Life sparkles in the Pasig City skyline with SMDC’s Gem Residences
Home is where you find yourself — a haven where you are safe, content, and secure. With the churn and grind of urbanization, it can be challenging to find that safe haven within the metropolis.
There are many reasons why many people choose to invest in homes in the city. It could be proximity to work or simply a desire for a slice of urban life. Some do it for investment, others as a dwelling place during trips to the Metro, or as a future home for one’s kids. For many, Metro living means being close to the action and new and exciting possibilities.
One needs the kind of environment that enables them to find that settling down place, one that opens up possibilities for brilliant city living.
This is what Gem Residences offers, the only development in the C5-Pasig stretch that has direct access to C5 road.
Gem Residences is designed for established and sophisticated upwardly mobile Filipinos who want to shine and live brilliantly. Located along the flourishing C5-Ortigas corridor in Pasig City, the 41-story tower offers world-class amenities that create the perfect balance between work, rest, and recreation, under the skillful hands of award-winning masters of design: Asya Design Partner, M Concept, and EA Aurelio Landscape Architects (EAALA).
Asya is ranked 32 of Top 100 Architects in the World Architecture Survey 2020, an annual survey of the world’s largest architectural practitioners. Asya’s thick portfolio includes projects in Shanghai, Taicang, Xiamen, Chengdu, Songjiang, Suzhou, and the Philippines. It has been awarded consistently by BCI Asia as one of the Top Ten Architectural Firms in the Philippines since 2005.
M Concept is the interior design firm behind SMDC’s award-winning developments, such as last year’s International Property Guru Awards and Asia Property Awards runaway winners: Air and Shore Residences (Best High-End Condo Interior Design for the Philippines and for Asia Pacific), and Coast Residences (Highly Commended Design for the Philippines and for Asia Pacific)
EAALA is one of the Philippines’ leading architectural firms that combines landscape architecture expertise, master planning, and environmental graphics. Among its award-winning designs for SMDC are: Highly Commended Residential Landscape Architectural Design (2016 Asia Pacific Development Awards) for Jazz Residences and 2019 Property Guru Philippines’ Best Condo Landscape Architectural Design for Vine Residences and Shore Residences.
Asya’s principal architect, Albert Yu, says, “We explored the dynamics between the city and its skyline and the land where the development is located. We focused on simplicity and precision.” The result is an architecture that is modern, functional and designed to stand out in the bustling C5-Pasig stretch.
Residents will be treated to magnificent views of the Ortigas skyline and Antipolo hills. “The tower is designed for residents to enjoy the beauty of the cityscapes,” says Yu.
The lobby’s interiors were inspired by the stone it’s named after. “It is meant to reflect the aspirations of residents to live a brilliant life,” says interior designer Monica Sarmiento-Belen, M Concept’s principal designer. “The concept is modern luxe. Luxury is interpreted in the modern style through clean lines, a neutral color palette, and accents of crystalline and textured materials,” she adds.
With the evolving new normal, Sarmiento-Belen studied the potential changes in space planning and public circulation following the social distancing guidelines and created spaces with operable partitions through multiple mini-lounges. The furniture placement ensures comfort and provides spacious areas that can be used for conference calls, business discussions, or independent working or studying.
For the busy young professional or entrepreneur, life is about having both time and space for relaxation. “We designed the Creators Park – Gem Residences’ amenities area – so that residents will have spaces that allow them to work at home if they so wish and have spaces for them to chill and relax afterward,” says EALLA’s landscape architect Tessa Villareal.
The outdoor spaces allow the mind and body to rest through therapeutic elements, such as vegetation and water.
“We designed the outdoor area in a way that invites residents of all ages to lounge in the pool amid the lush greenery and the soothing sound of the water feature, providing an oasis-like experience within the bustling metropolis,” says Villareal. The outdoor exercise areas include an indoor gym, function rooms, a jogging path, a game area, a lap pool and a kiddie pool.