If you can’t get to Southern California, let it come to you
May 27, 2006 | 12:00am
If it’s the life of cappuccino-sipping, Rodeo Drive-shopping, beach-hopping LA housewives you crave, then the next best thing is Brentville, an almost carbon copy of a Southern California community. Simply hop onto your Range Rover and drive down the speedy South Super Highway and head for Laguna and enter the gorgeously maintained gated community.
As first impressions go, the exclusive village rather resembles The OC, sans cliff-side views of the sea, with its stucco-lined walkways, luxe clubhouse and artfully displayed flowers growing on landscaped lawns.
Laguna is currently home to families who live in the area and take advantage of the locale’s fresh air and quiet ambiance and make the quick commute to Manila daily. With numerous developments popping up all over, Brentville stands out because it is home to Brent International School, the favored educational institution of expatriates, and it is fully equipped with amenities.
"It’s a functional, completed community," says project group head Jing Concepcion. Nearly 80 percent of the land has been purchased and more than a third have set up homes.
The community is divided into clusters, grouped homes that come with their own mini clubhouses – and sometimes, their own pools – and a gate with guards. Security is high at Brentville, a plus for affluent families who have chosen to call it home. "You need to pass through three gates before you reach your home," says Concepcion. The first is the guarded entrance to the community, which is flanked by the school, followed by the gate close to the clubhouse, and then another gate for each cluster, making it difficult for just anyone to get in. There are even plans to put up a security system accessed by in-village security in homes, which residents can avail of, so in the case of a burglary, an alarm sounds and security is dispatched immediately. Tagged as level-three security protocol, there are 24-hour roving guards constantly on the lookout.
With names like Woodmore, West Parc and Sunshine Place, Brentville takes the California inspiration very seriously. The facades of all homes follow a certain theme, in this case, Southern California with references to Mexico and the Mediterranean. The homes’ rather modest facades – if you can call P20 million-homes modest – allow for a cozy feeling that’s augmented by shaded pocket parks that come with mini playgrounds. There are no rambling monstrous mausoleums here or plaster gargoyles hanging from excessively embellished window treatments. Dwellings, covered in a gentle wash of taupe or tan, are a symphony of homogeneity.
On sunny afternoons, nannies push their charges on colorful strollers down clean, tree-lined pavements while children fresh from school head to the clubhouse for a cooling dip in the pool.
This is precisely the kind of lifestyle homeowners enjoy in Brentville. Voted Most Outstanding International Community by the National Consumer Affairs Foundation, developer Filinvest Land Inc. dubbed the homes the Masterpieces Collection, with names such as Madonna and Mona Lisa.
Would-be residents are offered a host of styles from the 231-sq.m. lot of the Madonna to the 186-sq.m. lot of Mona Lisa.
The Kassandra, a three-bedroom home with four toilets and bath, and a den, is situated on a 700-sq.m. lot, which affords homeowners a spacious garden with room for a modest-sized pool and some green in the front and back of the house. The floor area clocks in at a roomy 389 square meters, which leaves more than enough space for a living room with a soaring ceiling, which goes up to the second floor, and an adjacent dining space. The efficient kitchen space comes with a countertop and an island, making the flow of space all the more practical. The second floor includes a living space, which could double as a work area or TV room, and the three bedrooms. The master bedroom, aside from plush facilities like his-and-hers sinks in the master bath as well as a separate tub and shower, has a small office area next to the walk-in closet.
For those who’d like to purchase the house furnished, the price tag rolls in at about P27 million. "That includes landscaping," adds Concepcion. Bare, it comes in at about P20 to P22 million. But that includes finishing like countertops and bathroom fixtures.
It may seem high but the quality of the home speaks for itself. Marble dots the first floor, making the space seem larger than it really is, while the stairs and second floor are covered with a sturdy, beautifully rich Canadian oak.
Two other houses riff on the same interior scheme, namely the Alexandria, a more compact three-bedroom home with the same high ceiling, and the La Rissa, with more Mediterranean-style interiors that include arched entryways and frescoes in crisp white juxtaposed against seaside orange and red stucco walls.
The cost-conscious couple shouldn’t be turned off because Brentville has a number of townhouses, which come with condo-certificates so expats can purchase these homes, and these have surprisingly affordable price points. Townhouses range from about 5.2 to 9 million. Each includes a pocket garden and range from a spacious three bedroom with the same high ceilings and spacious living area to the more compact two bedroom starter home which come with its toilet and bath per room.
Priding themselves on their ability to deliver the same high quality finishing and style at a wide range of price points, Brentville accomplishes the task of creating a warm, friendly community with all the luxurious amenities with aplomb.
And at only 200 meters from the Mamplasan Exit or a 30-minute drive from Makati, it’s just a hop, stiletto-aided skip away. Housewives be warned.
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