Elevating luxury
Everyone knows that the mantra for real property starts with location, location. location. In modern cities today, one must add “elevation, elevation, elevation.†An exemplar of modern development that has these, plus other essential attributes of the high life, is the Grand Hyatt Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Manila Residences complex.
The P20-billion development, which contains the two attributes of location and elevation, is quickly taking shape in the northern section of what is arguably the most modern “city†in the Philippines today — Bonifacio Global City. It is a prime location in an already excellent district. It also anchors Federal Land’s Veritown, a mixed-use enclave, which will cover an entire section of several blocks in that district.
The locational attributes of the Grand Hyatt complex that prospective residents are looking for are enhanced further by proximity to international schools, a world-standard hospital (St. Luke’s), C-5, EDSA, SLEX, the airport complex, along with the two business districts of Makati and BGC. There is also a proposed new bridge across the Pasig River that will put the property minutes away from the Ortigas Business District.
The attribute of elevation has three aspects to it. Elevation does not only connote the literal height of the project but more importantly, it pertains to leveling up the standards of architectural and engineering design, the parameters of luxury and a framework for an enhanced lifestyle for residents that has not been offered till now.
The Grand Hyatt Manila Residences is a product-intensive design and engineering marvel focused on creating a robust structure without compromise. I spoke recently to Alfred Ty, president of the developers Federal Land Inc., as well as architect Meloy Casas of Casas Architects and engineer Raul Manlapig, principal of the Philippine office of world-renowned engineering company ARUP.
The architecture and engineering of the Grand Hyatt complex involves two towers, one for each use of hotel and residence. Most other similar hotel/condo developments involve only one structure with shared amenities. Ty emphasized that the Grand Hyatt Manila Residences is a stand-alone tower, made more premium with its own premium set of amenities. Prospective owners have exclusive use of a dedicated luxury pool, lush garden, fully appointed gym and related facilities.
Residents get double the options for rest and recreation, especially through the Hyatt Gold Passport, which endows owners with access to world-class luxury privileges and the facilities of the Grand Hyatt on an a la carte basis. The passport also extends such privileges at Grand Hyatt Hotels around the world.
Architect Casas, a designer with a 30-year track record of international and local projects completed, explained to me the challenges of creating this tower of luxury. He and his firm worked closely with Wong & Ouyang of Hong Kong and Florida-based Bilkey Llinas for the interior design of the hotel. After over a year of preparation they came up with creative ways to provide spaces for both the hotel and the residences. Aspects of circulation, parking, security and utilities were addressed without compromising residents’ ease of access, level of aesthetics and prime functionality.
Solutions, Casas expounded, were provided with a complex network of architectural spaces and elements from below the ground up. These include basement service corridors that allow “a la carte†service, from hotel restaurants to the residences, extensive parking provisions, ground-level amenities including high-end retail shops, a branch of Metrobank, upper-level common spaces that preserve exclusivity, and residential units with high ceilings and commodious rooms with views of the metropolis. These views, in fact, are unencumbered by nearby towers, since the residential tower sits at the corner of a whole city block.
Engineer Manlapig detailed the elegant engineering provided for the development to achieve the goal of creating one of the safest developments of the modern metropolis. ARUP used the latest software and engineering design techniques to provide the most efficient and dependable structure for the complex. Manila’s exposure to earthquakes and typhoons were taken as a prime framework for the complex’s structural framing and designs for external cladding and internal core.
Manlapig emphasized that the complex is made even more robust by the use of ARUP’s proprietary Damped Outrigger System TM; only the second tower in the Philippines to do so. The system ensures maximum protection from seismic events and goes beyond standard parameters used in even the most modern buildings here.
Even the landscape of the Grand Hyatt Manila Residences is literally elevated. The podium level is six stories above the street. This green level contains the gardens, pools, and outdoor amenities for both the hotel and the residences. The residences will also contain stepped-back gardens on the upper floors. These will overlook the extensive landscape at the podium level and complete the feeling and reality of a thoroughly green development.
The Grand Hyatt Manila Residences and the entire complex within the Veritown section of Bonifacio Global City will be completed in 2016. The developers are making sure that the complex is being built to the highest standards of design, engineering and construction. The project, in fact, elevates all aspects of this type of development to new levels. The complex is blessed by location, but more importantly, it elevates luxury to new heights. And the view from those heights of privilege will be incomparable.
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Feedback is welcome. For more information on Grand Hyatt Manila Residences, visit www.grandhyattmanilaresidences.com.ph.
