DMCI Homes, a developer well-known for its resort-style communities and greenery is developing its first Japanese architecture-inspired project designed to serve as an urban oasis in M. Vicente Street, Mandaluyong City.

Patterned after a traditional Japanese garden, Kai Garden Residences is a three-tower development set to showcase DMCI Homes' landscaping expertise and its signature of finely-crafted units and resort-inspired amenities.

Located in one of the real estate hotspots in Metro Manila, the development is an ideal urban hideaway while offering multiple access going in and out of different Central Business Districts in Makati, Mandaluyong and Ortigas.

"Kai Garden Residences can be likened to an urban oasis. The moment you enter the development, it already eases off the stresses of what transpired during the day," DMCI Homes Senior Architect Fe Moselina said in describing the new project.

Kai Garden Residences’ open spaces make extensive use of Japanese garden's principle of miniaturization and concealment to create a unique development wherein each of its part unfolds as one explores the project according to DMCI Homes Landscape Department Manager Alexis Valiente.

"The amenity core itself is designed to be one massive garden wherein the typical exterior amenities such as pools and play courts are blended seamlessly into thematic setting with asymmetry in mind thereby no image is alike when one takes photos of the development," Valiente explained.

Kai Garden Residences is designed to be a unique development even by DMCI Homes standards as it will employ an open space that is intended to be a dynamic garden sanctuary – changing in appearance and ambiance throughout the year.

“The Japanese garden theme will be reinforced by the materials that will be utilized throughout the grounds - from the accessories, decorative stones to the structures - all of these will follow this thematic. The softscape design will have the most impact in terms of supporting this dictum,” Valiente said.

Even the development’s vegetation is expected to evoke Japanese feels as endemic trees similar to the Land of the Rising Sun’s famed Cherry Blossom tree line will be utilized as ornaments in the expansive lush gardens which include the Palawan Cherry and the radiant Banaba tree.

On the other hand, resort-inspired amenities such as lounge area, bar and game area, audio-visual room, fitness gym, roof deck, function room, swimming pool complex, basketball court, play area, picnic area, outdoor fitness area, and jogging path perfectly complement the relaxing ambiance.

It may just be one of the usual amenities but there is a reason behind the presence of a basketball court in most DMCI Homes residential condominium communities.

DMCI Homes President Alfredo Austria said having a basketball court or other sports amenities as part of a residential condo project is in line with the company’s mission of providing an environment conducive for the holistic development of its residents.

“The basketball court was not placed there just for fun. It’s supposed to be a learning tool for the community. It’s part of our goal to provide a learning environment for all of the members of the community especially the kids,” Austria explained.

“If they engage in sports, they will learn lot of things - discipline, camaraderie and so on, aside from having good interaction with their fellow residents. So to us that is very important,” he added.

Up-and-coming basketball talent Prince Khan, a resident of DMCI Homes’ La Verti Residences along Taft Avenue, Pasay City could attest to how playing the sport has helped him gain friends in the community.

“I just met them in the basketball court. Now we’re like family. We’re very close to each other,” the 15-year-old said of his teammates in the La Verti Residences basketball team.

Khan’s team is representing Area 5 in the 2018 DMCI Homes’ Annual Inter-Area Basketball Tournament which is an annual activity among 5 areas representing more than 40 condominium communities: Area 1 for communities in the north; Area 2 for Acacia Estates, DMCI Homes' township development in Taguig City; Area 3 for residences in the south; Area 5 for Manila and Mandaluyong area; and Area 6 for the Pasig City area.

DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A developer, recently recognized projects and communities which helped sustain the culture of quality in the company in 2017.

Leading the awardees are The Birchwood, Fairway Terraces, and Flair Towers which dominated the Tumpak construction quality management and Angat property management competitions.

Tumpak Awardees

The Birchwood construction site in Acacia Estates, Taguig, which is being supervised by project-in-charge Lemuel Sacan and area manager Ronie Correa, won two of Tumpak’s major awards—the Quality Improvement Award and Quality Performance Awardee of the Year.

The Quality Improvement Award is given to the project which had the highest incremental decrease of non-compliance report (NCR) while the Quality Performance Awardee of the Year is given to the project with the highest NCR progress project percentage as well as highest average rating from the first to fourth quarter of 2017.

Fairway Terraces in Villamor Airbase, Pasay City, which is being handled by project-in-charge Kevin Bunag and area manager Ronel Gasgonia, on the other hand, won the Overall Compliance Consciousness Award of the competition introduced in 2016.