Even when buying a townhouse or residential condominium, customers these days expect so much more from a brand. Chief among these expectations, particularly among high-end buyers, is that spaces have a certain unique character they can relate to or a strong “sense of place,” according to Digno “Ding” Asuncion, who, together with wife Isabel, heads Asuncion-Berenguer Inc. (ABI), a leading architectural and interior design firm.
Malls keep trying to outdo each other in so many interesting—and sometimes strange—ways. Some strive to be noticed through their scale, others by some grand feature or through a prominent anchor tenant. Others do it by a novel concept in the shopping experience.
There seems to be no stopping the move to merge the Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS) with the Philippine Stock Exchange, with the latter as the surviving entity—a move that will create a unified bourse and allow fund managers, bankers and even retail investors to trade both stocks and bonds.
The past Holy Week was “celebrated” in many different ways. For some, the 5-day long weekend was a good time to wind down into a “staycation,” or a stay-at-home-vacation. Others took that short drive out to nearby churches for Visita Iglesia, and yet some went driving far out, hoping to catch sight of the Lenten penitents. I hope that for not so many, it was an opportunity to travel for a much-anticipated holiday with family or friends—fun and frolic with late nights of partying.
If there’s anything about technology that is both impressive and annoying, it’s that it is constantly evolving at high speed. You have to be on your feet all the time, keeping up with all the improvements in hardware, software plus all associated devices. Some advances benefit only certain industries, but others cross industry borders.
Some 15 years ago, a European furniture distributor told me that the Philippines was known as the “prototype capital” of the world, where furniture samples were done so well for exhibition but could rarely be mass-produced with the same quality level. But 15 years later, we have gone beyond the prototype, and the local furniture industry continues to flourish and penetrate markets at every corner of the world with its beautiful and well-crafted pieces.
Vertical gardens mounted on simulated building walls have been part of the landscape of Burnham Park, the second year this flower carpet technique has been promoted by organizers of the Baguio Flower Festival.
Picadilly Circus Landing Inc. (PCLI) led by Andrew Ng recently launched the plans to construct a 16,000-square-meter Umbria Commercial Center in Biñan City, Laguna.
What makes a building stand out? What makes one structure memorable and another property forgettable? Is it the vision of the owner or the design of the architect?
A few weeks ago, I picked up a book from Fully Booked, a little “handbook” sized one titled “Design: A Very Short Introduction.” It was written by John Heskett, a professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic’s School of Design, who has also authored many essays and stories for various design publications. In his book, Heskett looks into the application of design into everyday life, and explores its many definitions and applications
In the age of social media and high interaction, a brand needs not just to be perceived but to be powerfully experienced especially in the spaces where it can influence its publics.
The world didn’t end in December 2012, but many in the West felt it did. With the very bad economic situation, they still don’t see the light at the end of their tunnel.
