A mere 45 minutes from Makati is Ponderosa Leisure Farms. This unique flower garden residential community, the first of its kind, was developed by Landco Pacific, pioneers in leisure property development. With themed gardens and flower-lined paths, this picturesque community has been coveted by those wanting an idyllic second home retreat ever since it was made available to the public. With its numerous amenities like the Villa Ponderosa Clubhouse, campsite, children’s playground, outdoor dining, and special events area, to name a few, it’s no wonder that families wishing to reward themselves choose this garden oasis. The cool, crisp weather, enjoyed because of the close proximity to Tagaytay, is an added bonus.
Now that almost all their existing lots are sold out, Landco has another inspired idea for those who want to live in such a setting but without the hassle of having to build their own house. They have introduced a new phase with beautiful sun dappled homes, designed and built for you.
Landco Pacific tapped architect Carlos Hubilla of the Hubilla Design Group, to design three sprawling, single story homes in different designs. According to Architect Hubilla, the open architecture integrates its Spanish-Mexican theme with the rolling terrain of Ponderosa. Varying in sizes, all the houses boast of wide windows that bring in lots of light, sliding doors opening to outdoor areas, and living spaces that spill into dining and kitchen areas. Every bedroom has its own toilet and bath with a pocket garden to bring the outdoor feel inside. With a wonderful unobstructed view of the surroundings, the feeling of infinite space is also due to the fact that 75% of each lot is allotted for the garden area.
Even if these houses are ready made, they are only building a handful and therefore there is a lot of attention put into detail, with only choice materials used. The Mexican influence is reflected in the use of the roof tiles, Machuca accents, stucco walls, and trellises. Architect Hubilla likes to call it mission style architecture, and with this particular aesthetic in mind, he designs with equal emphasis on a functional point of view. He worked in achieving good cross-ventilation as well as an efficient flow for the floor area of each house. The high ceilings (at least 3meters), rounded corners, and earth tones that give a “weathered” effect add character to the structure.
Each villa also has its own individual touches. Villa Jasmina is accented by a wall-hung water fountain and the unique hexagonal living room is isolated from the main living spaces. Villa Althea has a central trellised courtyard framed by the living, dining, and master bedroom giving all the rooms a view of the three tiered water fountain at its center. The biggest model, Villa Amaranta, has an open planned living and dining area that is perfect for entertaining guests. The sprawling layout allows for a separate wing for the bedrooms.
With landscaping by Paolo Alcazaren, Landco expects the Ponderosa Villas to be finished by November this year. They are only building around 10 of these vacation homes, and their exclusivity only makes them more desirable.