Lush greenery, gentle breeze, the sound of cascading water — these respite for the senses can easily be associated with destinations far from the city. But for the discerning future residents of Maple Grove Park Village, a breathing space is within arm's reach.

With a vision of building an oasis of wellness, Megaworld is developing the upscale residential village inside Maple Grove after a luxury spa resort.

Maple Grove Park Village is inspired by contemporary tropical architecture that naturally exudes a sense of ease and warmth perfectly suited for a resort-style residential setting. It will be strategically located in the more secluded part of Maple Grove to give residents utmost exclusivity and privacy, while still allowing them to have access to all the modern conveniences that the township has to offer," said Eugene Em Lozano, first vice president for sales and marketing, Megaworld."

To make sure the luxury spa resort village will come to fruition, Megaworld commissioned renowned global design firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo (WATG) to design Maple Grove Park Village. WATG is the same group behind some of the world's most extraordinary resort destinations like Shangri-La Maldives, Sofitel Bali in Indonesia, Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, as well as Shangri-La Boracay and Hilton Manila in the Philippines.

With Megaworld's vision and WATG's expertise, the design for Maple Grove Park Village is born.

"Without existing mountain or beach views, WATG saw a great opportunity to design beautiful lush landscapes within the village itself. The result is an abundance of green, open spaces, as well as water features to achieve the resort-style setting we wanted," Lozano noted.

But at the heart of it all is the visually arresting clubhouse.

"The clubhouse is the living room and heart for this village so it acts as the gateway to all the parks and gardens we have created," Lozano shared.

The clubhouse boasts of contemporary tropical style to adopt to the extreme weather seasons experienced in the Philippines.

"This was taken into consideration which is why every detail is well thought out — from the broad roof overhangs and breezeways that allow natural ventilation, to the open spaces that bridge the interior spaces with the landscape. The clubhouse is designed to integrate the landscape so that there's a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor space," Lozano furthered.

Providing further relaxation and other fun activities for future residents, the club house will also feature al fresco lounge deck, as well as a wellness pool, pool deck with loungers, a lap pool with pool beds, kids pool, Jacuzzi, a kid's club and an outdoor kid's play area, lawn areas, cabanas, and a barbecue and picnic area. There will also be a function hall and a pre-function area, meeting room, fitness gym, movement studio, massage room, steam room, and male and female changing rooms with lockers and toilet and bath.

Outside the clubhouse, the idea of relaxation and recreation continues with Maple Grove Park Village's 10 different lush parks and communal gardens inspired by spa and wellness landscapes.

These include Color Gardens (Chroma-therapy) featuring brightly colored trees and alleys filled with flowers; a Garden of Tranquility featuring an enclosed reflection lawn, an open lawn, and herbs and vegetable plots; Edible Gardens that come with fruit-bearing trees, picnic tables, and play structures; an Aromatherapy Garden with aromatic plants, picnic areas, and yoga and meditation platforms; and Fitness and Activity Gardens.

"The main focus of the village concept, really, is to mirror the feel and ambience of luxury resort spa resorts, where residents can unwind after a long day at work," Lozano emphasized.

Maple Grove Park Village will be an exclusive, gated community inside the 140- hectare Maple Grove township in General Trias, Cavite. It will offer 377 lots, ranging in size from 280 square meters up to 518 square meters.

Integrated living

The 22-hectare village will complete the rising township that is dubbed as "Cavite's first-ever modern central business district." On top of the village, Maple Grove township will have residential condominiums, office towers, a soon-to-rise lifestyle mall, a transport hub. Moreover, Maple Grove has opened its very own McDonald's store, which is not just any other branch but currently the biggest there is in the entire Cavite.

The township will also seamlessly integrate sustainable features such as a Rainwater Park (a two-hectare tree park designed to be a catchment basin for rainwater runoff), a landscape drip irrigation system, bike lanes, pocket gardens and tree parks, as well as vertical gardens in various buildings around the township. There's also the six-lane Maple Grove Boulevard that traverses the township. It will also have its own chapel, biking and jogging track, and futsal field.

Fast becoming one of the country"s most industrialized provinces, it is no wonder developers like Megaworld are building businesses in Cavite.

Lozano mentioned the other factors that add to Cavite's advantage such as its strategic location. Cavite is just about 30 to 45 minutes away from Makati and Fort Bonifacio, and can be accessed via the Coastal Road and the Manila–Cavite Expressway.

Its promising workforce and young population also play a huge role.

"As Maple Grove provides promising opportunities, young professional Caviteños working in Metro Manila would no longer need to seek employment outside their province," Lozano cited.

Finally, Cavite has a growing number of Overseas Filipino Workers (at 120,000) who, if given opportunities, might migrate back to the province.

With a bustling township where professionals can work at and a relaxing oasis that is The Maple Grove Park Village where they can recharge after a hard day's work, Maple Grove will surely be worth the investment for the discerning set.