Douglas Adams, an English author, screenwriter, essayist, humorist, satirist and dramatist, has an idyllic description of living near the beach.
“A beach is not just real estate. It’s a state of mind,” according to Adams.
Architect Romolo Valentino Nati, the president and CEO of Italpinas Design Corp. (IDC), also cherishes spending moments on the beach. As a lover of la dolce vita, he was initially mesmerized by the natural beauty of the country, specifically its beaches when he arrived in the country in 2009. Right off the bat, he wanted to buy his own beach house. “That was always one of my goals when I came here,” Nati said in an e-mail interview with the BusinessMirror.
After searching for the ideal location Nati decided to build his dream beach house in Anvaya Cove located in the province of Bataan. “My house, fondly called Casa Al Mare [House by the Sea], is a lovely place for me to relax, with my family during weekends and holidays,” Nati said.
He agreed that Bataan is a lovely location and can be accessible through superb expressways. “Moreover, I like Bataan as there are lots of beautiful mountains, pristine beaches and verdant rice fields and Subic Bay. All those things together make the location unique,” Nati enthused.
The 574.8-sq-m Casa Al Mare was designed in harmony with the surroundings. As an advocate of green architecture and sustainable development, Nati used natural materials, increased the natural ventilation, put shading which highlighted the green features of Casa Al Mare.
With a gross area of 400 sq m, Casa Al Mare has three floors with an attic and a terrace. The interiors are designed in a tropical minimalist, elegant and functional style. Overall, the house is a combination of Asian and Italian architecture featuring passive green strategies which have been manifested in all his projects.
“You will notice the Italian-inspired tiles, sustainable African wood for the pool deck, and Bali stones in a blue-green color for the pool tiles are distinctly connected with each other,” Nati said.
A highlight for Nati was when Casa Al Mare was recently awarded by the 2022 Asia Pacific Property Awards as the “Architecture Single Residence for the Philippines.” Personally, the milestone is significant for Nati because it recognizes his efforts in the design and construction of Casa Al Mare.
“For me, it is a great achievement and it makes me proud of my work. It is also a reaffirmation of my vision that when you pursue it with passion the result exceeds the expectations.”
Luxury seaside living
Affluent Filipinos, meanwhile, will have the chance to experience luxury, calming vistas of placid sea, verdant living seaside living in Freia, the sprawling seaside estate of Costa Del Hamilo Inc., a duly recognized company under SM Prime.
Located at Pico De Loro Cove in Hamilo Coast, Freia offers two-bedroom units with floor areas of 67 to 154 square meters, and three-bedroom units with floor areas of 221 to 392 square meters.
Costa Del Hamilo hired globally-acclaimed Broadway Malyan and award-winning GF & Partners to develop the architectural concept that integrated the contemporary framework and sustainable design of Freia. Meanwhile, it tapped world-class designers Budji+Royal for the modern tropical design aesthetics and Crearis for the green aspects of the project.
As expected, Freia offers a sustainable green lifestyle with the presence of solar panels, and an efficient waste management system. Further, there are large panel windows in each unit to maximize the stunning views of its natural surroundings that also provide natural ventilation and daylighting.
It offers exclusivity to its homeowners amenities such as function room, outdoor adult and kiddie pool, a lounge deck, and lush pocket gardens. The strategic location likewise brings the residents a stone throw away to natural topographies which benefits the lovers of outdoors.
To sweeten the pot, Freia homeowners are granted membership to the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club as well as to the most extensive land- and sea-based recreational facilities in Nasugbu, Batangas.
Accessibility is another factor that will make Freia attractive to potential buyers. Going there will take you only an hour and a half drive from Metro Manila via the Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) and Ternate-Nasugbu Road with the Nasugbu town proper being just half an hour away.
Finally, the Hamilo Coast’s Property and Estate Management team are ready to provide residents their professional and expert services in maintenance and security.