A living space often comes most alive when there's an element of surprise. Whether it's a fascinating fixture or an unexpectedly earthy building material, a unique classic addition can create an exciting tension in one's home. It's even better when a compelling story behind objects or layers of meaning goes into the development decision. 

A prime example of modern and historic interplay in a mixed-use development is the Pontevedra estate in Santa Rosa City, Laguna. 

When Heritage Meets Modern Luxury

Inspired by an inviting, small riverside city in Spain that combines history, culture, and style, Pontevedra is Brittany's 34-hectare estate in Santa Rosa, Laguna, that merges old and new with residential and commercial properties embodying a modern design, timeless quality, and artistic heritage. 

Like a work of art set in the heart of Santa Rosa City, Pontevedra is beautiful in its own right, with interlocking lanes and plazas and charming squares abuzz with cafes and unique restaurant concepts. 

A Mission-Style Estate

The estate drew inspiration from mission-style architecture, which reminds of the Mediterranean region, well suited to this contemporary part of the city's locale, climate, and lifestyle.  

Featuring an elemental material palette such as warm rubble and cut stone, carved wood accents, and earthy terracotta roof tiles, and design elements like soft arches, outdoor patios, and stone terraces, Pontevedra's architectural style is simple yet functional, with rustic charm, emphasizing allowing the finished materials and surfaces to show the hand of the craftsman. 

Discoveries on Foot

Parallel to the Spanish city from which the name was derived, Pontevedra creates the impression of a sanctuary where everything is just a step away and where each district has its main courtyard as an artery, defining its character. 

Parks, tree-lined avenues, fountains and gardens, establishments with coats of arms on their façades, squares that are full of life, and pavement cafés with a lively atmosphere punctuate the interlinked streets while the commercial district's gleaning stone-and-glass buildings are dripping with potted greenery, making it more environmentally integrated when you stroll along the streets. 

Pontevedra encourages future residents to discover the different districts on foot, strolling and enjoying every corner. It invites one to walk through its most emblematic squares, feel the atmosphere of its streets, taste its delicious gastronomy, and discover its character by exploring its intimate community.

Distinct Character and Personality

Each district in Pontevedra has its character and personality, full of life, passion, creativity, and joy. 

Aveiro by Pontevedra: Mesmerizing Ambiance

Pontevedra has a soon-to-rise exclusive high-rise vertical village set to deliver the best in luxury living through spaces embedded with nature and architecture. 

Imagine waking up to the tweeting of birds, the sound of human voices, and the tinkle of coffee spoons, Aveiro by Pontevedra has pocket gardens peppered between private spaces throughout the building and private balconies wrapped around the building's exterior. 

Viento by Pontevedra: Land of Picturesque Patios

Dotting the horizon of Sta. Rosa, Laguna is Viento by Pontevedra, a series of low- and mid-rise residential buildings amidst open courtyards and landscaped gardens, enabling the internal spaces always to stay open, letting the wind through and affecting natural ventilation.

Viento will provide a space to gather, interact, and enjoy a unique experience with unrivaled views.

Vizcino by Pontevedra: Near and Neighboring Communities

With the rise of modern infrastructure and property developments, Santa Rosa City in Laguna has become a growing urbanized region, now home to various industries. It has a lot to offer in terms of commercial and retail businesses.

Vizcino by Pontevedra brings to life a surrounding neighborhood that offers many shopping opportunities, restaurants, retail spaces, and office buildings. 

Envisioned to be the estate's growth center, Vizcino will feature generously sized commercial areas for business and investment that will be complemented by residential communities and transport hubs that will cultivate a dynamic environment for ventures and entrepreneurial pursuits.

Valenza: A Mix of Modernity and History

Unique for such a busy city, Valenza is Pontevedra's 22-hectare residential community, which includes access to a quaint semi-enclosed garden that offers moments of peace away from the vibrant city that surrounds it. 

Valenza features an impressive array of homes amidst a charming neighborhood, with amenities such as a pool, pocket gardens, and a basketball court, offering families the luxury of living in a serene and secure community while still having access to the comforts of the metro.

Segovia: Great Food, Great Memories

Seeking to convey a sense of the city's urban life within one smart vertical concept, Segovia is a mixed-use project that combines condominiums, offices, and restaurants, all of which contribute to a "live, work, play" lifestyle.   

Located within the Pontevedra estate, a few blocks from Ramblas, Segovia has modern city views, but the decor pays homage to classical Spanish design. Segovia offers future residents the perfect retreat with a sense of rustic luxury.

Huesca: Gateway to the City

Enjoying a fabulous location in the charming Pontevedra estate, Huesca is a residential building full of nature, magic, and contrasts that are well worth a stroll. 

A string of buildings that follows one after the other, Huesca is another charmer, considered the gateway to the city, with promenades.

The Iconic Strips

Pontevedra's pedestrian and quiet streets invite future residents to go shopping while strolling and enjoying the local commerce of proximity. These iconic strips feature a comfortable, green, friendly cultural promenade with more pedestrian space. A wide array of luxurious shops and places full of charm offer residents and guests a warm welcome. 

Ramblas: Where the Party Never Ends

In a relatively small and comfortable radius at Ramblas, one will find every option possible to enjoy life more - a strip of quaint and quiet cafes to start the night, unique restaurant concepts, and after-hours. 

La Unidad: The Green Street

Lining Pontevedra’s different districts is La Unidad, a kilometer line of parks running from Viento to Aveiro, and connecting the estate’s waterways via landscaped footpaths and water features.

Future residents can take advantage of La Unidad to explore the community, enjoy the natural surroundings and appreciate the community’s scenic beauty. It will be accented with different plantings for variety, in layered combinations of color and texture, for a natural, lush tropical look. 

About Brittany Corporation

Brittany is the luxury residential and leisure arm of the country's largest homebuilder Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. Besides Pontevedra, Brittany offers a fine selection of home designs, high-end condominiums, and lot-only properties in excellent locations, such as Portofino in Alabang, Forresta in Daang Hari, Augusta, and Georgia Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Crosswinds in Tagaytay, and Bern in Baguio.

For more information on Brittany Corporation's collection of luxury properties, visit www.brittany.com.ph. You may also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Brittany Corporation recently topped off the third building of Alpine Villas in Crosswinds Tagaytay.

The company expects to generate more interest from homebuyers and investors as demand for residential homes outside Metro Manila grows. Owning a second home in leisure destinations has also risen in popularity among high-income buyers. 

Brienz is Alpine Villas’ third residential building, which will offer 89 units of studio and one-bedroom with a starting price of P141,000 per square meter, currently valued at P300,000 per square meter. Up to 98% of the units have already been sold during the initial launch.

Alpine Villas is Crosswinds’ 2.8-hectare enclave that features mid-rise residential towers surrounded by charming European-inspired cafes and restaurants. One of the most coveted leisure and residential addresses in Crosswinds, Alpine Villas sits over 582 meters above sea level, commanding a stunning view of Crosswinds’ exclusive community, lush forest pines, plenty of open green spaces, and the commercial strip that features unique restaurant concepts. 

Brienz is the third of the five buildings of Alpine Villas, with the other three named Bernese, Blanc, Biel, and Basel. 

About Brittany Corporation

Brittany is the luxury residential and leisure arm of the country’s largest homebuilder Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. Besides Crosswinds, Brittany offers a fine selection of home designs, high-end condominiums, and lot-only properties in excellent locations, such as Portofino in Alabang, Forresta in Daang Hari, Augusta, and Georgia Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and Bern in Baguio.

For more information on Brittany Corporation’s collection of luxury properties, visit www.brittany.com.ph. You may also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

 As a parent you constantly worry about your child. You worry about your child's safety even at school.

Then, homeschooling may be the best option- spend more time with your child or children every day, making sure they are safe while educating them right at the comfort of your own place.

Passion in providing quality and affordable education

The passion of Dr. Richard Paolo B. Deluria, Woodlands International Homeschool Chairman and CEO and his wife Ms. Frances Louise T. Deluria, a qualified registered pediatric nurse in both the Philippines and United Arab Emirates (UAE), to provide quality yet affordable education for Filipino children of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, made it possible to establish Woodlands International Homeschool, the latest venture of SRK Education Group International.

Dr. Richard Deluria / Frances Deluria, RN/ Atty. Roviel Nepomuceno/ Maria Carmencita Nepomuceno, MBA and Kathrina Lopez, LPT

Dr. Deluria and his wife Frances Louise believes that homeschooling can be executed at the comfort of homes especially it has grown more popular during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Most families converted to this kind of new normal way of education," said Dr. Deluria, who is also a Bachelor’s degree holder in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Master’s in Psychology and PhD in Education Major in Curriculum Design, Development and Supervision.

Dr. Deluria underscored the vital role of technology in the transition of new normal way of executing education.

"We have our own Learning Management System that can be accessed any time, anywhere. Likewise, mobile application and the websites are meticulously designed to serve not just as a marketing tool but as another way to create meaningful learning experience for all its students," Dr. Deluria shared.

For her part, Ms. Deluria, said that homeschooling provides positive and appropriate socialization with peers and adult.

In the UAE, he cited, more than a thousand students have been interested and has since converted into enrolling in our curriculum.

" Testimonies from all the current and past students have proven both effectiveness and economical reasons on why they wanted our way of execution," he said.

Woodlands International is anchored on the solid foundation of providing both the Philippine and US-based curriculum of SRK students in the Middle-East.

It belongs to the group that have served almost 2,000 students across the region catering different types of families with trust and engagement of Filipino and International Community that has since moved to international schools or other western countries like the United States, Canada and other European countries.

Its curriculum is now well-certified under the Department of Education in the Philippines and the United States.

The average cost of homeschooling per child will be P75,000.00 per year but can be adjusted based on the future needs of the families.

Likewise, there will be options for payment on additional tutors should the subjects will be really challenging.

"It is more flexible," Dr. Deluria excitedly shared.

Courage

To those parents who are having second thoughts to homeschool their child or not, Dr. Deluria said that it takes a lot of courage to homeschool one child.

" As a parent, I feel how a day will go at home without a single nag to our naughty kids. Yet if you allow to explore homeschooling and the benefits of it, like us, you should be able to feel comfort, safety and close attachment to your children. Attending in one of our orientation may somehow ease as well all your worries as we have a very interactive session prior to enrollment," he encouraged.

"Homeschool-based education shall be the future of education," Dr. Deluria concluded.

For more information, visit www.srkeducationgroupinternational.com

Faceboook: Woodlands International Homeschool 

Instagram: @woodlands.homeschool

Email Address: woodlands.homeschool@gmail.com

Woodlands International Homeschool at Four/NEO, 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila.

For its relaxing weather, lush greens, pine trees, beautiful landscapes, and pineapple fields, Tagaytay is more than a place for vacation. Tagaytay is your home away from home, a place for bonding with family and friends.

Due to its closeness to nature which also rejuvenates the soul, Tagaytay has also been a place for retreats and recollections among young students, working professionals, and religious groups.

The yearlong cold breeze that revitalizes energy propels us to take not just one but another look at Crosswinds Resorts Suites and its ever-evolving massive commercial development that continues to awe local and foreign tourists.

Locals will surely troop to Tagaytay in the run-up to the five-day Lenten holiday—either to have that much-needed vacation, complete the traditional Visita Iglesia, attend the Holy Week retreat, or probably, observe the traditional customs.

Crosswinds, a Villar-owned property development, has prepared for the influx of families and groups who will book for the long Lenten holidays.    

When all you do is hole up in your room or trek around Crosswinds, as you immerse yourself in the scent of 35,000 trees and the lovely surroundings in this exclusive enclave, make sure to also satisfy your stomach – even during the Holy Week.

Apart from meatless food options that can be ordered from its sleek cafes and restaurants, Crosswinds also offers the young and the young-at-heart egg-citing surprises on Easter Sunday (April 9).

Andersen’s Bakery 

Wake up to the aroma of freshly-baked bread, and enjoy your favorite Walnut Cranberry or Double Chocolate Croissant with that coffee brew—just a stone’s throw away from your hotel room.

Named after famous literary fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen’s Bakery has a story to tell for its bread.   You’ll love a comfy ambiance while you spend some time in this bread cafe—probably, reading a book, with fewer gadgets and all.

Many remain fascinated as they find quaint stores inside the Crosswinds’ exclusive enclaves.

Ruined Project

Surrounded by towering pine trees,  Ruined Project is another picturesque coffee brand under the Villar Group.  It’s the 50^thbranch of Coffee Project—the only difference is that it has fresh plants amid a rustic interior, situated in the Swiss-inspired Crosswinds.

Apart from its regular menu, it offers shrimp and crabstick salad this Lenten season for those who observe a no-meat policy or for those who prefer healthier food options.

Ruined Project got its name because the construction was halted when Taal Volcano erupted in 2020, further prolonged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Built at a time of disaster and the pandemic,  the interiors were done to also provide us with a wonderful view of nature inside Crosswinds.    Feel free to roam around, take pictures and enjoy the good food and sip the expresso-based concoctions at Ruined Project—to soothe not just your senses but your weary soul.

Windmill Lausanne

Inspired by Swiss architecture,  this cafe rose in the midst of a busy pandemic that affected the entire world.  It bears similarity to the Windmill in Solvang, California, which is, in turn, inspired by Switzerland.  Thus, one is built at Crosswinds—but situated in the resort’s rolling terrain and lush greens.

Constructed amid a backdrop of blue skies and a beautiful sunset, Windmill Laussane provides another breathtaking experience to its customers.  

The windmill and its balcony evoke scenes from a Shakespeare novel—making it very good for taking snaps of memories.

For the observance of the Holy Week, Windmill Lausanne offers seared salmon with pesto. 

There is also absolutely mouthwatering food such as chicken cordon blu, French toast with bacon, mushroom soup, spaghetti meatballs, and drinks such as Blue Citrus Creamy Frappe and Brown Sugar Choco Frappe.   Take a bite also of Blueberry Danish and Raspberry Danish.

Napa 

Start your day with a hearty meal by ordering Napa’s Sausage Duo for the ultimate breakfast.  But for those who opt for healthier meals, Napa has Founder Provencale added to its menu.

Another must-visit cafe in Tagaytay, Napa’s cabin-themed interiors, is inspired by Napa Valley in California.   Its rustic interiors and relaxing ambiance add to the feeling of happiness once you dine at Napa—also situated within Crosswinds.

The mountain air in this part of the city makes the visit more worthwhile both for dine-in and alfresco dining.   Kids can also enjoy running around the open area with teepee huts and wooden tables.  

Go for a hearty breakfast at Napa, which also concocts hot and cold drinks according to your tastes.  Napa’s specials include Black Smoked Pasta, Chicken Alfredo, Margherita pizza, and beef onion pizza.

Cafe Yama

Experience a guilt-free food trip this Lenten season by ordering meatless choices from its menu of Cafe Yama, which is seated at an uphill portion of Crosswinds overlooking a vast land of green fields and trees.

For this Lenten season, indulge yourself in the authentic flavor of Chicken Fried Rice and Shrimp Teppanyaki, along with tempura, sashimi, sushi, stir-fried food, rice bowls, and noodles.   Quench your thirst with Matcha Cheese Latte, Shinzu Grape Juice, other fruit juices, and coffee brews from this place.

The traditional Japanese ornaments such as lanterns, parasols, and murals complement the menu of Cafe Yama, which name means “mountain.”   

About Crosswinds

Inspired by the natural beauty of Switzerland, with verdant forests and glistening mountain peaks, Crosswinds is Brittany’s 100-hectare exclusive enclave tucked away on the face of the lush, sweeping natural hills of Tagaytay.

A world on its own, Crosswinds features luxury homes and residential buildings in Swiss-chalet styles with large windows and balconies that unite the interior outside and allow the residents to enjoy the mountain soul of typical Swiss-chalet architecture. 

These luxury homes and residential buildings include Alpine Villas, The Grand Quartier, The Swiss Quadrilles, The Deux Pointe, and Lausanne.

For more information on Crosswinds and other Brittany properties, visit www.brittany.com.ph. You may also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.