Ayala Land’s Arca South promises to be a portal to urban connectivity
Living in 0etro 0a nila is a constant challenge for many people. rban has sles of traffic, blight, un integrated devel opment, and lack of green space create a disMointed e pe rience and a life style that makes it difficult to keep up with the rest of the modern world.
A new master planned development by Ayala and ,nc. A , in the metropo lis’ south is seeking to create a gateway, an urban enclave that allows residential and lifestyle, as well as a business and commercial environment, that are more in sync with the rest of the metropolis, as well as the rest of the world.
Arca South is being shaped into a hectare central business district CB and mi ed use development. 7he e pan sive former )7, comple is being trans formed into a wholly integrated enclave made up of residential communities, retail and office workspaces, a hotel and a hospital in its initial phase. All these will be connected with an efficient transport system and wide open and green spaces.
, had a chat recently with -oel una, A , ice President and Chief Architect, along with Stephen Comia, A , ProMect evelopment 0anager of Arca South to discuss their company’s newest and to me, it’s most e citing new urban enclave development.
7he measures, e plained the two e ecutives, which ensure Arca South’s success starts with access, its conte t and connections to its surroundings. Ayala and is coordinating its newest development with the City of 7aguig’s programs for urban improvement. ,t is also synchroni ing with national govern ment’s infrastructure programs for the area, which include plans for a transport terminal and a C to C connection.
According to una, the intent of the government is, in fact, to create what is called an intermodal transport hub. 7his hub will consolidate several modes of transport vehicular, bus, rail onto a terminal and mi ed use comple that is interfaced seamlessly with Arca South. (ntering from C , Skyway or S (; will take traffic to the development’s main boulevard. 7his will distribute commut ers and visitors eTually to all corners of Arca South, as well as connect Arca South to the rest of the metropolis.
Comia adds that this balanced flow is matched by the even distribution between residential and commercial ones. e e plained that the residential components will be a mi of Ayala’s Premier, Alveo and Avida developments. A retail and lifestyle center, akin to reenbelt, and BPO offices, will complement the first proMects that are due for completion in the first phase of Arca South that will take five years.
Circulation in Arca South is also bal anced in the sense of e tensive acces sibility by pedestrians. 7he main spine is actually a linear greenway that traverses Arca South from one end to another, much like igh Street in B C but more free form in shape, with sections as wide as meters. 7his tree filled greenway allows pedestrian traffic to both ends of the development. una added that the building edges of all clusters and buildings are arcaded and lined with shops and restaurants. Parking for the development is via a huge integrated basement facility. ou can park anywhere underground and come up to the park or through the commercial buildings to the arcades.
An internal bus transit system, like the one operating in Boni facio lobal City nearby, will have bus stops every meters. 7his system will be scheduled and provide Tuick access to the development from the intermodal terminal comple .
By all these, Arca South will really be a pedestrian paradise, but the people friendliness of Arca South is also seen in the
buildings themselves. ost will be of moderate height to modulate densities for both aesthetics and function.
Ayala Land has also made it a point to enhance streetscapes and open spaces (40 percent of the entire site) with verdant landscaping that include shade trees, green buffers, lawn areas and playgrounds for active recreation. This green-ness e tends to the whole development through sustainable building practices, rain-water harvesting, building orientation and other measures that have become standard with Ayala Land s proMects.
The development will also continue the high standards of maintenance, security and infrastructure functionality that is the hallmar of AL, s proMects. There will be a 24 7 operations center, T coverage, synchroni ed traffic lights, drainage and solid waste management, as well as all the necessary support for a fully functioning modern city.
The first phase of Arca South that will ta e five years is well under way. ,ncluded in this are a range of retail including a transit-oriented mall li e ar et ar et , a lifestyle mall for the residential enclave, and a regional mall. The first office buildings will be completed by 2017 with seven or so more in the pipeline. There will also be a 250-bed Quartenary Hospital and a 200-room Seda Hotel in this initial phase of development.
Arca South will fill out in a wellcontrolled manner. To date 19 commercial lots along the main boulevard have been sold and buildings will rise to trace a s yline li e the original a ati . This attractiveness indicates that Arca South is blessed not only with great access, compelling scale and design, but also ultimately with a prime location vis-j-vis etropolitan anila.
Location, scale and access define Arca South as a gateway to the metropolis, a portal to business opportunities, lifestyle options and a great place to live. This, Arca South promises you, to sync the lives and activities of all those who live in, wor out of, or visit with the rest of the world.