The use of mirrors for further adding to the 'illusion' of space is ubiquitous in this unit.

There seems to be a growing change in the way most developers and interiors designers are re-thinking the space they would want Filipino families to live in—especially when it comes to high-rise living.  Gone are the days when a developer sings all the praises for shared living amenities—although they still figure prominently in the scheme of things.  Instead, both parties are now focusing on what most developments shy away from when touting their product—the size and living space of a high-rise unit.

This is very much apparent Andrea North Towers in Quezon City.  Sure, it has all the amenities and more that would make living in a high-rise very appealing such as gardens, pool areas, and pathways for jogging. But instead of relying on these attributes alone, Andrea North Towers seems to rely on one of its biggest and most appealing assets—space.

Now space is important in terms of urban living as there seems to be very little of it and most developers are seemingly content with the measly 25 square meter minimum (or less) in the units that they offer.  However, the units in Andrea North Towers large and very spacious in comparison.  In fact, the smallest unit is almost double that of the standard when it comes to space, while their largest units are a whooping 200 plus square meters.

Although relying on bigger cuts may prove in the end to be good—finance-wise—it also taps into a very real concern for would be homeowners:  Authenticity.  After all, it is just now that most families are getting used to living in high.  Likewise, authenticity may also translate into that feeling of safety and “meaning” that a homeowner imbues his or her domicile even if it may be located in a high-rise.

Authenticity has likewise been translated into the interiors that Florentin Design Consultancy created for Andrea North—although in this sense, authenticity may refer to the seeming lack of a decorator’s heavy hand and thus achieving a more natural in look and feel in a sense, just like one’s home.  This is very much apparent in how they envisioned living spaces in the units that would-be homeowners can take cues from when designing or even “repurposing” their very own space with their own pieces.

Take the two-bedroom de luxe units of Andrea North for instance..  Created for a fictional family with teen-aged children, the unit offers a sizable living area in which such a family can move about without feeling constricted.  In the absence of a foyer, the living area sets the tone for the whole unit.  Says Architect Victoria Suterio of Florentin:  “We want the space to be cool to the eyes so we chose natural colors that would make the space peaceful.”

Modern and yet timeless furnishings with a “hint of tradition” were also chosen for the area—although accents were kept to a minimum to minimize clutter.  Considering that partitions and even dividers would make the area look messy, the ingenious use of light and floor covering (i.e. rugs) were used to define specific areas.  The dining area for instance was kept apart from the rest of the living area by the illumination of an overhead lamp.  (Of course, using illumination and rugs is not the only way by which to define space.  In another model unit, slotted partitions were likewise ingenuously used to separate a very pretty and somewhat feminine-looking dining nook.)

As in most high-rise developments, the kitchen is found to the right (or left) of the living area next to the front door.  Doing so, keeps the area from being noticed immediately upon entry.  Although not part of the “deliverables,” a small built-in shelf separates the area from the rest of the living room.  The shelf also doubles as a bar of sorts for entertaining.

From the living area, a long mirror lined corridor leads to the private quarters with their spacious rooms.  Like the living area, the rooms are sparsely furnished.  What is very apparent, however, in the deluxe unit bedrooms are the windows which occupy much of the exterior walls of the unit.  Their preponderance allows the unit to experience not only natural ventilation but sunlight as well—a luxury in most condominiums.  Considering that it would be a temptation no doubt for most designers to “overdress” these windows, Florentin kept the window treatments simple by using curtains to a minimum.  In fact, in most of the other model units we were shown, rolls-ups and variations of Roman shades were used instead.

With regards to the furnishings, Florentin admits that most of the pieces were specially-made and designed according to the dimensions of the units.  Of course, bulky pieces are a no-no when it comes to high-rise living although homeowners can repurpose some of their old existing pieces—which is also encouraged.