The pandemic has forced most of us to reassess our lives, look inward, get this nagging desire to uproot ourselves from the grim cityscape and go to a place where we can bask in the surrounding beauty. Perhaps within a constellation of trees, an eyeful of ocean.
Peace of mind, we realize through the haze of daily living, is within reach. Not some far-flung dot on the map or a couple of delayed flights away. An hour-and-a-half drive from Metro Manila is a prime leisure resort community located in Nasugbu, Batangas, called Hamilo Coast. Its newest project, FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove, is 80% complete as of January this year and on time for unit turnover beginning the first half of 2022.
FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove is at the heart of Hamilo Coast’s 40-hectare, mid-rise, residential condominium complex currently composed of four clusters — Jacana, Myna, Carola and Miranda. Imagine waking up to mornings and soaking in the scenery: the lapping waves of the West Philippine Sea, the awesome sight of a man-made lagoon, Mount Pico peeking from a parapet of clouds, a carpet of pristine white sand — all 1.5 kilometers of it. It is tantamount to getting a shot of serenity at Pico de Loro Cove developed by SM Prime’s Costa Del Hamilo Inc., a few hundred meters away from the beach, a seaside respite in an otherwise challenging year for the human race.
Designed by Broadway Malyan, FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove boasts a mixture of two-bedroom apartments as well as three-bedroom penthouses, which include private rooftop terraces and gardens. Residents have use of a range of indoor amenities, including a resort-style lobby and function rooms.
According to Ian Simpson, Director of global design firm Broadway Malyan, the breathtaking site itself served as inspiration in coming up with the blueprint for FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove: the key was to provide wide vistas toward the ocean, oversized balconies for seaside and mountainscape viewing, and a lulling feeling of “openness.”
A series of breaks in the façade — with covered walkways, shaded spots and pockets of greenery, not to mention protection from the elements — merges interiors with the outside surroundings. Thus, FREIA condo dwellers can feel the morning and evening breeze along the corridors and covered walkways right inside the spacious residences. Blending with the natural surroundings are the warm color scheme and textures of the materials used in building the entire structure. Architect Arni Villanueva of GF + Partners Architect, FREIA’s architect on-record, explains how the materials were sourced locally to lessen carbon footprint.
The substantial sizes of the two-bedroom condos vary from 67 sqm to 154 sqm, while the cuts of three-bedroom loft penthouses, which range from 221 to 392 sqm meters, are as large as a house. Built with only 223 units, FREIA has limited units per floor so that owners can enjoy the comfort of space and privacy — luxe concepts in this day and age. That explains why FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove generated more than P500 million in sales in 2020.
What is it about seaside condo living that makes it so aspirational? Why is there such a strong demand for seaside properties?
FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove provides the template by offering exclusive amenities such as pools for adults and children, two function rooms, a cabana and themed gardens, designed by landscape architect Crearis; membership to the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club where residents can have access to the fitness center and sports facilities; gourmet meal deliveries from any of Pico de Loro Cove’s three restaurants; a place of contemplation and community celebration at the St. Therese of the Child Jesus Chapel, commonly known as the Glass Chapel, its transparent walls giving churchgoers a view of the landscape.
The sea view units, the mountainside units—both are vantage points to a world of awe and wonder.
At a certain point, dreams do coalesce into reality. With FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove, this is how the ideals of and aspirations for seaside living have become a reality that is just within reach.
