‘There will be a clamor for wellness and healthy design: natural light, air, natural ventilation and urban gardening.’
SM Development Corp. (SMDC) has long pioneered the establishment of integrated cities that mirrors the “15-minute city” concept applied and tested around the world.
“The 15-minute cities are communities where people are able to do their business within a 15-minute timeframe whether by walking or biking,” said architect Jet dela Rosa, in a 260 Lab webinar on Rebuilding Cities.
Developed by Professor Carlos Moreno at Paris’ Sorbonne University, the concept of the 15-minute city is based on research on how city dwellers’ use of time could be reorganized to improve both the environment and living conditions. This concept, implemented in Copenhagen, is being tested in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Paris.
Urban developers are being challenged to rethink perspectives and redefine sustainable urban living especially during the pandemic where convenience and accessibility to basic needs like food and medicine within a self- sustaining hyperlocal economy has proven to be essential .
Dela Rosa sees a movement towards sustainable condo living: “There will be a clamor for wellness and healthy design: natural light, air, natural ventilation, and urban gardening.”
Architect Andoy Salcedo, director for Development of 260 Inc., noted the social benefits of living in an integrated city.
”Integrated cities (make the community) more cohesive so people start to socialize more. (Because of this), we are learning to look inward,” Salcedo said in the same webinar.
As noted by Dela Rosa that the hyperlocal economy was a growing trend even before the pandemic, SMDC has been incorporating the concept of a connected world in their projects, where mobility, accessibility, and convenience are no longer merely an option but a lifestyle.
In its SM Southmall Lifestyle Complex in Las Piñas City, SMDC is building South 2 Residences, another premium residential development where schools, hospitals, places of worship, business centers, and a shopping mall are all within walking distance.
SM Southmall and the two-tower, eight-storey SM South Tower Offices are within close proximity and transport hubs are located close by South 2 Residences has vast, open spaces to practice social distancing, and well-appointed amenities.
South 2 Residences’ three 15-level towers feature one-bedroom and two-bedroom unit layouts, with the option for a balcony, to suit the needs of the urban homeowner. It offers a wide range of resort-style amenities, including landscaped swimming pools, children’s play areas, pocket gardens, a gym, hotel-like lobbies, and high-speed elevators.
