A home designed for young professionals

MANILA, Philippines - Robinsons Residences’ Sapphire Bloc was particularly designed for active professionals whose demanding careers require a home that’s in sync with their dynamic lifestyles. Y Diseño Interior principal designer Cecile Narvaez was tapped to execute The Sapphire Bloc’s aspirational home interior that appeals to career-driven individuals in their late 20s to early 30s. The Sapphire Bloc upholds Robinsons Residences’ mantra of city living done right. For inquiries, call  636-0888, SMS 0925-3333333, or visit www.robinsonsresidences.com and www.facebook.com/RobResidences.

source: philstar.com

Stylistic Trends In Condo Design

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

Designing Aquascapes

MANILA, Philippines — Aquascaping is the art and science of arranging aquatic plants, rocks or driftwood in an aquarium. It’s creating and maintaining a garden that happens to be underwater. Hobbyists specializing in aquascapes are called aquarium gardeners.

This is an easy way to do gardening since you don’t need to water the plants. They aren’t prone to diseases and pests are never a problem. But the plants will need sufficient natural or artificial light, a source of carbon dioxide and fertilization to survive.

It is possible to create an aquascape without fish. Plants or even just rocks will suffice. Although the primary aim is to create an artful underwater landscape, the technical aspects of aquatic plant maintenance must be considered. For professional aquarium hobbyists, this would include a system for water filtration, maintaining dissolved carbon dioxide, substrate and fertilization for plant growth, lights to promote plant photosynthesis and algae control. There are “natural” methods of meeting these requirements. For instance, a few small fish and a snail in the tank can clean the algae in the glass.

More than a hundred plants species can thrive underwater. They’ve been tested to survive in water and under artificial light. These plants are collectible and belong to different plant families like ferns, aroids and even carnivorous plants.

There are a number of designs to choose from. There’s the Dutch style which features a lush arrangement of various types of plants. They’re arranged like terrestrial plants in a flower garden or a dish garden. This style was developed in the Netherlands in the 1930s when freshwater aquarium equipment became commercially available. Plants are emphasized and placed on terraces of varying heights. Rocks and driftwood aren’t used. Plants are grouped based on their size and color, with the small plants placed on the front and the much taller plants ensconced behind to hide the tank’s equipment. More than 80 percent of the aquarium floor is covered with plants, and little or no substrate is left visible.

The Nature style is fitted with multiple large gray stones to simulate natural mountain peaks or cliffs. Small stones or rocks are arranged upfront while the larger rocks are placed in the back. Some of the stones are carpeted with small, low, fine green plants to simulate a forest as viewed from a distance.

The Jungle style is very similar though it requires a bigger tank. It’s brightly lit from above and is densely populated with plants of varying leaf shapes, as if growing in a tangle. Most plants are green while a few have red or yellow foliage. Low green plants are on the front, with taller, differently colored plants placed behind them. Driftwood and rocks are incorporated. Bold, coarser leaf shapes such as Echinodorus bleheri are used to provide a wild-like appearance. Small brightly-colored blue or red fish complete the look.

Another design is the Biotopes which replicates the aquatic habitat of a particular geographic location. Plants and fish aren’t a must but if you insist on having them you’ll have to find the same types found in the habitat you’re trying to emulate. This also goes for the gravel, hardscape materials and chemical composition of the water. An example is the habitat in fast running streams. You’ll be required to use course gravel, a few large stones and driftwood.

If you want to have a miniature Amazon River, you’ll be doing a representation of lush vegetation and submerged roots of trees. You can capture this look with driftwood and a school of gentle moving Discus fishes.

One colorful, yet challenging design is the Saltwater reefs design. This one mimics a marine ecosystem and contains actual marine fish and animals. An arrangement of rocks, corals and other marine invertebrates and coralline algae can effectively represent freshwater plants.

A home aquarium could certainly be more than decorative. It’s a mini-garden that offers the chance to tend some unique water plants and a few fish. It also adds a lot of serenity to a room and is therefore a form of relief from stress.

source: mb.com.ph

Organizing The Kitchen Counter for Everyday Use

Many people consider a well-organized kitchen to be one of the secrets to household happiness. However, if you have a busy family that's constantly on the go, you might find that keeping your kitchen organized can be a difficult and even daunting task. If you'd like to transform your disorganized kitchen into a more efficient and pleasant living space, why not start with the kitchen counter? Here are some easy tips you can use to organize your kitchen counter for everyday use.

Eliminate Clutter

A cluttered and disorganized kitchen can be a very difficult place in which to work. If your countertops are filled with clutter, you naturally don't have as much useful space in which to work. Clutter also tends to make a room look too small and "busy." In fact, countertop clutter can make even a large kitchen seem too small.

Eliminating unnecessary clutter should be the first step towards organizing your kitchen counter space. Start by removing any paper clutter, such as notes, unopened mail, school papers, or the daily newspaper. You should also remove any items that simply do not belong in the kitchen. Once these unnecessary items have been removed, it will be easier to decide upon an organizational strategy for the items you do use every day.

Countertops versus Cabinets

When organizing your kitchen, it's important to make a determination as to which items are best stored on the counter and which ones are best stored in the cabinets. In the case of small kitchen appliances or items that are used quite frequently, the countertop is often the best choice. However, if you only use your bread machine or yogurt maker on an occasional basis, storing it in the cabinet can free up a lot of countertop space. Take the time to carefully assess each item that you're currently storing on your kitchen counters. By finding alternate storage areas for infrequently used items, you'll have more countertop space available for everyday use.

Once you've stored your infrequently used items in the cabinets or pantry, you might decide to add a few new items to your countertop area. For example, if you're currently storing your spices in a cabinet, you might find that you'd use them more frequently if they were stored in a convenient spice rack on the countertop.

Baskets, Bins and Boxes

Baskets, bins and boxes can be the perfect solution when it comes to organizing your kitchen counter. For example, although you probably wouldn't want pencils, pens and note pads cluttering your countertop, it's hard to argue with the fact that they are all useful items. Instead of dealing with the clutter, tuck a pad of paper and a couple of pens into a small bin or basket. You'll be able to keep the items close at hand while still keeping your countertops organized and neat. Baskets and other containers that don't have lids can be convenient for items you need to grab quickly. However, lidded boxes and bins can go a long way towards reducing visual clutter, making your entire kitchen look more organized.

Home design expert, Alyssa Davis of Metal-Wall-Art.com, is particularly skilled in designing with metal fish art and metal wall decor for bathroom.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alyssa_Davis