Real estate with a woman’s touch

MANILA, Philippines - Whether men admit it or not, details are best planned and executed when left in the care of women. While this statement may be arguable or at best considered tongue-in-cheek, it is a thought taken quite seriously by the minds behind a pioneering residential project in Alabang dubbed Sonria.

After all, majority of the planning team is female — experts in their respective fields, all equally opinionated and vocal, but at the end of the day, bound together by a singular passion for excellent work. This ethic is best expressed in their unsurpassed attention to detail, and personal attention spent on the project.

Rightfully so, since Sonria is truly a one-of-a-kind development, it is an impressive take on condo living for the discriminating market of Southern Metro denizens — those used to living in palatial abodes in gated subdivisions. Sonria will replicate this genteel environment in a 21-story contemporary condo community, through generous spaces both inside and outside of one’s unit.

To start, the location is of utmost importance. No other person except for Gizela Madrigal Gonzalez Montinola, a member of the family that pioneered Ayala Alabang, would be best suited to initiate this innovation in Alabang. This lady knows the locale by heart.

The parcel of land upon which Sonria will rise is one of the last remaining gems in the quiet side of Alabang — right in the center of Madrigal Business Park, and the contribution of Montinola to Stonebridge Corp., the owner of the project. Sonria came about from the collaboration between Stonebridge Corp. and GeoEstate Development Corporation, led by Francisco Licuanan III.

The location is perfect for creating the vision of Sonria as a modern home for traditional Alabang folks. “There’s definitely good quality and high-end feel but not extremely formal. It has the feel of the neighborhood and that particular casual aura of Alabang living,” says Montinola.

The next important step is, of course, planning the project. In today’s market of mass-produced condo units, developer GeoEstate Development Corp. is among the few purveyors of boutique developments, being an independent, unlisted company. This affords them comfortable leeway in making decisions that they feel is right for the customer — not necessarily for company profit.

“We have a responsibility to the customers. We cannot compromise,” declares Miriam Katigbak, GeoEstate president and chief operating officer. In this sense, buyers are definitely assured of getting utmost value for their money, in terms of an unsurpassed living experience — one that delights them with genuine comfort, convenience and luxury, instead of one that forces them to compromise.

It is fortunate that GeoEstate found a like-minded professional to draw up the space planning and interior design for Sonria, in the person of interior designer Tina Periquet. The Pratt Institute–trained designer is instrumental in maximizing the living spaces of Sonria and replicating the airiness and grace of an Alabang single-detached home in a condo unit.

“The focus is on the quality of space. There’s a series of experiences — of large and small moments, that gives you a sense of a gracious home. It’s not just one big box,” she explains.

Periquet actually reveals the biggest draw of Sonria’s units — a well-designed home that delineates living spaces naturally and intuitively. This means no hanging beams in the middle of the living room, no sharp jutting corners caused by structural beams, or even simply no wasted nooks that could have been put to good use. These are the details that the Sonria project team spent countless hours perfecting; pushing the boundaries not just of project cost but of structural capacities.

For future residents, these details mean not having to contend with a nagging feeling of having things not in their proper places, or having to put up with design flaws that will bother you for a lifetime. “Space planners think of what it is like for the client to walk in,” she explains regarding Sonria’s quest to create a home that will naturally feel and flow with daily living. “A thoughtful and considerate developer wants more than the average and will think of the people — the families — who will come and live here.”

Definitely, GeoEstate is one of those real estate companies that can be counted on to innovate and provide the best property options especially for the discriminating few. Targeted for completion by the end of next year, Sonria residents can expect to walk into their unit for the first time with an air of familiarity and comfort as if it were a well-loved residence that has seen decades of good memories and company.

Perhaps, above all, it is such warmth that only women can impart upon a household — and with Sonria not lacking in female touch and attention to details, it will definitely abound with such grace and an immediate sense of home.