One of the first things John Richard Sotelo, or Chad as fondly called by his team, did after becoming SVP and Business Unit General Manager of RLC Residences was ask questions about the company’s operations. Being a newcomer in the industry, he is vaguely familiar with the reasoning behind some of the conventional methods of developing real estate and he wanted to see if those reasons held up in the rapidly changing landscape of today.
“In the course of asking these questions, I asked about what our customers wanted. We give them a one bedroom that we had on 30 square meters, right? But, what does a 30 square meter mean for a customer? And if I increase that from 30 to, for example, 34 or 36, what do those extra six square meters mean?” he said during an interview with BusinessWorld.
“More furniture? Is it a little extra space for another room for their home? Is it a more comfortable living room? I think it got the team to thinking. Why do we have the assumptions that we currently have?”
Artist’s perspective of Le Pont Residences
Le Pont Residences, his first ever from-the-ground-up project, was designed to position RLC Residences to a more premium space in the mind of its customers, complete with larger units, functional balconies, all designed to fit an ideal residence for their core customer today.
Through his experience, Chad found that the pandemic radically changed the minds of consumers, from spending habits to how people view open spaces. They now define premium as more than expensive wallpapers and branded appliances, and they put more attention towards amenities and the location of where they live and work.
“People are more hyperlocal now”, he observed, pointing out that comfortable living nowadays meant that one could feasibly go to work, do their groceries, send their children to school, and find entertainment spaces all within a short distance from where they live.
This is why RLC Residences designed Le Pont Residences, French word which translates to ‘The Bridge,’ based on its brand promise of Raise, Live, Connect and a tagline of “Bridging You To Your Best Life.”
The aim was for Filipinos owning a unit at Le Pont Residences to fully experience the live-work-play-inspire lifestyle in Bridgetowne Destination Estate via the first-class subdivisions and establishments, a full-scale prime shopping mall, premium-grade office buildings, and a five-star hotel surrounding the area.
“The notion of work from home has also changed,” Chad noted. “Pre-pandemic, work from home was simply understood as a hybrid set up which meant individuals could work remotely once or twice a week.”
This is in contrast to now when many professions have transitioned to fully digital operating models. Even the gig economy, which is comprised of freelancers like virtual assistants and the like, has flourished under the change, and have become widely popular among Filipino workers.
“The old industry folks would say that real estate has always been heading here, but the change between pandemic and now has been remarkable. We can’t assume that what we knew back then is still accurate now, and it’s not like we’re selling soap. Building condos will take five to seven years, so we better make sure that we know what we are offering.”
As such, Le Pont Residences features top-floor units with an iconic curved staircase that serves as the centerpiece of the home. It also has one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that have been carefully designed to ensure comfort and convenience. Furthermore, all have smart home features and loggia balconies, allowing future homeowners to have a relaxing space without having to leave the unit.
Furthermore, Le Pont Residences features multi-level, hyper-sized indoor and outdoor amenities spread across the podium, mid-level, and uppermost deck floors. Future homeowners can enjoy grand experiences every day in any of the facilities available, such as the Adult Pool with Pool Deck where they can appreciate the estate’s beautiful view; a Private Theater to bond with friends and loved ones; an Indoor Cycling Room and Fitness Gym; Private Function Rooms for business meetings; and Altitude 51, a private lounge area located on the topmost floor capping off the residence’s panoply of amenities.
Similar to how they incorporated more premium designs into their development philosophy, Chad said that Le Pont Residences also took a deeper look into what sustainability meant for their customers. This is in addition to applying for EDGE certification for its green building and resource-efficient features.
“I was asking people what sustainability meant to them from a condo standpoint. Many of them mentioned, that sustainability is about making use of earth-friendly materials. And as I probed further and asked how it impacts their day-to-day life, they explained that living in a condo that supports sustainability, gives them a sense of satisfaction and contentment, knowing they are doing their part for the environment.”
“And while this already gives them a sense of fulfillment, we tried see where we can take the concept come to life even more, by making sustainability efforts that impact the way people live and what we discovered was, the advantage of mobility is something we can distinctively offer,” he said.
To support Filipinos who want to live a more sustainable lifestyle, Chad said that they have allocated 100 of the planned 450 parking spots within the property for bicycle parking, located conveniently at the ground floor so bikers do not have to take ramps or elevators to park their bikes.
In addition, Le Pont Residences offers tenants an option of availing the installation of chargers for their electric scooters or electric vehicles on their parking slots for ease of use. Chad added that they are also planning on having a shuttle service.
“Having a green building is great. But it’s how people move to and from their work, their chores, whatever that in the customer’s minds is one of the things that really make them say that they’re living a sustainable life. We want to be able to help enable that,” he said.
Through this design philosophy, Chad hopes that Le Pont Residences lives up to its promise of bridging Filipinos to their best lives.
From offering world-class amenities, sustainability features, and a deliberate location surrounded by the community in Bridgetowne Destination Estate, Le Pont Residences aims to redefine what premium residential condominiums are in the minds of Filipinos.
“We want everything to be there. We want people to really get the feeling that, ‘Wow. This is home,’” Chad said.
Find out more about this RLC Residences premium condominium by visiting rlcresidences.com. You can also follow RLC Residences on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more information.
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