Luxury real estate developer, Filigree, recently launched the second tower of its flagship residential project, Botanika Nature Residences.
Two Botanika is part of Botanika Nature Residences, located in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa. Filinvest City is the first township in the Philippines with green certifications from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the US Green Building Council, and the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC).
“Space is the new luxury,” said Daphne Mae O. Sanchez, Filigree business head, during the Aug. 17 launch. A high-end, high-rise condominium usually has 350 units over a 3,000-square meter (sq.m.) plot.
“The ultimate plan of Botanika [is to have] 350 units scattered over 3 towers in 15,000 square meters of land,” she said. “That’s how much space we are giving our residents, and I think it’s unmatched and translates to a more exclusive and closer-to-nature kind of lifestyle.”
Architects Andy Y. Locsin of Leandro V. Locsin Partners and Bill Higgins of Architecture International are responsible for Botanika’s overall design.
Given the topography and the site’s location — next to the Palms Country Club and the residential areas — “we wanted to create something more organic. There are no straight lines in nature,” said Mr. Higgins, describing the building’s curvilinear design.
“The entire complex is connected by landscape… They come together as an organic cluster of buildings that open to nature and connect you to your neighbors.”
The layout of the buildings allow people to discover spaces, according to Mr. Locsin.
“The concept of bringing light and air in all the way through turns out to be very germane to the pandemic situation,” Mr. Locsin said at the launch.
“The big idea of the masterplan was to weave together the landscape, the spaces, right through the building, so you got this feeling of shared amenities all the way through — the same way as a village,” he added.
Two Botanika has a four-star PHILGBC Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence rating. It offers one-bedroom units with sizes between 72-84 sq.m. (at approximately P22-28 million) and three-bedroom units with sizes between 179-196 sq.m. (at approximately P59-70 million).
Priced at around P100 million, four-bedroom, bi-level units at 322 sq.m. are located on the 7th, 9th, 11th, and 14th floors. All units at Two Botanika will have lanais.
The plan is to add new amenities as Filigree constructs new towers, Ms. Sanchez said.
The first tower has a children’s play area that connects to an outdoor playground.
“In Two Botanika, we’re going to add to the experience [through a] fitness gym and… a sky lounge at the rooftop,” said Ms. Sanchez. “It resonates with what we’re looking for now: al fresco spaces to dine and hang out in with friends and family. In the third tower, we will add to those amenities to complete that village feel.”
Construction for Two Botanika starts in 2023, with completion targeted by the third quarter of 2027.
Botanika Nature Residences’ first tower was launched in 2014 and turned over in 2018.
There are plans for a third tower.
This article was first published in Business World
