The near-magical Asokoro Gardens appeals to the suburban dreams of the resourced and the discerning, writes Osang Abang
Perched on the hills overlooking Asokoro, the office of real estate developers SED Limited is the perfect place for a postcard picture of Abuja.
The panorama through the windows is both a visual and a socio-economic milieu of the city. At the center, the skyline is punctuated by the World Trade Center and the Millennium Tower, the glint of the NNPC Towers, the façade of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the dome of the National Assembly, the spires of the Central Mosque and the arches of the National Church of Nigeria. To the west the greenery and residential buildings blend into the horizon. To the east Aso Rock stands sentry over the city. And below, in the distance, along the Abuja-Keffi highway, cars the size of matchboxes drive by.
The SED offices are situated in a prototype of the Deluxe Villa of Asokoro Gardens, the first phase of SED Limited’s audacious real estate project Sunrise Hills.
On display in the foyer of the SED offices is the model of Sunrise Hills: a miniature city within a city with a 570 hectare green wonderland mapped with villas, high-rises and compounds. In the works are plans for a 5-star hotel, golf course, hospital and the largest shopping mall in West Africa.
For a project this massive, any one of its features would be an ideal jump-off spot. But the company has gone with Asokoro Gardens, a 20-hectare residential component. Of this choice Mr. Sami Jaoude, the Managing Director of SED Limited, says the idea is to under promise but over deliver.
Asokoro Gardens is divided into three areas: The Olu Edidi compound comprised of five apartment buildings with 70 units of two and three-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom penthouses; The Greens, an area of four and five bedroom duplexes; and the privately gated units, a luxury area of 10 made-to-specification standalone duplexes and 11 villas.
Bringing expertise from Lebanon and the Mediterranean, SED’s approach to the residential architecture is a fine blend of Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Colonial and modern styles. The duplexes of the greens and gated units feature spacious balconies, and the villas with their voluminous depth, recessed porches and classical columns have an enchanting historic quality.
But for all the variance in building types, a stylistic cohesion is achieved, with smooth, stucco walls in earth tones for all the units. More stunning is its intelligent design that incorporates natural lighting with energy efficiency. With tall, floor-length windows positioned in the direction of sunlight, the buildings of Asokoro Gardens have a natural luminosity that minimizes the use of electrical lighting for most of the day. For safety, all upper windows feature decorative wrought iron balconets. SED, from a cross-section of the completed units, is making good on a modest promise in an especially unforgiving terrain.
The area housing Asokoro Gardens and the Sunrise Hills is geographically tricky. A composite of undulating hills and low valleys, the area is resistant to ease, a challenge SED Limited and its construction partners seem to relish.
Pointing out how meticulously each building was realised in relation to the surrounding land, Mr. Jaoude smiles. Despite their similarities, each building is unique, he says. Each house was constructed differently, to deal with sewage disposal and water pressure, according to its area.
As if to emphasize SED’s approach, across the valley, in the area of Asokoro extension, a house is being built in what is an excavated area cutout of the hillside. It looks like an asteroid crater: the house sits on a flattened area surrounded by earth-faced walls without any concrete reinforcement.
Asokoro Gardens tows a different line. SED maintains its natural vistas with environmental sustainability and 75 percent of the property is dedicated green area. Every house is surrounded by grass with space for private gardens, and the overall impression is one of being in inhabited pastureland.
SED Limited’s motto is ‘you are what you live,’ a fitting statement of aspiration. A new building is a part of a city’s social and architectural history and an indicator of its future. Abuja’s metropolitan aspirations rest on complementing its city center with true suburbs. The suburb is the thin line between the rural and urban, a space requiring a delicate balance of the provincial and the modern—criteria under which Asokoro Gardens qualifies.
Prices
- Stand Alone House (5Bdr): N450M
- Compound House Type I (4Bdr Duplex): N250M
- Compound House Type II (4Bdr Duplex): N295M
- 2Bdr Apartment: Starting at N115M
- 3Bdr Apartment: Starting at N125M
- Large Deluxe Villa (6Bdr): N850M
- Deluxe Villa (5Bdr): N750M
Contact
Phone: 0813 666 6612; 09 870 1631
Email:
info@sed-ltd.com
Website: www.sed-ltd.com
See below for more pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment