Green living in the metropolis: Prime city living in Ayala Land’s Arca South

I wrote at length two weeks ago about Ayala Land’s Arca South, a development unique in both scale and vision.  Arca South is a master planned 74-hectare central business district (CBD) and mixed-use development in Taguig. The spacious former FTI complex is being transformed into a wholly-integrated enclave made up of residential communities, retail and office workspaces, a hotel and a hospital, and these are just in the initial phase.

This week we focus on the residential component of Arca South and on the specific initial offering of a distinctive condominium development located at the district’s southeast quadrant. I sat down a week ago with Ms Cherryl Uy, Ayala Land Premier Project Development Manager and Mr. Stephen Comia, ALI Project Development Manager of Arca South.

Stephen pointed out that the overall residential section of Arca South will be connected to the rest of the development with an efficient transport system and wide, open, green spaces. Arbor Lanes, which is an Ayala Land Premier development, was the first to launch and is located in one of the exclusive areas of the development. The whole development, as I wrote about last week, has great connectivity with a grand central boulevard, a skyway ramp connector and greenways for pedestrians.

Location is great, says Cherryl, but Arbor Lanes offers more than just great access to the larger metropolis. Arbor Lanes is a right-sized condominium development that provides flexible units in five residential blocks, all oriented north-south to provide maximum protection from the sun and maximum potential for natural ventilation.

The two executives highlighted the fact that there are only be 208 units for Block 1 at Arbor Lanes, which gets its name from the linear green spines in between each block. These spines allow plenty of space for outdoor amenities like playgrounds (indoor and outdoor), landscaped walkways, pocket gardens and pools. There are two pool areas for the development, so you are never far from one. Each has a lap pool with integrated lounge pool and kiddie pool.

Arbor Lanes also has green amenities called Garden Terraces in select floors of its sprawling buildings.  The presence of these double-volume Garden Terraces means you are never more than a few floors away from a pocket garden with a view and fresh air. Parking underneath is integrated for the whole development to allow quick access to units and amenities. These parking floors is also green-up with full grown trees springing up through tree wells in between blocks. These tree wells are landscape voids that provide natural light and ventilation for the basement parking.

Uy added that this airy feeling is extended to each Arbor Lanes unit, which range in size from one to three-bedrooms for Block 1. Each one will have outdoor or semi outdoor components in Balconies for the Canopy Suites on the upper floors, and Garden Lounges for Classic Units and Duo Suites. Each of these Garden Lounges have movable louvers for privacy and sun-screening. There are also bi-level Garden Suites and Garden Villa at the ground level, which are gifted with private gardens.

A first by Ayala Land Premier, is the 90 sqm. Duo Suite. Cherryl defined these as “iconic spaces designed with an auxiliary studio unit affording manifold choices for nurturing generations.” She further highlighted this concept of multi-generational units of Arbor Lanes, where Filipino or Asian family structures could easily be accommodated. Parents can live with their son’s or daughter’s families, or younger adult sons or daughters could live in studios embedded in Duo Suites. These may also be bought by foreigners; who then could rent out either the smaller or larger component (approximately 23 sqm of the total 94 square meters) of the Duo Suites.

Stephen ended our conversation by reiterating the context of Arbor Lanes in the new Arca South. Those living in the development’s residential block will have the benefit of proximity to shops and lifestyle options at different scales—from intimate cafes to regional malls. Work will also be nearby, with nine office buildings sprouting up in the next five years.  Then there will be a Seda hotel, a 250-bed Qualimed Quartenary Hospital and open spaces covering 40 percent of the development. Finally, the whole estate will be well-maintained and managed efficiently, as all Ayala developments are. A 24/7 centralized operations system will facilitate real-time communication of city information covering road and traffic, alerts and emergency response. All parking in Arca South will be underground and certain development blocks will be interconnected. Pedestrians will find Arca South a paradise. Eventually, Arbor Lanes residents can walk from their corner of Arca South all the way to the regional malls and transit hubs at the other end of the 74-hectare urban oasis.

Arbor Lanes will indeed be a green refuge for residents, in the larger island of urban idyll that Arca South will shape up to be. The point then will be: where will you find safe harbour in the often maddening reality of Metro Manila. Arbor Lanes will provide safety and sanity for you and your family; in a way that grows with you and matures with the rest of this premier Ayala Land showcase.  Arbor Lanes shall welcome its first residents beginning the first quarter of 2018.

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Feedback is welcome. Please email the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com. For more information on Arca South please log on to www.arcasouth.ph