NATURE has a calming effect on youngsters. Studies show that green settings help kids restore their attention span.
In contrast, television viewing and video gaming do the exact opposite—drain their attention.
Building on this insight, the planners of Botanika Nature Residences in Filinvest City drew up landscape blueprints to help children overcome what author Richard Louv has termed “nature-deficit disorder,” or a deprivation from the many healing effects offered by natural settings.
As its name implies, the three-tower, low-density Botanika Nature Residences will offer a series of lush green spaces on 1.55 hectares of landscaped terrain right next to the Palms Country Club.
A collaborative effort among US planning consultant Architecture International, Singapore landscaping consultant AECOM, and the Philippines’ Leandro V. Locsin Partners, the gardens of Botanika were conceived for interactive play.
Its main amenities are an expansive lawn with tree houses, landscaped pathways and nooks and crannies in which children can enjoy the great outdoors while stimulating their minds.
Catherine Ilagan, executive vice-president of Filinvest Alabang Inc., says that opportunities for future Botanika residents to encounter nature will also benefit adults.
She relates that the first tower, to be completed in 2017, as well as the next two, will be built around a central atrium that begins at the ground floor and goes all the way to the top.
Each of the atriums will have a unique landscape theme: one will offer a Zen setting; another will focus on a reflecting pool; and a third will emphasize mounds of earth covered in greenery.
The atriums will interconnect with one another through meandering green walkways.
“The planners deliberately compartmentalized spaces to create greater interest in the landscaping,” says Ilagan.
Thus, secret gardens, nooks and crannies that take on a different vibe depending on the time of day will likely renew one’s senses and clear one’s thoughts for contemplation and inspiration.
Space for rejuvenation and reflection will also be plentiful in Botanika’s 369 units.
Botanika launches the Filinvest Group’s Exclusive Collection, its newest and highest-end brand category. It is projected to be carried only by projects that are iconic, top-end and one-of-a-kind.
“Botanika has been designed to respect, complement and even give back to the natural order,” Ilagan says. “Its design will coexist with the environment in the most harmonious way possible. It will thus be a restful place for all.”
