Accolade Place News in Manila Bulletin 11-08-2010

MANILA, Philippines – A plush resort with lush landscaping and integrated spaces will define the kind of lifestyle in DMCI Homes’ latest project in Quezon City – Accolade Place.

Dubbed as an exclusive, mid-rise Asian boutique condo, the project is set amidst a serene and intimate environment where the outdoors are brought indoors through courtyards and lush landscapes.

Standing at only 4,000 sqm, the Landscape Department of DMCI Homes has masterplanned the community to maximize space. A tropical landscape in the development’s open spaces will be set up to reduce the constrictive impact of urban living.

Alexis Valiente, DMCI Homes Landscape Manager, said that because of the limitations provided by the site, his team designed the outdoor spaces by overlapping the planes of the different amenities that are usually zoned separately.

“We created a homogenous design solution that offers an integrated complex where the common amenities are linked seamlessly with the residential building, thereby blurring the distinction of spaces. Our previous projects usually have zoned areas for amenities like the swimming pool and clubhouse, but here, we overlapped the zones. Since we don’t have borrowed scenery like in big subdivisions, everything is oriented to be inward looking, and this resulted in a fully-landscaped environment that exudes the same effect of luxury and relaxation,” Valiente said.

He cited the swimming pool as one large pool complex subdivided by a “boardwalk” inspired paving of different levels and shaded by palm trees. Water features are liberally added through water curtains on stone-clad walls that serve as both accents and dividers to provide visual and noise filter/ buffers to the outside environment.

“For our hardscape elements, we used natural materials like stone cladding. Those with concrete components were even altered in such a way that they blend well with the environment to create a tightly-knit, homogenous design,” Valiente added.

Another buffer is the perimeter trees used in tandem with the staggered fence and softscape composition.

The combination of tropical flowering plants like Anthuriums, Alpinias, and Mussaendas, among others, along with brightly-colored foliage will ensure that the landscape will be visually appealing and vibrant throughout the year.

Inside, the softscape was also designed and placed in such a way to become an integral part of the areas – creating an ambience that without the plants, the space would not work or serve the function it is supposed to provide. The expansive courtyards or “outdoor garden rooms” become virtual extensions of the condo units, spread out around the level and enhanced by ambient lighting, seating areas, decorative wall planters and water features like water runnels and bubbler type features.

Accolade Place, located along P. Tuazon Boulevard in Quezon City, is a medium-rise building with only 130 units designed to attract end-users and upgraders from Cubao, New Manila, and San Juan.

The six-level building will offer a mix of two-bedroom and three-bedroom units efficiently spaced from 63 to 126 sqm DMCI Homes is the country’s premier triple A builder-developer that brings serviced, themed communities within reach of urban families.