Drawing in residents through design
Developer Ellington has made aesthetics and attention to practical living a priority in its building designs. This has been greeted with enthusiasm by residents of Belgravia 1, the first in a series of three residential mid-rise apartment buildings in the Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC).
The 181 units of the building have all been sold. “We have people, already living in the neighbourhood, coming in asking if there are units still available. They can see the way the building is lit at night time, and peek into the courtyard. It has definitely set a benchmark in JVC in terms of the design,” says Laura Bielecki, the Ellington Group’s interior design manager. “The beauty of the project is that it has created a proper community spirit,” she adds. This has been achieved by what Bielecki calls “little hubs” addressing the needs of all residents, such as in-and-outdoor play areas keeping the kids out of the lobby.
Belgravia 1 interiors have a trendy finish in neutral beige
“We have a mix of 41 different nationalities here, small families and individuals. About half of them are end-users and the rest investors,” she says. The building’s rents have risen quite quickly over the average in JVC. When the developer first launched sales, the one-bedroom units could be had for an annual rent of Dh80,000, but today units are leasing for Dh90,000 plus.
Varying shades of practical living
Besides the design element, monthly events in the building bring residents together, for instance fitness and social gatherings.The developer has also introduced a handover gift to new residents as a surprise, such as an overnight car-cleaning service.
Talking of aesthetics, Bielecki says, “We carefully consider each detail. For example, we don’t have glass balustrades for the most part in the building, as they are very difficult to maintain. So we took metal but played with its dimensions so that it looks different.” Other easy-to-maintain yet trendy finishes throughout the building include wood-look floor tiles. Practical quirks, such as high kitchen taps allow pots to be washed easily, and pullouts to fill a bucket. We have closely assessed how residents would be using their homes, says Bielecki.
We carefully consider each detail. For example, we don’t have glass balustrades for the most part in the building, as they are very difficult to maintain. So we took metal but played with its dimensions so that it looks different.
Laura Bielecki
Belgravia 2
These concepts have been improved further in Belgravia 2 that opens in summer. “You have to learn from every property you build. We have listened to comments of our residents and worked on the feedback,” Bielecki says. The developer has also listened to the needs of the market, adding two-bedroom town homes with maid's rooms to the ground floor.
Responding to customer feedback, the developer has included two-bedroom town homes with maid's rooms in Belgravia 2
“We noticed that there aren’t too many around of this type. The homes feel semi-detached from the rest of the building with their own direct entrance,” says Bielecki. The building will feature the same amenities, but they come in a different style. The lobby, for instance, is still a double-storey space, but the gym will have more funk. The colour palette has also changed from more neutral beige to browns in Belgravia 1 to white, grey and black in Belgravia 2.
“We said let’s do a grey building, not bland and cold but a warmer palette, stylish and trendy. It will also be contemporary but artworks around the building will be based on a black and white photography concept, instead of paintings like in Belgravia 1,” she adds.
Belgravia 2's interiors have a white, grey and black palette
In terms of practicality in design, new ideas have been introduced, starting with USB sockets, and under-sink flip downs for sponges, in the kitchen. The developer has redesigned corner cabinets to open easily, and the wardrobes here have received a professional look.
“I actually spoke to a wardrobe consultant and calculated how much hanging is needed versus shelving and is it necessary to create suitcase space,” Bielecki reveals. The powder room features a plain wall so it could be dressed according to what statement one would like to make. With Belgravia 2 sold out, the developer has gone back to the drawing board to create Belgravia 3. “It again will be a different story concept,” says Bielecki.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in Gulf News on Wednesday February 28th, 2018 http://bit.ly/gulfnewsbelgravia