Manila, Philippines—When the condominium boom began sometime in 2005, not a few pundits predicted that such an unprecedented demand for high-rise spaces would sooner or later reach its peak, resulting in a glut of unoccupied units. Look around and it seems that the putative peak hasn’t been reached, that anywhere in the metropolis you go, you’d find residential structures being erected, defiant symbols of progress and visual indicators of the transformation of the city.
Rather than nearing a limit, real estate developers (at least the innovative few) are moving toward a point of refinement; that rather than producing one-hit wonders, they are determined to reproduce and improve on their previous successes, engendering a kind of harmonious connections to the spaces they create. Just one look and you will see that the structures bear resemblances to each other both technical and aesthetic. The objective seems not so much to create copies but to prioritize what works and thrives in a given environment, which is usually Metro Manila’s urban fabric with its multiplicity of challenges, constrictions and contractions.
Avida Land—part of the Ayala Group of Companies—proves to be adaptive in this regard. One example is the Avida Towers Intima located in Paco, Manila. Aware of the historic and cultural significance of this area, Avida has opted to make the structure a single-tower, low-density project, addressing pertinent issues of traffic flow (even the design of the façade) to make sure that it will have negligible or little impact on the community.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Avida also has sprawling, hard to miss developments in places that are steep in urban activities such as the Avida Towers Centera situated along EDSA corner Reliance St. in Mandaluyong City—an area dubbed as “Golden Triangle” as this is where the cities of Makati, Manila and Quezon intersect. This multi-tower behemoth features what is called as the “in-city living” concept where, says Avida head of Residential Buildings Dez Cruz, “conveniences necessary to meet residents’ needs are built into the project itself.”
Access to these conveniences that include retail, commercial and leisure options are made easier, in the case of Tower 3, with its L-shaped design. Residents of this tower will also be afforded easy access to the amenities of the development as well as the Peak@Centera, a roof deck lounge, unique to the structure, which will provide a sweeping, panoramic view of the cityscape. In consonance with the lively, activity-charged atmosphere of this area, Centera towers will be marked and crested with glowing white light.
Usually situated in the robust parts of the city—be it in Pasay, Makati, Cebu, Iloilo—an Avida project is noticeable for its undeniably modern, pragmatic exterior and placements that maximize view of surrounding environment and access to select amenities. Sometimes with red (the Avida color) trimmings, the buildings may be columnar but achieve a transparency especially at night, when lights are on in the units with their larger-than-usual windows.
What are consistent among these projects are the “Five Must-Haves” that Avida has adopted as a credo: “free-flowing air and sunlight, fewer units per floor, sensible amenities, emergency power in common areas and inside residential units, and easy payment terms.”
‘”Life is simply more relaxing, comfortable and healthier when air and sunlight flow freely through the floors and the units,” says Cruz. “Lesser units per floor prevent crowding. As for the amenities, they are planned and chosen for the utmost convenience and comfort of residents, without them having to pay too much on maintenance costs.”
Condo design trends may not point to visual extravaganzas but as what Avida developments prove, a life can be lived as expressively as one can in a sensible, well thought-out, comfortable, accessible and meaningful environment.
To know more about Avida, call 848-5200 or visit www.avidaland.com.
source: mb.com.ph
