Arden Botanical Estate: Breathing fresh air into the township concept
“There are four common denominators among people who live to be over 100,” said multiaward broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez-Roxas at the media launch of Arden Botanical Estate on April 16. “The centenarians I watched in a documentary drank two glasses of organic red wine a day, ate healthy food, did everything in moderation, and had regular community interaction.”
Arden Botanical Estate, the Philippines’ first botanical-themed township, is certainly conducive to all the four common denominators for longevity mentioned by SanchezRoxas.
Spread over 251 hectares, the Estate is located at the boundary of Trece Martires City and the municipality of Tanza in Cavite. Arden Botanical Estate is jointly developed by property giant Megaworld, the country’s leading developer of integrated urban townships, and its subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI).
The township is surrounded by natural rivers, organic gardens, and expanses of lavender and other colorful flora. It also features wide, tree-lined roads and avenues, lotus ponds, as well as residential and leisure villages, commercial areas, sports and adventure parks, and a mixed-use district among others.
A PRIME CAVITE ADDRESS
“This groundbreaking botanicalthemed township isn't just beautiful; it's also strategically positioned at the center of Cavite's booming infrastructure,” said Eugene Em Lozano, Megaworld’s head of sales and marketing.
Arden Botanical Estate is just a little over an hour away from NAIA via CAVITEX. It is a 45-minute drive from CBTEX (Silang Interchange). CALAX (Governor's Drive Interchange) is a mere 15 minutes away. The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is also just a quick 15-minute drive, opening up even more accessibility to the township.
The Estate is relatively within close proximity of tourist destinations, too, such as Nasugbu, Batangas at just an hour and 32 minutes away, and Tagaytay, which is just 53 minutes away.
ONE WITH NATURE
Residential and leisure villages form more than half of Arden Botanical Estate. Megaworld has introduced two sprawling residential villages within the township: the 18.1-hectare Arden Botanical Village and the 15.2-hectare Arden Westpark Village. GERI, meanwhile, has launched the three phases of its newest village, the 18.3-hectare The Lindgren, which offers 11 different Scandinavian-inspired house-and-lot design options.
One might think that such a monumental development displaces natural resources and hinders the growth of a healthy environment. On the contrary, Arden Botanical Estate has sustainability written all over it. The Estate, after all, is designed by landscape architect and environmental planner Paulo Alcazaren.
“The layout of the Estate follows the lay of the land. You waste more energy leveling a site compared to just following its natural contours,” Alcazaren said. “The contours assist in proper storm water management, leading to more efficient use of energy and resources.”
Aside from this, the Estate also has its own material recovery facilities, uses solar street lights, recycles stormwater to irrigate its many green spaces, provides electric shuttles for transport within the community, has permeable pavements for driveways and parking spaces, and uses organic fertilizers and pesticides for its gardens.
AMENITIES FOR A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY
Alcazaren put together the design of Arden Botanical Village (the residential subdivision within the Estate) and the 8.3-hectare Arden Botanical Estate Town Center, a vibrant hub that will have commercial and retail spaces broken down into small structures, alfresco dining areas, landscaped gardens, parks, an events place, and children’s playground, among others.
A six-lane, tree-lined avenue leads from the entrance along Governor’s Drive in Tanza to the Welcome Pavilion and the Arden Botanical Estate Town Center.
Making the Estate even more livable is a breathing chapel at the top of a hill. Roofless, save for trellises, the chapel sits on the Estate’s highest elevation. Connecting this chapel to the foot of the hill is the winding Lombard Walk, reminiscent of Lombard Street, the crookedest street in San Francisco. Colorful fauna keep the Walk vibrant and soothing to the senses.
To encourage community interaction, the Estate also has an ampitheater, a flower garden, a flower tunnel, natural ponds, and a playground. Centrera Park, also designed by Alcazaren, is surrounded by natural groves of mature trees, natural waterways and ponds, sprawling lush greeneries, expansive open spaces, promenades and parks, and jogging paths.
“We also have the Instagrammable Arden café, as well as Arden bike trails, which encourage seasonal off-road activities like trail cycling and rally cross,” said Rowena Espiritu Lim, head of sales and marketing for GERI.
As of this writing, the residential lots of Arden Botanical Village are already 80 percent sold.
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