Upscale condo shows way to Zen lifestyle

THE GROWING number of health-conscious Filipinos has just added another consideration in buying a condo: wellness and being, while living in the lap of luxury.

And looking for that perfect place in Makati City may not be such a good idea, right? After all, who would want to live in the middle of the busiest business district in the country when all you want is “serenity, tranquility and simplicity” at the end of the day?

Federal Land, the real estate arm of the Ty family’s Metrobank Group, and Orix Corp. of Japan claim to offer such, with its latest upscale development, The Grand Midori.

Japanese design

In an exclusive interview with Inquirer Property, Dennis Lim, senior vice president for sales and marketing of Federal Land, explained that they incorporated Japanese design to imbibe the art of Zen living as well as green architecture that would also benefit its occupants.

Nestled in this so-called Zen lifestyle setting, the 38-story twin-tower condominium development in Makati City offers relaxing amenities including, among others, a Japanese Zen garden on every floor, koi pond at the lobby, 20-meter lap pool, 100-meter jogging path, children’s wading pool, outdoor children’s playground, game and entertainment room, daycare center and a multipurpose hall.

The upscale development also boasts of state-of-the-art security system that will ensure the safety of its occupants. Lim added that each floor, which has a deck garden, has been structured in a way that it could allow natural light and ventilation, unlike in most Makati buildings where you already see the units left and right as soon as you step out of the elevator.

Solar energy is also harnessed and used to power the lighting requirements of The Grand Midori’s common areas, Lim said. And true to the art of Zen minimalism, The Grand Midori’s lobby—though grand—is not lavish. In fact, Lim explained, most of Federal Land developments would not see lavish lobbies as the company tries to cut the maintenance costs in the long run.

Different units

According to Lim, potential homebuyers can choose from the different units that could suit one’s lifestyle. The Grand Midori offers studio (39 sq m), which is suitable for professionals on the go; one-bedroom unit (51-56 sq m); two-bedroom (87-90 sq m); and three-bedroom (141-146 sq m) units, which are priced between P4 million and P23 million.

Lim disclosed that a lot of the studio and one bedroom units have already been sold.

“Let’s put it this way: Legazpi Village, fully fitted, fully furnished at P12,000 a month—that’s irresistible, isn’t it? Very few upscale developers could offer that. Maybe other developers could offer something similar but at a higher price or a smaller unit size,” Lim said.

Payment terms

“We also offer friendly payment terms, we have bank financing and we endorse our clients to our partner banks,” Lim shared.

He explained that Federal Land, compared to its competitors, can offer more in terms of bigger unit sizes, better finishes for both the amenities area and the units.

And with such a grand development, of course, one would not expect anything less when it comes to tenant’s security. Each tenant, according to Lim, will have his/her personal access card key which would limit his/her access to the ground floor, parking, amenity levels and their own residential floor.

“CCTVs will be installed not just in the elevator and lobby area but in all floors and common areas so that everything will be captured. It would also feature a porte cochere, which is not very common in other developments. This assures tenants that they need not be dropped off on the side streets and there will be more privacy as people from street level would not see the tenants,” Lim noted.

Among these many features, The Grand Midori also boasts of a concealed piping system that assures uninterrupted water supply, should other units need to undergo plumbing work. The companies working on this joint-venture project also ensure that they strictly followed the building code, as with all other projects.

Units of the first tower are expected to be turned over by December 2012.