CFO, Valouran is set to be a new force in the UK's (and international) real estate scene.
Valouran: launching a new global lead in property
'Driven by a relentless pursuit for excellence, we generate value by delivering not only assets, but buildings of timeless elegance. Our vision is to craft exceptional residential-led schemes that blend world-class design with a laser focus on generating superior returns for our investors and partners. We create beautiful homes that people will want to live in for a lifetime and hand down to the next generation,' says Michelin, who is announced as Valouran founder and CEO.
Valouran co-founders Alex Michelin and Matthew Robertson
The new company is set to be 'an evolution of Finchatton', combining the 40-years-worth of collective experience of its two co-founders. Co-founders of Valouran, Alex and Matt will also remain fully involved in the delivery of ongoing developments at Finchatton including the instantly recognisable London landmarks, such as Twenty Grosvenor Square and The Whiteley. At the same time, Valouran – its name inspired by the word ‘valour’ – aims to combine highly desirable locations and iconic buildings, with sustainable architecture and resilient community building.
Matthew Robertson, founder and CFO at Valouran adds: 'Our knowledge of the sector is unmatched, which makes us a secure and reliable choice. There has been a real flight to quality from ultra-high-net-worth real estate investors in recent years – the wealthy are looking for secure opportunities that support the lifestyle they are seeking. Our deep financial expertise and commitment to excellence make our new venture the key partner for institutional investors aiming to maximise the value of their residential schemes.'
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan's Grupo de Diseño wins 2025 Oberlander Prize
The 2025 Oberlander Prize goes to Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan and his studio, Grupo de Diseño, highlighting the creative's motto: 'We have a human right to open space'
-
Maria Grazia Chiuri is returning to Fendi as chief creative officer
The former Dior designer is Fendi’s new chief creative officer – a move which will see her return to the Italian house where she began her career in 1989
-
Go back to the future with Marty McFly’s calculator watch, marking the film’s 40th anniversary
Casio will release a special-edition watch to mark Back to the Future Day on 21 October
-
Join us on a first look inside Regent’s View, the revamped canalside gasholder project in London
Regent's View, the RSHP-designed development for St William, situated on a former gasholder site on a canal in east London, has just completed its first phase
-
The Royal College of Art has announced plans for renewal of its Kensington campus
The Royal College of Art project, led by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, includes the revitalisation of the Darwin Building and more, in the hopes of establishing an open and future-facing place of creativity
-
Ursula K Le Guin’s maps of imaginary worlds are charted in a new exhibition
Ursula K Le Guin, the late American author, best known for her science fiction novels, is celebrated in a new exhibition at the Architectural Association in London, charting her whimsical maps, which bring her fantasy worlds alive
-
Power Hall’s glow-up shines light on science and innovation in Manchester
Power Hall at The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester was given a spruce-up by Carmody Groarke, showcasing the past and future of machines, engineering and sustainable architecture
-
Celebrate the angular joys of 'Brutal Scotland', a new book from Simon Phipps
'Brutal Scotland' chronicles one country’s relationship with concrete; is brutalism an architectural bogeyman or a monument to a lost era of aspirational community design?
-
Max Creasy on the future of architectural photography and a shift to the ‘snapshot’
A show of photographer Max Creasy’s work opens at the AA in London, asking a key question: where is contemporary architectural photography heading?
-
Tour this immaculately composed Islington house for an art collector who loves entertaining
An Islington house by Emil Eve Architects, on coveted Thornhill Road, combines warm minimalism and some expert spatial planning
-
Inside the Apple House, the sustainable centrepiece of Tom Stuart-Smith's gardening Eden
The mission? To explore and celebrate the ways in which nature can impact well-being