Hamilo Coast's Pico de Loro reflects varied tastes

MANILA, Philippines - It could either be the striking scenery or the splendid layout of the development, or both — for architect Maila Mitra, these are the inspirations behind several distinctive condominium units she has designed at Pico de Loro Cove, the maiden leisure residential development of SM Land in Nasugbu, Batangas. 

Hamilo Coast is a network of live-work-heal-play communities envisioned to range in setting from popular waterfront locales to secluded ultra-exclusive coves, making for a truly international attraction not unlike some of the world’s top travel destinations.

Its first development, Pico de Loro Cove, offers a convenient brand of leisure living with its pioneering condo vacation homes and exclusive club lifestyle. With the progressive turnover of initial clusters Jacana and Myna last summer, the community is now thriving.

Initially tapped by a friend whose parents own a unit at Pico de Loro Cove, Mitra has since then worked on nine condo units at both Jacana and Myna clusters. Word of mouth and referrals happened to somehow establish her reputation in working with condo vacation home units within Pico de Loro with ease and relatively fast turnaround — and at reasonable cost.

With her hands full of projects, Mitra is more than happy with the pleasant “problem.” Each of her creations is a glittering manifestation of her design expertise, lent to the personal vision of the respective residents. After all, working in an environment, which she herself describes as “nature at its best,” it is very easy to get inspired and find fulfillment in turning her client’s condo home into a haven for resort living.

Mitra does not find it difficult to create inspired leisure living spaces in Pico de Loro as the location itself is amazing. “I initially did not expect to find paradise in Hamilo,” she admits. “But the view of nature is spectacular and the idea of having nine condo buildings surrounding a man-made lake is really innovative. In Pico de Loro, units have excellent space planning. Each space converges into one communal area to support how we Filipinos are culturally.”

Mitra found the space planning and finishes of the units in Pico de Loro generally conducive for creative flair. “While the basic amenities are provided such as bathroom fixtures, kitchen counter and fittings, there is still enough leeway to be creative in decorating each unit according to what residents require,” says Mitra.

What she knows for sure is that the residents of Pico de Loro seem to be an eclectic mix of individuals and families who have their strong personal sense of what a vacation condo home means. One of her first projects was a one-bedroom 45 square meter unit, which she turned into a modern vacation home that exudes sophistication and luxury. Because of the efficiently cut and sized unit, there were no major renovations implemented. For accent, they dropped the ceiling and installed wallpaper as well as laminated wood to achieve their desired clean and uncluttered look. Using only two base colors — white and light mocha — the motif envelopes the residents with a relaxing atmosphere, which is a must in every leisure home.