HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPEVINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
A studied glance at the current real estate landscape; and one can observe that for the niche, affluent market, a spate of very worthwhile high-rise offerings have been introduced to this market over the last two to three years. If one cares to examine these offerings and put them under the proverbial “microscope,” one can glean that even in this stratified slice of the market, there is a cookie-cutter approach. Luxury brands may differ, but the amenities and features attached to this market do betray similarities; and one is left pondering, where the differences will arise from, what factors make for exclusivity, and uncovering the “primus inter pares.”
The Estate Makati strongly makes its case for having those factors that imbue it with that “something different.” And let’s face it, in this corner of the market where price is not the primary consideration, and neither is the total floor area of the unit; these other factors do come into play.
The Estate Makati (TEM) has THE address – Apartment Ridge Road, Ayala Avenue. TEM is steadily rising, and one will immediately notice that it’s the only lot on the stretch of Ayala Avenue between EDSA and Makati Avenue, that isn’t already occupied by an existing building. This stretch has always been seen as the part of Ayala Avenue that separates the Central Business District and its skyscrapers, from the exclusive villages of Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village. The residential condominiums along Apartment Ridge Road were always seen as our version of “Millionaire’s Row,” a gathering of top luxury apartment buildings.
If Ayala Avenue is our version of Fifth Avenue/Park Avenue of New York, or Knightsbridge in London; I’ll give due recognition to how new areas such as BGC have cropped up, likening the Global City to Hudson Yards in Manhattan. It may be the new “it” neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean it eclipses the history and equity that comes with residing on Ayala Avenue.
Then there’s the factor that the revered name of Sir Norman Foster is attached to The Estate Makati. Foster+Partners is behind The Estate Makati, and the architectural firm and it’s founder are behind some of the most iconic high-tech structures of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Gherkin Building (30 St Mary Axe) in London, the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, the Hearst Tower in New York City, the Reichstag in Berlin, and Apple Park in Cupertino, are just some of the iconic projects of Foster+Partners.
And one can’t help but observe that most of these landmark buildings house offices, or are of a commercial nature. To reside and live in a Norman Foster is something of a rarity; and no matter what comes to pass, TEM will stand as the very first residential Norman Foster here in the Philippines. That’s exclusive, bragging rights of a particular order.
That The Estate Makati is loaded with features that earned it a Gold LEED rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), demonstrate how beyond the attention to aesthetic detail, Foster+Partners have made the structure a testament to environmental responsibility, and sustainable development. Future-proofing is seen in the numerous TEM green innovations that contribute to the redefining of Architecture and Design today.
When we speak of exclusivity, one can also talk about living space, and with TEM, one has the very first use here of double-slab technology. This results in apartment services (wiring, plumbing, and so on) being concealed within the void between floors and ceilings, and offering seamless, column-free living. What this translates to is limitless interior configurations and customizations. Say goodbye to how each unit on a given floor has to be a mirror image in floor layout to the other units on the same floor, or even the building.
The innovative cruciform design of the building means every unit is a corner unit, affording the unit user with a grand 270-degree view of Makati. There’s also unparalleled privacy in spite of the proximity to the buildings on either side of The Estate Makati. And I’m made to understand that the lobby is an elevated one that faces Ayala Avenue, the only one on Apartment Ridge Road that can say that.
My late parents were “old school” investors. My mother passed away in 1996, while my father left us a decade ago, in 2013. While they had the comfort of living in a subdivision, when they did invest in real estate, I noted how it was first a condominium on Apartment Ridge Road, and then in the mid-1990’s, in BGC. I’m certain they would have appreciated what the Sy and Ty families of today are doing by joining forces to bring about The Estate Makati. The nice thing is it echoes how the two sorely-missed business tycoons collaborated back then, at the start of this century, on the Ritz Towers on Apartment Ridge Road – right beside where The Estate Makati will rise.
History and provenance, exclusivity and luxury, The Estate Makati lives up to the promise – while embracing the future.