The freedom to live well

Do you feel like a prisoner in your own home? You know, high and thick walls, cramped living areas, or if you’re living in a smaller lot, with maybe just a square meter of what would pass for a front lawn. You can’t go for a relaxing stroll around the neighborhood anytime you want because you’re not exactly sure what kind of "creatures" you’ll be meeting along the way. Alien abductions may be a figment of the imagination but you’re quite sure, especially if you’re among the "marked ones," that kidnappings are a reality.

Sure, you live in an exclusive, closely guarded village but isn’t it ironic that you still live in a castle-like mansion that’s fortified with brick walls and security alarms? Those Pleasantville-type scenes where teenagers can just leave their bikes sprawled, unattended and unchained, in the front yard to scurry off to a waiting dinner are just part of Hollywood’s never-neverland, and wide open residential spaces are what the next Mars mission will be about. Right? Dead wrong.

Those who haven’t given up looking will be glad to know that this kind of freedom does exist. And we mean real freedom here. Think fenceless spaces — yeah, just like in good ol’ American suburbia boasting wide roads, friendly neighbors that make you want to sing "who are the people in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood…the people that you meet each day," and security at its very best.

Well, this is what the Sonera, Ayala Southvale Village in Ayala Alabang is all about — freedom to do as you please. With the launch of its last tranche, the Sonera Tranche 4B, in July the Sonera lifestyle will have been in place and how!

Developed by Ayala Land Premier (ALP), Sonera is for individuals who highly value their freedom yet live in utmost safety and security. The 22-hectare exclusive village is home to 234 lots, a majority of them belonging to the 400 to 500-sq.m. specification.

Tranche 4B is somewhat different in that it offers smaller lots of about 350 to 450 sq.m. but retaining that exclusive and protected feeling a homeowner feels in every Ayala Land Premier property.

"Tranche 4B is a response to a clamor from the market, which has been asking for smaller lots while retaining the exclusivity and the feel of Sonera," offers Joseph Romero, project manager of Sonera, Ayala Southville Village.

The 2.8-hectare area will have 30 to 33 lots. It’s a cul de sac with an attitude – a cool one at that. Located near the heart of the Ayala Alabang complex, the Sonera Tranche 4B can be accessed through the village’s main gate along Southvale Drive near Daang Hari road. It’s just five minutes or so from Ayala Alabang’s Acacia Gate and a mere 10-minute ride from schools (such as De La Salle Zobel and Woodrose), the Asian Hospital, Alabang Town Center, dining places, gasoline stations, and others.

If homeowners just want to laze around and mingle with the rest of the Sonera neighborhood, then a short walk or drive up to the Village Green is an option. Occupying about a hectare right smack in the center of the development, the Village Green is the recreational center of Sonera. There is a pool and a kiddie pool for the whole family; badminton and basketball courts for the sporty ones; a jogging path with lush greenery all around for the health buff, and more.

"We put the Village Green in the center of the subdivision because we want people to converge there and make it the center of the activity, and in the process still feel safe doing that," says Romero.

Like its other tranches, Sonera Tanche 4B, adds Romero, will be a cozy home to young families with growing kids. Homeowners are seen to be in their 30s up to the 50s who want to get away from stressful urban living. They are professionals who need to breathe easy in a wide, open space after spending eight or so hours in a cramped office and battling monstrous traffic day in and day out. They are doting parents who’d like to spend quality time with their kids in a safe environment. They are individuals who value substance over frills, judging from the kind of homes that will be built there.

At Tranche 4B, as in the rest of the Sonera tranches, abodes will be of the Asian contemporary style. Think Zen and meditate on simple lines and lots of glasses. Imagine simple elegance sans the pretensions.

"We’re keeping it very light, so you’ll be seeing a very modern look that reflects an openness to technology. Even the design of the guardhouse is Japanese-inspired, with neo Japanese glass, Shinto-style tiles for the roof. The gate itself has lots of horizontal lines and is very sturdy, " says Romero, stressing that these are Ayala Land Premier standards.

The whole Sonera concept, he adds, was inspired by upscale communities in the suburban areas of California and the East Coast. What the whole Sonera team is particularly proud of is its state-of-the-art security. Romero says that the area will be manned at all times with roving guards, who will be very visible to the residents.

"We’re looking at connectivity and security solutions for Sonera, which will allow residents to have a strong sense of security. We’re trying to do everything wireless. The vehicles will have a pass. If residents need to program the time of entry and exit, let’s say, of their vehicles, we can do that. If they say that their car shouldn’t leave the subdivision after 10 p.m., or if the whole family is going on vacation for a month, we can also program that," he says. Or, in the case of mischievous youngsters, no bike leaves the subdivision without the eyes of security cameras following them.

Tree huggers would be glad to know that Sonera is filled with hardwood trees such as narra and acacia. Apart from a five-meter landscaped area in front of each house where hedges, shrubs and other greens could be planted, residents will also appreciate the planting strip lined with grass and trees, which will provide the necessary shade and a natural beauty for lovers of nature. Just imagine having an early morning run along a misty, tree-lined path, or taking in a breezy late afternoon walk, with small leaves gently falling on the ground, or having an after-dinner stroll under the trees and the stars – OK, throw in the full moon for good measure. It’s a sublime feeling, being able to do that in this day and age of noise pollution and stressful living.

To help future homeowners familiarize themselves with the Sonera lifestyle, the Ayala Land Premier team has prepared a series of activities leading to the launch of Tranche 4B next month. Apart from the Home Zone Area exhibit featuring lanai living, they have set up a wealth management series for Sonera homeowners.

"This is us pursuing our commitment to our buyers. It’s basically telling them that our commitment doesn’t end with their purchase of the lots, but just the beginning of a relationship we want to nurture with them. In the wealth management series, we want to provide them information on how to manage their portfolios in real estate, for instance, and there will be four or five sessions of those," states Romero, adding that they are committed to spread the Sonera tag line, which is the freedom to move as you please and this includes financial freedom.

It’s clear that this concept of freedom is a most cherished value among Filipinos. One proof perhaps is the less than 30 lots left unsold in the whole Sonera complex. People are breaking free from the old and the outdated, and are looking towards living freely and without fear.

Freedom in its purest sense, after all, is such a rare thing these days.