Changing not just how homes are built, but lives too

AboitizLand’s Great Transformation

AboitizLand, the real estate arm of the Aboitiz Group, is investing big on sustainability and innovation to make its products not only more desirable, but also more responsible.

This push for sustainable yet inventive progress is part of the larger Aboitiz group’s ‘Great Transformation’ mission: a bold corporate move to put innovation at the forefront of its growth strategy. It is hoped to usher in the firm’s transition into a ‘techglomerate’ by heavily integrating technology and forward design thinking in all its production, services, and processes. The group is carefully selecting practices and philosophies from Big Tech that will translate well in the context of their own business goals as a Philippine conglomerate.

The epitome of such is seen in the innovations being adopted by AboitizLand in its corporate operations as well as projects. These not only make AboitizLand a more efficient, tech-enabled company, but also a sustainable, and environmentally conscious property developer as well, imbibing the mindset its very customers look for in their properties.

“Like the rest of the Aboitiz group, AboitizLand is traversing its own innovation journey and is positioning itself not only as an innovation-forward developer but as a proponent of PropTech or property technology,” said David Rafael, AboitizLand’s President and CEO.

A modern master plan

This starts from careful master-planning of the property developments as a whole. AboitizLand employs the principles of new urbanism — a planning and developmental approach that employs the inclusion of walkable blocks and streets, houses in close proximity to shops, public spaces and amenities, and promoting sustainable and environmentally-friendly habits with more walkable destinations within the development.

These aren’t limited to man-made amenities. AboitizLand prides itself in creating properties with their own natural wonders. The Seafront Residences, a seaside community located in San Juan Batangas, for example, has become an important Pawikan conservation site, made possible by its partnership with the Pawikan Conservation Project. Foressa Mountain Town, located in Balamban, Cebu, by contrast, boasts of over 250 hectares of natural terrain, mountains, sloping hills, and rivers to explore and experience with a hiking trail for residents.

“We innovate the way we plan, design, and build structures, as well as the manufacture and installation of their components, we have partnered with leaders in precast concrete technology to deliver more durable homes to our customers at a faster pace,” said Rafael.

Apart, of course, from the master-planning and home design initiatives that seeks to make the lives of its many residents comfortable, it’s also making a dent in the industry by innovating the way homes are built.

New building techniques

AboitizLand innovates the way they build homes for Filipinos through the use of precast technology over traditional concrete hollow blocks. To accomplish this, it has partnered with Connovate, a Danish supplier, as well as Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd., a Japanese supplier of precast technology.

Through these partnerships, AboitizLand is adding high-quality value to its developments. The use of precast panels cuts the construction period by half, and minimizes labor shortages and construction delays. They help reinforce houses against earthquakes and typhoons, are more affordable over their lifecycle, and stand the test of time. Since a number of components are being produced in a movable precast plant away from the construction site, it reduces the use of energy, construction noise, and pollution in the area. Another benefit is improved construction quality, owing to the regulated plant setting.

These techniques are already being employed in residential properties like the Seafront Residences in the LIMA Estate.

“This technology cuts the construction period by half making seaside living more attainable in a shorter period of time,” said Rafael.

Through the use of data science and artificial intelligence (DSAI), AboitizLand is employing systems and processes that make communication and coordination within the organization more efficient. Apart from investing in various digital tools to automate critical areas in their operations, the company will also rationalize routine processes potentially through Robotic Process Automation.

Convenient transactions

One of the parts of the home-buying process many customers are anxious about is the paperwork. Thanks to lessons learned from the pandemic, AboitizLand has streamlined this process as well through the Vecino Portal, a mobile application that provides efficient end-to-end online services for homebuyers. Vecino is Spanish for neighbor and is hoped to serve as a friendly resource for potential homeowners.

The Vecino Portal streamlines the contactless home-buying process. Available as an app for mobile phones and devices, it makes it easier for buyers and sales partners to reserve units, submit documentary requirements, complete monthly amortizations and apply for a housing loan. It includes many in-app features such as house hunting, a virtual tour, online reservation, monitoring updates, and even virtual turnover. With the app, homebuyers can track the construction status and payments, get home construction updates, access documents, and schedule acceptance and turnover dates.

AboitizLand partnered with sister company, Union Bank of the Philippines, on an improved customer profiling system and a predictive model that will detect construction delays. This gives buyers timely updates on the progress of their homes. It also uses data science and artificial intelligence to comb through all the figures to process applications faster.

“As a result of our innovative pivot to digital selling, in 2021, AboitizLand achieved the highest sales in its 16-year history,” said Rafael.

Uplifting all lives

All these innovations hope to not only make more affordable homes, more desirable homes, and more sustainable homes, but also improve the lives, health, and mental wellbeing of all those who choose to live in an AboitizLand development.

“Innovations can help the real estate industry draw out a more successful post-pandemic future through solutions that save customers time and money, deliver better and stronger homes and offer society a more sustainable way forward, especially concerning the environment,” said Rafael.

Through its push to become the Philippines’ first techglomerate, the Aboitiz Group is fulfilling its greater responsibility to uplift its own people and the communities they live in and serve. That amounts to 20 million customers (and counting) by constantly improving their experience of life and work.