This Soon-To-Rise Real Estate Property In Ayala Avenue Will Elevate Condo Living

No matter which big city in the world you look at, there will always be that block of luxury apartments and condominiums that will be seen as the address, the neighborhood which proclaims you’ve arrived, and have established yourself. In New York, this would be Park Avenue and the high-rise apartments that overlook Central Park. In London, it’s Knightsbridge and Kensington. Here in Manila, before the rise of Rockwell and certain sections of BGC, the unrivaled address was Ayala Avenue, with its finite number of developments that were clustered on Apartment Ridge Road. 

 

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If you weren’t in the market for acquiring and maintaining a house in an upscale gated village-community, then luxury condominiums were the alternative. As Apartment Ridge Road was such a limited stretch of real estate, it wasn’t long before there was only one vacant lot left to develop, and on that one remaining lot will soon rise the newest and most well-thought out development one could imagine, The Estate. 

A joint venture project of SMDC & Federal Land, The Estate is designed by Foster + Partners, the highly regarded British design and architectural firm, known for their innovative, modern, and sustainable approach. Lord Norman Foster is the firm’s Founder & Chairman, and all over the globe, it isn’t hard to find his many high-profile glass and steel buildings, structures, and edifices. 

 

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From civic centers, institutions of learning, airports and transport hubs, and even major sports facilities; Foster + Partners has amassed an enviable list of projects. The Hong Kong International Airport, the Wembley Stadium reconstruction, the Apple Park in Cupertino, California, the Hearst Tower In New York, the New Supreme Court Building in Singapore are just some of the more recognizable projects in their portfolio. And by 2023, we’ll have The Estate on Ayala Avenue, Manila. 

 

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Presenting The Estate to media were Tom Mirasol, General Manager of Federal Land Inc.; Arch. Gary Coscolluela, Senior Partner at WV Cosculluela & Associates; Chico Sy, President of SM Engineering, Design & Development; and Mike Crearis of Crearis Environmental Design. WV Cosculluela is the local architect consultant, while Creasis is landscape consultant. | Photo by Philip Cu-Unjieng

 

It’s a prestige project like no other, and as Chico Sy, President of SM Engineering, Design & Development wanted to remind us, beyond the imposing physical marvel that The Estate will be, there are also the special features, amenities, and attention to detail that will set The Estate apart from other projects vying in this rarefied sector of real estate landscape. Much thought has been placed to offer The Estate as a "home" and not just an investment or a place to live in. For the amount of money you will pay to own a unit, the developers would like to think most expectations, and future needs, have been met and provided for.

 

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In the months to come, more details on just how exacting these standards are will be disseminated; but for now, the overall impression I got was how this one will truly be different. In the parking basements alone, provision will be made so owners can "charge" their cars, looking forward to the time when hybrids and electric cars will be a more regular purchase. The service elevator will be of a size that a full horizontal stretcher can be accommodated, and given the price points of the units, this is a very real contingency that other luxury developments have often failed to plan for. There’ll be a Wine Bar on the 25th floor. Penthouses will have their own infinity sky pools. 

 

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And the orientation of The Estate is unique! All the developments in this area have entrances on Apartment Ridge, and the amenities are located in the back, facing Ayala Avenue. With The Estate, one will drive in on Apartment Ridge, but an ascending winding driveway will drop you off at an elevated lobby entrance that faces Ayala Avenue. This also means that the common pool area faces Urdaneta Village, a much more private, less noisy orientation. And if you’re someone who looks for green buildings, know that The Estate is going for the LEED Gold Standard, Version 4.

The Estate may just be spreading its wings for now, but it’s charting a flight path like no other; and with the roll call of names behind the project, expect it to be truly different—one that may be setting the standard for the luxury developments of the future.