---By Tai Chin-Chi Translated by Mei Lee Photos by Shining Group

Anyone regularly following Taiwan's media lately has probably noticed that there has been plenty of focus on the grand abodes of local celebrities and political figures. A good example is coverage of Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bien's son-in-law Chao Chien-Ming's visit to Debao, a luxury villa constructed by Taiwan's famous industrial construction company, and famous singer Chang Hui-Mei's purchase of the "Star of XinYi," located in the expensive area of XinYi, Taipei, also made headlines. These magnificent residences are part of this new public fascination.

Following in the footsteps of Taipei, grand villas and other residences have become very popular in Taichung's real estate market. In September, 2006, land in Taichung City Government's Seventh Redevelopment Zonelitan center exceeded NT$1 million per ping (36 square feet) and reached NT$1,285,000. This was a landmark towards establishing the new luxury real estate trend. Looking at this sector of Taichung's luxury residences more closely, several characteristics begin to stand out as follows.

1. Excellent, exclusive locations with large-scale public facilities close by as an added attraction. In the earlier days of city development, Taichung's two museums--the National Museum of Natural Science and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts--were connected by the green belt of JingGuo Parkway. Development in the surrounding areas, such as People's Square, included the Long Bon Building, An-Lan Home and, later, the "Emperor Twin Tower" and other high-end buildings, resulting in a high concentration of luxury residences. Following the real estate boom of the past couple years, however, Taichung's business center has gradually moved to Xitun and Nantun districts. As the city's new hub for political, commercial and economical facilities, many large-scale department stores have also been built or are planned for these areas.
As a result, the Seventh Redevelopment Zone has become a competitive "battleground" for newly-built luxury mansions and apartments. Within this new 107-hectare metropolitan special area original landscape designs and public construction projects have combined to create plenty of open space and the sites for a planned new city hall and metropolitan opera house. These new developments will also contribute to the attractiveness of this new cluster of grand residences.

2.Luxury residences are often designed and planned by famous architects or landscape planners. The average foundation of every new luxury development in this area measures 400 to 600 pings, with other large-scale mansions such as Twin Parks, Shining Groups and Regency Gardens occupy over 1,000 pings. Seventy percent of these projects have space for only 50 households, mainly for purposes of superior space control and management of these high-end apartments. It is also easier to meet construction quality standards. The floor area for each residence ranges from 60 to a maximum of 165 pings, with an average of 80 to 100 pings for a four bedroom residence. Two notable exceptions are the Aman Bobo development, with a total of 172 apartments, and the "City Symphony" project, with 278 residences, both with smaller-scale floor plans of 18 to 40 pings.

As for parking space, very few mechanical parking elevators--popular in so many local apartments--are found here. Ground-floor parking spaces are instead offered for sale with a 2.57:1 average ratio for parking spaces per household. This is the biggest difference from regular residential buildings. A lower density of apartments, residences larger than 80 pings, and double the normal number of parking spaces available for tennants are all new standards set by these new Taichung's luxury homes.
3. With the progress of technology, newly-developed methods and material are used in construction. Construction of these new high-end residences abandons traditional reinforced concrete (R.C.) structures and instead opts for steel reenforced structures (SRC) to overcome earthquakes worries. All kinds of anti-earthquake techniques have been utilized to ensure the sturdiness of buildings. Other materials include environmentally-friendly, anti-UV, low-E coatings that have reflective insulation that allows energy saving, and low-radiation glass, which is an advanced, quality construction material. Though expensive, these materials are used to distinguish the structure's value from other buildings and to improve living comfort.

Overall, the two most important attributes of these luxury residences are the provision of outstanding facilities and flawless public spaces, together with top-notch security systems. For public spaces and facilities, most high-end developments are equipped with swimming pools, work-out rooms, courts for various sports, a visitor's reception area, a reading room, a meeting room, a media room, courtyard landscaping, water ponds, walking trails, spas, sauna rooms, steam rooms, and roof-top viewing areas. These public areas are for the exclusive use by residents and must be well managed, lest they go to waste.
In the meantime, security systems are designed to be as secure as possible. Comfortable living standards and personal privacy are the biggest concerns. In order to employ high-tech standards and equipment, management teams undergo extensive training. Cameras are placed in every corner and 24-hour surveillance is carried out. Buildings are also surrounded by infrared sensors which sound alarms to warn security guards if moving objects are detected. Air-tight windows also form an invisible safety net. Passwords, fingerprint recognition and even eye scans are used to identify residents and visitors. Video cameras monitor building entrances, hallways, elevators and the doors of each residence, providing images transmitted to residents themselves so that they can decide whether visitors are welcome or not.

The job of building management is not only limited to construction and security issues. With technology changing daily, the management of residential buildings also must keep abreast of the latest developments with five-star restaurants, taxi services, babysitting, and delivery, laundry, gift and house-keeping services.
The real value of luxury homes is in their lasting value and durability, which does not decrease with time. Among the most crucial elements are a good management system and a well-rounded resident management committee. A well-functioning management committee will give even an older building new life and make it a prosperous, lively residence. As many new buyers and residents are finding out, owning a luxury residence in the new metropolitan center of the Seventh Redevelopment Zone not only to satisfies the need for comfortable living, but also serves as a lasting symbol of status and position in society which can be cherished for many years to come.
Tai Chin-Chi is an Assistant Manager at New Metropolitan Center Special Zone ChumKen Real Estate.