by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 13, 2019 | Real Estate
Recent reports from the Knight Frank Prime International Residential Index say Manila’s luxury home market saw the most growth in the world, with increased land values for high-end residential developments. Also highlighted as the next hotspot is Alabang, where various major infrastructures are being developed, guaranteeing high profitability in the area. At the forefront of this unprecedented growth is Filigree, which has arguably established itself as the gold standard in luxury real estate developments.
Its projects are strategically located — all redefining luxury — with only the finest finishes, living spaces and amenities. And among these enviable locations is Filinvest City, Alabang, where land values have risen by as much as 300 percent in the last six years. Now home to the most discerning few in the metro, Filigree developments have outstanding property values and promise an impressive return on investment.
Filigree boasts of upscale residential properties, all of which are value enhancers to the community where they are located. And what sets Filigree developments apart from others in the upscale market? This developer is all about a rarefied yet sustainable lifestyle, wherein you can live in the lap of luxury while staying cognizant of the environment around you.
Filigree is about attention to detail, exceptional craftsmanship, and world-class planning and design, with each project treated like a fine masterpiece and a livable work of art. Its developments are set in strategic locations —prime, progressive, central — but in quiet and secluded quarters for true cosmopolitan, genteel living where all is within easy reach.
Botanika Nature Residences
Take a look, for one, at its flagship project, the posh and green-oriented Botanika Nature Residences in Filinvest City, Alabang, which has seen a growing community for its first tower.
With its three-star Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) rating for design from the Philippine Green Building Council, Botanika makes luxurious yet eco-conscious living possible. Thus, you reduce your carbon footprint, save more on energy, and ultimately contribute less to global warming.
Botanika’s progressive architectural design, executed by Architecture International and Leandro V. Locsin and Partners, as well as its first-class amenities and well-appointed, luxuriously spacious condominium units make it even more desirable. The property’s value has risen to an impressive 80 percent.
Bristol at Parkway Place
Bristol at Parkway Place, located at the power address of Corporate corner Parkway Avenues in Filinvest City, is now also ready for occupancy. The 40-story edifice with a notable architecture exemplifies the charming modern life. Astute investors have started to savor handsome returns and increasing property values of up to an astounding 30 percent.
Bristol at Parkway Place Library
Bristol allows residents to live a life of ease, as everything is all within easy reach. Amenities include a library; function room for private, intimate events; a sky lounge for a 360-view of the Alabang skyline and beyond; and the entertainment and media center for a movie night with family and friends. Soon, residents can delight in sumptuous dining and shopping right at their doorstep with Bristol’s retail plaza at the ground floor.
Bristol at Parkway Place Sky Lounge
The Enclave Alabang
Filigree does more than luxurious vertical developments. The Enclave Alabang is a 13-hectare exclusive, nature-inspired village in Metro South. The horizontal development has been selling fast since its launch, with only a few of the 218 lots still available. Residents will enjoy a higher standard in upscale village living — not to mention rising, by as much as 10 percent year on year, land values — owing to its prime location, world-class modern tropical design, verdant greenery and low-density masterplan.
It is the result of the creative collaboration of H1 Architecture for the masterplan, Budji + Royal Architecture + Design for interior design, and AECOM for landscape architecture — all the best minds in their field, who have come together to create a community never before seen in local luxury real estate market. Aside from its distinct features, this remarkable project takes pride in a close-knit community, where residents will enjoy exclusivity while being in close proximity to urban centers like Filinvest City.
All these exceptional qualities are testaments to the brand’s unwavering commitment in delivering only the very best: from planning and construction, project development and property management to groundbreaking and final hand over. And as demand for luxury real estate in the country continues to rise, Filigree’s portfolio of unrivaled upscale developments is undoubtedly the best investment decision you can make.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 17, 2018 | Real Estate
In the early 1990s, Andrew Gotianun Sr. saw there could be more to a grazing ground for livestock in Alabang. His company, Filinvest, won the bid over the 244-hectare Alabang stock farm and transformed it into his vision of a complete environment conducive to meeting the demands of global businesses and enriching the lives of those working and residing in the city. With that vision, the Filinvest City masterplan — one that is sustainable, future-ready and responsive to the needs of an ever-changing metropolis — was drawn up.
Today, the 244-hectare Filinvest City embodies the ideals Andrew Gotianun Sr. set years ago. Filinvest City is very much of the present and even as it looks forward to tomorrow, introducing key enhancements to its masterplan: green system, districting and improvements to “mega-blocks” resulting in a well-balanced live-work-play environment.
Filinvest City is currently registered to the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification — a first for the Philippines — under the Neighborhood Development plan, further proof of its commitment to build a truly progressive and sustainable CBD.
The first phase of the Filinvest City master plan enhancement is defining Filinvest City’s public domain and green spaces which includes the introduction of a green system consisting of more open spaces, parks, greenways and pocket resting areas — active and passive facilities for a more meaningfully built environment.
These include the Spectrum Linear Park, a recently-completed three-section linear park spanning almost a kilometer that dissects the city from north to south. It is a beautifully landscaped green spine along Spectrum Midway with tree-lined paths, lighted seating areas and stimulating outdoor art installations.
Also, part of Phase 1 is the development of a creek side park, stretching further down from the Spectrum Linear Park to a creek, which features meandering paths with seating areas, a bridgeway, bike lanes and a viewing deck. When completed, this will be connected to the al fresco retail strip—the River Park at Festival Alabang.
Included in the pipeline of Phase 1 is the Central Park where a botanical garden, bike racks, a dome structure for events and an expansive lawn will be built. This is envisioned to be one of the major public event spaces within Filinvest City where people can either enjoy a picnic on the sprawling lawn or come together to celebrate an outdoor concert.
Filinvest City has also earmarked its mega-blocks — parcels of land that Filinvest is retaining that will add as the value enhancers in the city. Part of the masterplan is the maximization of Festival Alabang as the City Center with its major phase by phase expansion and the construction of a chapel near the River Park, the construction of a Convention Center which will be connected to the transport hub, and the Filinvest Axis Towers which will define the Filinvest City’s skyline.
Filinvest City’s design divides into districts, all bearing the four pillars of the City but each with its own distinct character:
- Northgate District which houses Northgate Cyberzone, the IT-BPO (information technology-business processing outsourcing) hub;
- the Civic Plaza that houses a variety of public services and institutional facilities like fire station and healthcare establishments;
- Westgate, the upscale retail and lifestyle center; the Woods, the more green campus-like and relaxed setting;
- the Palms District, the highest point and site of exclusive developments like Botanika Nature Residences;
- South Station, the transport hub;
- the City Center, where the Festival Alabang, the biggest regional mall, is located; and
- the Spectrum district as the economic core of Filinvest City and is home to prestigious businesses, as well as high net worth families and individuals.
These areas are steadily being transformed into self-contained live-work-play districts.
Filinvest City takes a more prudent approach to city enhancements, proceeding at a steady and calculated pace. These developments bolster Filinvest City’s position as a world-class CBD, ultimately ensuring that land values in the area continue to rise and creating a community responsive to the needs of locators and the people living there today and tomorrow.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 11, 2017 | Advocacy
SM Supermalls marked another milestone in its pursuit to make each day better for all at the launch of SM City Trece Martires’ solar system, held in Trece Martires City, Cavite. At the ‘switching on’ ceremony, SM highlighted that the solar system rollout all over the country was only part of the many sustainability programs SM has been doing for years.
At the launch of The Green Switch from left to right: Senior Vice President For Marketing Jonjon San Agustin; SM Vice President for Operations Lisa Silerio; SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia; Mrs. Aiza De Sagun, representing Trece Martires Mayor Melendres De Sagun; Solar Philippines President Leandro Leviste; Executive Assistant Vincent Bae; Engineer Ernesto Cenizal; and Regional Operations Manager Dominador Caringal, Jr.
The SM City Trece Martires solar facility houses 2,914 solar panels capable of generating 0.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to fully charge 130,000 cellphones, light up 15,500 10-watt LED lamps, run 4,500 30-watt electric fans, and provide power to 300 households. The use of solar energy promotes clean air and saves the environment by helping reduce carbon footprint from electricity produced from combustion of fossil fuels.
Other Sustainability Programs
Other sustainability programs of SM include the ‘Trash to Cash’ recycling markets in SM malls, and the integration of transport terminals in malls to mitigate traffics for cleaner air. With disaster risk reduction taking center stage on sustainability, SM has been building ‘resilient’ malls with water catchment basins to help manage flood-prone areas.
SM Prime, alongside UNISDR and ARISE Philippines, also hosts the Top Leaders Forum. The theme for 2017 is ‘Business for Resilience – Towards a Resilient Philippines’.
As a private sector conference aspiring to find concrete measures to make businesses more resilient against disasters, the Forum this year underscores invaluable collaboration between the science and technology community and the private sector towards global disaster preparedness.
Technology Partner
Leandro Leviste, Solar Philippines President and Founder
At the helm of SM’s partner in promoting eco-friendly shopping in the country is Solar Philippines Founder, Mr. Leandro Leviste.
Leading the largest developer of solar rooftop power plants in Southeast Asia, Mr. Leviste was recognized in the Forbes Magazine 2016 30 under 30 Asia, a roster of young game-changers, entrepreneurs, and social leaders who are under 30 years old.
With SM’s solar system rollout and other green programs, SM continues to go beyond mall development and management as it integrates environmental sustainability into its operations to ultimately support communities for a better tomorrow.
For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat.
Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your photos about your memorable moments at SM, then use its official hashtag #EverythingsHereAtSM.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 11, 2017 | Real Estate
In its bid to further cement its enviable position as a true model green CBD, Filinvest City in Alabang has recently registered with the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED rating system, aiming for the prestigious Gold Certification. Filinvest City has engaged Barone International, a Philippine-based sustainability and LEED consulting firm with offices in Guam and Houston, Texas, as its LEED Accredited Professional.
In line with this vision is Filinvest City’s further enhancement of its future-ready masterplan through the guidance of renowned design firm AECOM Singapore, evident in its introduction of multiple innovative green features.
At the core of this transformation is the “green belt” aptly called the Spectrum Midway Linear Park, a foliage-canopied walkway that spans across the north and south ends of the CBD. Filinvest City also takes pride in its bike lanes, which are purposely built and integrated in the sidewalk. Already in place as well is a thriving bird habitat, a living creek, a bike trail, and tree-canopied road networks.
Filinvest City, with all these advancements, sets out to be the first masterplanned development in the country to pursue the up-to-date and more stringent LEED version four of Neighborhood Development (ND)-Plan certification, with only two other developments in the world – in Japan and Italy – bearing this coveted recognition.
Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several areas that address sustainability issues – among them location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency, and energy and atmosphere – providing independent verification of the green features of a particular building or neighborhood in the key areas of design, construction, operations, and maintenance.
In the LEED ND rating system, the major prerequisites and credits considered are categorized as:
- Smart Location and Linkage (SLL), which considers transit accessibility, ecosystems and open spaces, and jobs and housing proximity;
- Neighborhood Pattern and Design (NPD) which looks into walkable streets, neighborhood connections, parking and transportation demand, among others; and
- Green Infrastructure and Buildings (GIB) that review such characteristics as energy efficiency and conservation, energy production and distribution, water efficiency and conservation, green building process, heat islands, and light pollution.
Filinvest City deliberately takes all these into account as it continuously aims to fuse the needs of the people, nature, and commerce, making it one of the most progressive green neighborhood developments in the metro. According to Dean Barone of Barone International, Filinvest City has embodied the principles of smart growth with walkable streets and an inviting mix of trees and development to foster a sense of community for over twenty years.
Aside from proactively embracing green initiatives, the masterplan for Filinvest City encourages transportation alternatives, and preservation of sensitive lands – all aimed at benefitting the public as a whole. The development emphasizes vibrant, equitable communities that are healthy, walkable and of mixed-use. Moreover, Filinvest City also promotes the construction and design of sustainable, energy, and water efficient structures.
Filinvest City has embodied the principles of smart growth with walkable streets and an inviting mix of trees and development to foster a sense of community for over twenty years.
Simply put, its green features were put in place for the ultimate benefit of residents and locators, all towards the goal of making Filinvest City an ideal community, one that is balanced and eco-sustainable – providing for a meaningful contribution to a greener economy.
Filigree does more than luxurious vertical developments. The Enclave Alabang is a 13-hectare exclusive, nature-inspired village in Metro South. The horizontal development has been selling fast since its launch, with only a few of the 218 lots still available. Residents will enjoy a higher standard in upscale village living — not to mention rising, by as much as 10 percent year on year, land values — owing to its prime location, world-class modern tropical design, verdant greenery and low-density masterplan.
Filinvest City, with all these advancements, sets out to be the first masterplanned development in the country to pursue the up-to-date and more stringent LEED version four of Neighborhood Development (ND)-Plan certification, with only two other developments in the world – in Japan and Italy – bearing this coveted recognition.
You must be logged in to post a comment.