People tend to mistake it for a residential condo, or an upscale hotel. But the imposing five storey, three building complex located on Kisad Road in Baguio is actually a dormitory. It's called the Kisad Peak. Its name was based on the street. And since it's located on the highest section of the street, the developers added the word ''peak'' to the name.
The three buildings easily stand out from among several pine trees and other buildings that were designed to capture or blend with the countryside charm of Baguio. The Kisad structures are painted in immaculate white, with a few thin blue stripes lined across buildings. It's as if the place was meant to make a statement of sorts. Its architect, Florencio T. Sebastian III, seemed to have that in mind when he said he wanted the place to look different from what people expect a building in Baguio to look like. ''I wanted the buildings to be modern, and to be a departure from the rest of the buildings in Baguio,'' he says.
This modern Asian look is enhanced by the minimalist Asian gardens located in the small atriums of each building. As with the exteriors, the interiors are painted white, with three pastel colors serving as accents. These pastels can be seen on the doors of rooms and other building facilities, particularly the furniture. The first building features a pleasant aqua blue accent. The second comes in a green theme, while the third has a cheerful orange accent.
The buildings are not only different in style; they also set a new standard for dormitories. The Kisad Peak offers single rooms, lofts and rooms that can accommodate up to four occupants. Each room, whether it be a single or a room for four, has its own bathroom. They also come with tables for studying, curtains and spacious cabinets. ''Students and young professionals always had to make do with spare facilities. We just felt it's time for them to have an option to live in something more high-end, cleaner and safer,'' says Panya Go Boonsirithum.
Panya is the property manager of Arcya Commercial Corporation, which has built a number of dormitories in Metro Manila. The Kisad Peak is its first project in Baguio. He notes that the city is not only the country's summer capital; it's become a major university city. Thousands of students flock to this bustling city of pines to study in its several colleges and universities. These students not only hail from the nearby provinces as countless young Koreans are also based here.
Panya says the Kisad Peak was developed to address the need for more living quarters. It appears the buildings are a welcome addition to Baguio. And it's not only because they look attractive, people are falling in line to get a room (or several rooms) at Kisad Peak. Panya says that long before the complex was completed, a Korean group met with them and proposed to lease all of the 135 rooms of Kisad Peak. It was a tempting offer, says Panya, but the objective of Kisad Peak is to provide lodgings for as many students as possible and they shouldn't belong to just a select group. At present, a Japanese group is negotiating to lease around 35 rooms.
The buildings stand on a property that belongs to the family that owns Arcya Commercial Corporation. ''The family rest house used to stand on this lot,'' says Panya. ''But since the house was seldom ever lived in anymore, they decided to make the property more useful.''
Thus the old house was torn down to make way for Kisad Peak. However, Architect Sebastian reserved some space on the ground floor of one of the buildings for the family. It's a complete residence that has a living room, dining area, kitchen and two bedrooms. The ground floors of the two other buildings will also serve a distinct purpose. The second building will have a commercial area that will cater to the needs of the residents. ''We'll be renting out space for laundry services, a 24 hour cafeteria, among others,'' says Panya.
The ground floor of the third building will be the activity area, where residents can study in a mini library or watch television in a small lounge. The place will have Wi-Fi connectivity.
The Kisad Peak is in a pleasant neighborhood, where old trees stand gracefully and old houses stand majestically. Residents will have a panoramic view of the city and a peek of the picturesque Burnham Park. The property isn't located right on the road; one has to take a long driveway that leads to the buildings. So the place is hidden and it offers a lot of privacy. Better yet, it shields the residents from the sounds of the engines of motor vehicles struggling to negotiate the steep hills of Baguio. Even the most expensive hotels in the city aren't immune from this minor annoyance.
For more information, visit kisadpeak.com or call 0927-8712471.
