The proposed master plan for a 45 hectare site along Daang Hari Road and within the boundaries of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa gets its inspiration for a modern & livable Chinatown from one of China’s important element of its culture, the Chinese Gardens. The Chinese gardens are made for reflection and escape from the outside world. They create an idealized miniature landscape, which is meant to express the harmony that should exist between man and nature. A typical Chinese garden is enclosed by walls and includes one or more ponds, rock works, trees and flowers, and an assortment of halls and pavilions within the garden, connected by winding paths and zig-zag galleries. By moving from structure to structure, visitors can view a series of carefully composed scenes, unrolling like a scroll of landscape paintings.
The master plan is envisioned as a healthy, sprawling urban oasis. The use of direct and indirect elements from nature throughout its residential, office, hospitality, education, and retail developments are intended to alleviate stress while increasing productivity, creativity, and overall well-being.
WTA Architecture and Design Stuidio’s whole vision for the proposed “New Chinatown” is to make its architecture merge with its landscape intention, realizing the perfect balance between the structures and its environment. The silhouettes of the buildings will be an interpretation of towering mountains and other elements Chinese landscape paintings. Materials for the proposed edifices and landscape features will used natural color schemes which will take traditional Chinese architecture to a modern approach.
WTA’s proposal is designed to incite thought about how architecture can be integrated with the proposed landscape intention to provide natural habitats for wildlife and recreation space as well as places to live, shop, play, learn and work for its users.
DESIGN BY NATURE
The master plan is envisioned as a healthy, sprawling urban oasis. The use of direct and indirect element from nature throughout its residential, office, hospitality, education, and retail developments are intended to alleviate stress while increasing productivity, creativity and overall well-being.
WATER
Water serves as a central element capable of balancing the other natural elements of the whole development. The energy of water offsets and interacts with yang of stones, breaking the stiffness of the surrounding solid structures and building.
COMMUNITY PLAZA
Creating communities in mind, plazas are another significant element of our proposal, designing a place for relaxation, recreation, social interaction, while enhancing the overall aesthetics of the surrounding.
VOID
Strategic voids, light wells, and gradual sloping of the gardens allow for natural light to enter into the passageways below. Biowales at ground level collect water during the rainy season and act as dry rivers in landscaping during the rest of the year.
PATH
Inspired by the design principles and elements of Chinese Gardens , the plan envisions a landscape that engages people, allowing interaction with nature.
Its biophilic design incorporates natural materials, vegetation, and views into the built environment, offering broad environmental and economic benefits at both the building- scale and masterplan-scale. These design features encompass a human-centric approach aimed at improving the spaces in which occupants live, play and work.
VEHICULAR DIAGRAM
Vehicular traffic is diverted away from pedestrian foot traffic above on landscaped walkways. Visitors and residents are enticed by winding paths to take leisurely strolls, whether visiting for the first time or on their way home. Pocket gardens take elements from Chinese gardens, each uniquely landscaped for a variety of recuperative and recreational activities.
