BWorld 7/28/2008
"Every time we conceptualize a new community, we think about what's lacking in our market's lifestyle. From here, we roll up our sleeves and think of something new to offer them."
By market, Alveo Land Corp. President Dante M. Abando means the increasing number of urban achievers in the country, the young upwardly mobile professionals nearing the peak of their career, who wouldn't mind breathing fresh air in the middle of the city and getting a fullfledged workout in the comforts of their own homes while still being able to walk to the park or the shopping district.
In his words, "the upwardly mobile are very ambitious, they are well educated, are really hardworking and well traveled.
They aspire to be at the top of their company, make sure that their own businesses [are doing well]: these are driven people who want to appreciate nature and have the luxury of time to be with their families and friends while remaining plugged into the fast life of business and commerce." Sounds like a tall order. Alveo's tall answer? It's all about location, location, location.
The Senta, a 39-storey residential tower at the cornerstone of Legazpi Village in central Makati, boasts of an outdoor theater pool, heated Jacuzzis, a Zen-inspired rooftop rock garden and an Ed Calma-designed museumlike lobby with views of the verdant Legazpi & W.SyCip Parks. Nearby, The Columns Legazpi Village, Alveo's 41-storey, twotower residential condominium development, employed the same smart and serene architecture. Punctuating the commercial ground floor area will be cafes, restaurants and boutiques.
At the seventh level, a 2,700-square meter recreational club stretches across the two towers, complete with a game room, widescreen home theater, and a day care center for kids. The floor also holds the 450-square meter fitness hub with winding jogging paths. "This is a selfcontained residential community with all the amenities of a resort club but with the whole city just across the street." Mr. Abando called it "suburban condo living." At Two Serendra, a sprawling development in emerging business district Bonifacio Global City, the uptown-downtown balance is achieved through a series of lowdensity sloping buildings. An attempt to support the "re-greening" of Metro Manila saw a partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) College of Forestry for the creation of a "forestry museum" inside the residential development.
"Studies show that 60% of the world's total energy is consumed by building concrete skyscrapers and residential developments," said Mr. Abando. To counter this, Alveo allotted 65% of the property to greenery. To create a pedestrian-friendly environment, the developer hid everything else underground: power and telephone lines, water systems, parking spaces, even Two Serendra's basketball and badminton courts. The same ecological consciousness can be seen at The Columns, which utilized notches for cross ventilation, lowering the dependency for artificial air conditioning. Even Treveia, its horizontal development at Nuvali in Canlubang, Laguna, has adopted the green standard through solar-powered facilities, double-piping water system, and rain and wastewater harvesting and treatment systems. "We're trying to put in as much as possible environment sustainability feature in our products because one, to address natural ventilation and natural lighting and to address future operating costs," said Mr. Abando.
Interior-wise, Alveo gives its picky clients free reign with a pre-delivery home customization service called iDesign.
Source: Filipinas Heritage Library News Service