UNLIKE typical property-development projects, Mañosa Properties Inc. (MPI) consistently puts the Filipino touch, such as bahay-kubo and bahay na bato, in its projects to remind the Filipinos of their roots and culture.
In a recent press briefing, MPI stressed that it has the end-user in mind when it develops a concept for a certain project. Furthermore, MPI also puts premium on green architecture when it recently introduced the 3,027-square-meter lot Campanilla Lane, another limited-edition residential project in the most prestigious part of New Manila, Quezon City. As an exclusive community, Campanilla Lane will be open to only 20 owners for its 16 luxury apartments and four villas.
“Green architecture has always been a core value of ours, particularly our Dad’s. We’ve maximized natural ventilation and lighting in the designs, and the community will have rainwater harvesting to use for its plants,” said Dino Mañosa, who co-founded MPI with his father, Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa, the renowned architect behind landmarks such as the Coconut Palace, San Miguel Headquarters, Amanpulo Resorts, The Pearl Farm, Shangri-La Mactan Hotel, Edsa Shrine, The Medical City and Eskaya Resort.
Dino said that each structure at Campanilla Lane combines traditional Filipino elements with contemporary architecture. Like all Mañosa-designed homes, the luxury apartments and villas will be built using sustainable materials, such as bamboo, harnessing both nature and technology for environment-friendly homes.
He said the team had to develop a design that will ensure the retention of old trees amid the development of a design to ensure a lush and edible landscape all around the property.
“We secured the property over three years ago, and with the Mañosa architectural and interior design team, we came up with over 55 schemes to be certain that what we have is the best possible within the strict restrictions of the local barangay,” Dino pointed out.
The apartments, measuring approximately 260 sq m, will have three bedrooms with their own toilet and bath, a den, a powder room and a maid’s room. Apartment Building One will only have one unit per floor, while Apartment Building Two will have two apartments per floor. Both buildings will have penthouse units with lofts.
Each villa will have four floors and its own garden. Intended to be a multigenerational home, the villas are built with two master bedrooms and come equipped with an elevator. “Multigenerational means two things to us. First is being able to accommodate three generations in one home, the patriarch or matriarch, the second generation and the grandchildren, which is how I see my life with Dad. The second meaning is we want people to keep their Mañosa home as their future ancestral home,” Dino added. The luxury apartments and villas will share the facilities such as a pool and a multi-function area—where residents can meet, host parties and play.
“Through our professional property-management service, we watch over our communities and make sure that the practices, processes and products that we use are sustainable. And we try to maintain that neighborly Filipino spirit and culture. MPI’s basic proposition is ‘creating communities that we want to live in.’
“That is my interpretation of Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world,’ I did not want to build cookie-cutter boxes, I wanted communities I can imagine myself and my family living in,” Dino emphasized.
Buyers need not worry when moving in at Campanilla Lane, as each unit will have finished cabinets, flooring, lighting fixtures and ceiling fans. “Practically everything you see in the model unit, except for the loose furniture and appliances.”