Where the city feels complete
A little over three years after the pandemic was finally declared over, the preference for integrated live-work-play developments remains strong.
While the concept is not new to real estate, it took a global health emergency to make many people realize that live-work-play is more than just a marketing gimmick by property developers. It is a genuine urban planning model that promises convenience and a better quality of life for those living in mixed-use communities.
Such developments are thriving in cities around the world, successfully combining residential, office and recreational spaces while responding to the post-pandemic shift toward hybrid work, wellness and more self-contained neighborhoods.
Here, we take a peek at some flourishing mixed-use communities outside the Philippines.
Valley
Netherlands
Valley is a three-tower complex in Amsterdam’s Zuidas district that combines offices, retail spaces, cultural facilities and residential apartments. It stands out in the central business district with its dramatic, geology-inspired design, featuring impressive cantilevered levels that jut out like jagged rock faces or cut gems across the three buildings.
What makes Valley even more special is its extensive greenery, with more than 13,500 plants, trees and shrubs designed to help make the development a model for a greener city.
It also differentiates itself from other closed-off buildings in the district with its green valley, a landscaped terrace that is accessible to the public via two external staircases.
Vertikal Nydalen
Norway
Situated in Oslo’s former industrial area of Nydalen, Vertikal Nydalen is an 18-story building with restaurants at street level, offices on the next five floors and apartments above.
It is Norway’s first naturally climatized mixed-use building, using smart design instead of machines to control indoor temperature and air. The building’s self-sufficient climate system is part of two research projects on sustainable energy solutions.
The building’s facade is made up of wooden elements, while steel structures support the decks. Two rooftop terraces feature simple wooden planter boxes that are partly irrigated using rainwater. Instead of a car park in the basement, there are bicycle parking spaces, locker rooms and showers for green commuters.
Marina One
Singapore
Marina One comprises four towers dedicated to office, residential and retail spaces.
The two office towers each provide 175,000 sqm of usable floor space, while the two residential towers house 1,042 apartments and penthouses, accommodating approximately 3,000 residents.
At the center of the towers is the “Green Heart,” a 37,000 sqm landscaped area featuring over 350 species of plants, including 700 trees. The various open terraces, meanwhile, provide space for restaurants and cafes, retail hubs, a pool, fitness club, supermarket, food court and event spaces.
Azabudai Hills
Japan
Azabudai Hills, located in Minato Ward near Roppongi, is Tokyo’s newest “city within a city.”
The massive integrated property development is the result of a 30-year planning and regeneration process that blends human-centric design, sustainability and green spaces.
The 8-ha upscale mixed-use urban complex features corporate offices, luxury residences, an international school, medical facilities, temples, art galleries and high-end retail shops. It also boasts of 2.4 ha of lush greenery.
More than a neighborhood of offices and residential units, it has quickly become a major destination for tourists, especially with the popular teamLab Borderless digital art museum among its attractions, along with the Mori JP Tower Sky Lobby, which offers free views of the city and Tokyo Tower.
