Earth-loving South Forbes

MANILA, Philippines - Last Sunday, the world celebrated the 42nd annual Earth Day, a global event meant to celebrate the Earth and raise awareness for environmental causes. Even though we’ve come a long way to saving Mother Earth, there is still much work to be done.

South Forbes Golf City, the country’s largest fully-integrated and all-themed golf resort city at the forefront of the Metro Sta. Rosa – Tagaytay corridor, has made environmental sustainability an intrinsic part of its development philosophy and continues its resolve to building green until today.

“We have incorporated the tenets of smart growth and new urbanism into the planning of South Forbes in order to meet, if not surpass, the standards set forth by organizations like the LEED and the country’s newest rating system, GREEEN,” said Jeffrey Ng, Cathay Land president. “Our recognition by the 2007 CNBC International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious property awards programme, for Best Golf Community Development, and by the 2010 Bloomberg Asia-Pacific Residential Award for Highly Commended Award for Best Development only proves that South Forbes Golf City, in our earnest desire to provide a balanced way of life for our residents, upholds the globally-accepted principles of an environmentally-sensitive development.”

Walk, Don’t Drive. Sustainable communities are structured into complete, well-connected, mixed-use neighborhoods allowing residents to live, work, play, shop, and learn within a walking or transit distance. This is realized in South Forbes’ 5 Clusters of Excellence where an international-themed Residential Cluster works in synergy with the Business, Education, Wellness, and Leisure Clusters.

Reaching all these hotspots will not necessarily require a long ride but a short walk. To enhance the quality of life, South Forbes employed the principles of New Urbanism to ensure that the whole city remains compact, mixed-use, and pedestrian-friendly.

A high quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable. South Forbes employs, too, a pedestrian-friendly street design: buildings are close to street, houses have porches, windows and doors, streets are tree-lined, and parking lots are hidden. In some cases, pedestrian streets are free of cars, thus ensuring a more sustainable way of living.

With the focus on walkable district through pedestrian lanes, automobile dependence is greatly reduced and allows for a more breathable and comfortable environment.

Nature Rules. Tropical design takes into account traditional elements of cross ventilation with the use of properly located openings and raised floors, solar orientation maximizing on natural lighting, the use of color and local materials exuding the native culture, and general site reference.

South Forbes’ Residential Cluster is home to an impressive array of themed neighborhoods but all alike in its adherence to the principles of tropical design.

The tropical resort-inspired Phuket Mansions, for one, emphasizes the natural beauty of the environment and the feeling of openness and spaciousness with homes designed and built alongside water. The major feature of Châteaux de Paris is its six themed gardens spread across the whole French-themed enclave where residents can frequent these during their leisure time. Nothing gets closer to the green than Sentosa Heights and the Golf View Terraces is built along the slopes of South Forbes’ hills alongside the golf course.

“Our location on a higher elevation and closer proximity to Tagaytay afford us cool weather from late afternoon to mid-morning.

Move in right here, right now. Call 635-7777 or 631-8855 for a free city tour or log on to www.southforbes.com for more information.