MANILA, Philippines - For its newest project in residential development, Megaworld is building for the ultra high-end market. Fittingly enough, the project is located in its latest township, the 35-hectare McKinley West in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, a development right next to Forbes Park which will have luxury residential estates, office buildings and high-end shopping and leisure centers. Megaworld is spending P45 billion in the next 10 years to build McKinley West, which will have a mix of a modern business district and posh residential enclaves.
Megaworld senior vice president Noli D. Hernandez says that when they first launched the residential estates in 2010, the 250 units sold out in a week because buyers appreciated the low-rise (only about eight stories per structure) and low-density design of the estates (some units like the penthouses will have their own private elevators and lap pools).
Megaworld wanted the project to have a feel of European luxury and to achieve that, they started with the architecture by enlisting the services of the UK-based architectural firm Broadway Malyan, which has over 500 design experts all over the world.
Noli D. Hernandez, senior vice president, Megaworld says, ““Broadway Malyan brings global architecture urbanism and design in 43 countries in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific. The award-winning company has received 240 awards since it was founded in 1967 for its iconic designs of residential, office, healthcare, education and hotels in different parts of the world.”
Next they looked for partners for the interiors and several names stood out, all of them multiple award winners in their respective categories. First was Leicht for the kitchen, a brand that has outfitted many European footballers’ kitchens including Lionel Messi’s home in Barcelona, Hollywwod’s Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s, and Penelope Cruz’s homes.
Hernandez says when they were choosing which kitchen fixtures to go with, he just had to touch the surfaces of a Leicht kitchen (without knowing which brand he was looking at) and knew they had to go with it. The No. 1 brand in Europe, Leicht is in over 60 countries and offers 5,000 colors to choose from for its wide range of modern to traditional kitchens and everything in between.
Philippe Starck by Duravit is another partner for the residential estates’ bathroom and toilet. Megaworld has chosen the Starck III collection, first launched in 2002. This range has a vast array of products with more than 50 models and 64 variants, making it one of Duravit’s most extensive bathroom ranges.
For energy-saving and eco-friendly built-in home appliances Megaworld turned to Bosch. Known all over the world with factories in 15 countries, Bosch “combines solid German craftsmanship and thoroughness with visionary thinking.
“McKinley West’s luxury residential estates will deliver luxury beyond expectations as we bring together the masterpieces of Europe’s best home and design companies,” ephasizes Hernandez. “One can expect no less from the most exclusive and glamorous address. This ultra high-end living in McKinley West’s luxury residential estates creates a balance between innovation and refined tradition as it sets a new benchmark in the way Metro Manila’s A-listers should live.
“Megaworld brings this exceptional exclusivity in the quiet side of Fort Bonifacio with its own blueprint that has a class of its own, orchestrated by a unique collaboration of the world’s leading European architects and designers, and award-winning home innovators,” says Hernandez.