MANILA, Philippines -- The condominiums of before were spacious affairs, just like a bungalow or a single-detached, but only with a view. But as the competition among real estate developers became cutthroat (that happened sometime in 2005 and has escalated since), condo units shrank in size (for a bigger turnover) while their marketing conversely increased: now we have residential buildings unapologetically and un-ironically named after Western landmarks and cities as if by calling them as such, their bareness and smallness could be hidden. Stripped of branding, they are just really small rooms precariously perched, spaces that could be escaped from if rosier finances are to be had in the future.
As if bringing the glory of the condominiums of yore, Ayala Land Premier has created what seems to be one of the most staggeringly irresistible projects as of late: the Park Terraces located right within the Ayala Center (that pocket of real estate heaven which Glorietta and Greenbelt, among other landmarks, occupy). A three-tower residential enclave and part of the P20 billion peso-redevelopment of the area, Park Terraces features units that are spacious, brightly-lit and ready- to-be-moved-in. The first tower was such an unprecedented success that all units were snapped in a matter of hours.
The second building, the Point Tower, still shares the same features as its predecessor: big space cuts, energy-saving features, luxe finishes and select amenities. "However, the Point Tower units," explained Catleya Moya, Ayala Land Premier's Project Development manager, "are zoned so that all one-bedroom units rise from the 5th floor to the 33rd floor, all two-bedroom units from the 34th to the 47th and all three-bedroom units and penthouse units are at the 48th to 59th floors."
I visited Park Terraces' model suites located at Greenbelt 5 and I must say that sisters Ivy and Cynthia created the design equivalent of a wet dream. Ivy said that they were helped by the fact that structurally, they had little to add or change in the space. "Practically, there's no interior architecture that needs to be done," said Ivy. "You can move in, furnish the space and make it look like a wonderful interior. The developer will deliver it on the premise that you can move in and design it yourself if you want to."
We walked towards the studio, a cut existing in the first tower, and it was draped in all tones chocolate and featured the softest, most delicious fabrics. The Almario sisters designed it for an imaginary client: a media or advertising practitioner who has finally arrived. His needs were evoked by way of the metallic desk looking out to the view, the well-placed shelves and the bed propped on a platform serving as additional storage and a place to spread out books and papers. "Because of the way it's laid out, you can imagine that we didn't do anything with the ceiling, we didn't have to cure that," Ivy said. "We didn't have to cure the closet; really it's beautiful already, we just enhanced it with paint color."
The two-bedroom affair was lighter and airies as it was designed for a couple who loves to travel and bring home souvenirs. The walls were painted with a creamy blue-green tint, a paint color called Robin's egg blue. There were well-integrated shelves, a sliding glass panel dividing the kitchen to the dining area, resort style tableaus, among others. Noticeable were the slats of oak, standard in all rooms, for flooring: the wood was sourced from a sustainable tree farm.
Ivy said that "a lot of looking into a crystal ball, a lot of researching and really projecting" came into the design of the turnover units (such fixtures for the bathroom and kitchen, cabinetry and provisions for lighting) so that they will still look contemporary by the time they are delivered to the clients. "The biggest challenge here, as usual, is our deadline," Ivy said, laughing. "But outside of that, it was a breeze."
Sustainability was foremost in the mind of Ayala Land Premier when they conceptualized the project. Some of its features, such as the farmed oak wood, were cleverly integrated into the space that the clients wouldn't even notice them. Another example would be the motion detection sensors along select common areas and hallways that turn off the light if nobody's there. "When we talk about sustainability, we don't want it to be hardcore that it actually affects the clients' lifestyle because our market is not like that," said Moya. "They still want the comfort they're used to."
What the clients will look forward to is living right within Ayala Center. Park Terraces, however, will not only be conversant with the surrounding urban environment, it will also have its own promenade, pocket gardens, retail shops, and winding paths that will make it a distinct community.
By the time clients will move in, the new Glorietta will have opened, alongside a clutch of other attractions. "For those people who bought in Park Terraces, they are in the cusp of the development, the transformation of Ayala Center," Moya said.
